グラッパ55
The season for the annual Oyster Shack reunion has come again! In the oyster farming-rich Itoshima Peninsula, there are many oyster shacks run by fishermen in various fishing ports such as Karato in the east, Gishi and Funakoshi in the west, and Kaburi. Among them, Gishi and Funakoshi are large oyster shack areas with around 10 shacks concentrated. Our gathering, now in its 9th year, has moved around to different locations experiencing various oyster shacks, but we have settled at Sumiyoshi Maru in Kaburi fishing port since 2015. The popular Sumiyoshi Maru seemed to have added one more greenhouse this year. Nonetheless, it was always full of customers coming and going. The new addition was using gas instead of charcoal, which was a bit disappointing. It is said that oyster shacks in Itoshima start operating as early as mid-October, but this time of the year is the best. The oysters are plump and delicious! This year, we made a little twist in the seasoning. One of our friends brought butter and basil, allowing us to enjoy grilled oysters with a different flavor than usual. First, we tried the butter-grilled oysters, then the basil, which was a great success! And finally, we tried butter and basil together. Simple grilled oysters are delicious, but it was fun to try different flavors. In addition to oysters, we added live spot prawns, scallops, and dried squid to the menu. The grilling was just right, with firm and juicy meat. The large scallops reminded us of the impressive scallops from Hachinohe's Yashoku Center in Aomori. Eating and drinking, our stomachs were full. Despite being at a good age, we really eat a lot (laughs). The smell of the dried squid being grilled helped reset our stomachs. The men kept eating and drinking. The grilled spicy pollack roe was also fragrant. The natural Hamaguri clams from Kaburi are a precious domestic native species. If you come here, be sure to try this dish. Thick and full of flavor, it is truly delicious. No matter how full we were, we couldn't skip the oyster rice. Once again, the old friends gathered in Itoshima to reminisce about the past. Gathering around the grill, chatting and laughing. With more wives joining in, it became even livelier.