芋洗坂グループ長
On a sunny Sunday, I rode my bicycle aimlessly towards the Minamisenba area. On the north side of Sakaisuji Honmachi, I arrived at Manyo Maeda, a specialty restaurant for Omi beef yakiniku. The restaurant is not small, located on the second floor, but because it is tucked away in a narrow alley between buildings, you might feel relieved when you first arrive in front of the restaurant. However, the restaurant itself has a large sign displayed. I went up to the second floor and entered the restaurant. I took off my shoes and was guided to a counter seat by a female staff member near the entrance. I sat at the end of the counter and checked the menu. They offered Omi beef yakiniku set meals, steak set meals, yakiniku bowls, roast beef bowls, hamburg steak set meals, and indulgent sets with extra meat. They also had sirloin steak, fillet steak set meals, and sukiyaki sets categorized as pine, bamboo, and plum sets based on the price. Today, I felt like having sukiyaki. Since I had spent a lot on Friday and Saturday, I chose the plum sukiyaki set. After a while, the sukiyaki set arrived. The individual sukiyaki pot was simmering. In the middle, there was one shiitake mushroom and one grilled tofu. Surrounding them were Chinese cabbage, enoki mushrooms, konnyaku noodles, and green onions. There were five slices of beautiful ruby-colored Omi beef on a plate. Rice and pickles. The small side dish was lotus root and burdock kinpira. And there was miso soup with seaweed. I immediately put the beef in the pot. As it cooked, the color of the beef changed. Before the redness disappeared, I dipped it in the beaten egg in a small dish. I also made sure to add Chinese cabbage and konnyaku noodles. I took a bite. The fluffy and moist beef gradually disappeared in my mouth. The soy sauce flavor in the broth was dominant. The sweetness of sugar was faint in the background. Even though the soy sauce was strong, the sukiyaki reached a perfect peak at some point. The broth transferred to the egg, which was natural. Just like how my favorite gin rocks drink also has a perfect timing when the ice melts and blends with my mood, making it the most delicious moment. Well, that's not really relevant, but... For flavor variation, I added kinpira, takuan, and used grilled tofu and shiitake mushrooms as accents. The rice was glossy and cooked slightly firm, perfect for sukiyaki. The soup was ordinary, despite having plenty of seaweed. I finished three and a half slices of beef with the rice. I also drank all the soup. I asked for a refill. I ate half of the rice and an appropriate amount of soup! Oh, I remember saying the same thing at lunch yesterday at a different restaurant... The male staff member served regular portions of rice and soup, just like yesterday. It's a losing streak... If there's a way to communicate better, please let me know. I managed to finish the remaining sukiyaki and side dishes. But the star of the show was the refill soup. It was piping hot. It wasn't just seaweed soup; it was actually a tail soup. Wait, did it change from the first bowl? It was delicious, with a refined fatty flavor that spread in the mouth, and the hot sensation that was absent in the first bowl now warmed my stomach. This soup is really good. With the help of the soup, I managed to finish my meal. It was a great sukiyaki lunch. Thank you for the meal.