水たまりのアメンボ
Visited for lunch with my daughter who came to play from Tokyo. We arrived before 11:30 on a Saturday, with only a middle-aged couple as the other customers. Although there were multiple table seats available, we chose the counter seats for the great view. We ordered two live squid sashimi set meals for 3,300 yen each. The main dish of squid sashimi was served after about 10 minutes. It was beautiful, to say the least. While live squid sashimi can now be enjoyed in Tokyo due to advancements in transportation technology, the ones from areas facing the Genkai Sea, following Hakata, are truly exceptional. Soon, rice and chawanmushi (savory egg custard) were brought to us, which got us excited. We enjoyed the squid sashimi with a sweet Kyushu soy sauce. The sweetness of the squid matched perfectly with the sweet soy sauce, making the rice very appetizing. In the Kanto region, sashimi is usually eaten with a lightly sweetened soy sauce, but in western Japan, a thicker soy sauce is more common, especially sweeter in Kyushu compared to Honshu. Along with the squid sashimi, we also tried the squid shumai, another specialty dish from Hakata, and we were impressed. After finishing the sashimi, the staff came to collect the squid tentacles for tempura. In about 5 minutes, the squid tempura was served. We had already had two servings of rice, so we only enjoyed the squid tempura. Its deliciousness surpassed even the sashimi, and my daughter was also impressed. Next time, I would like to try combining the squid tempura with rice. Although the live squid sashimi set meal is a bit pricey here compared to around 2,000 yen in Fukuoka city, the magnificent view greatly enhances its value, making it worth every penny. On a beautiful summer afternoon, the counter seats are recommended.