Mikutama
The new year has begun, and before you know it, it's time for the Toka Ebisu festival. I bought a rake and headed to Higashi-Shinsaibashi. The streets were not as crowded as usual, probably because everyone was visiting the Ebisu shrine. I decided to check out the sushi kaiseki restaurant at Yakiniku Itto-san, thinking I might be able to get a seat without a reservation, and as expected, there were empty seats available.
Location:
Located along Shimizu-cho Street in Higashi-Shinsaibashi, on the 3rd floor of the Itto Building. It's best to call ahead to confirm availability rather than being turned away after climbing the stairs to the 3rd floor.
Restaurant:
The restaurant seems newly opened, with a clean and hygienic interior. It looks more like a sushi restaurant than a meat shop.
Food:
The main dish is the seared sushi, as the name suggests. Instead of fish, the sushi case on the counter is filled with beef. Of course, to add variety, there are also dishes like shellfish, shrimp, octopus, conger eel, etc. Since it was right after the new year, they treated us to otoso (spiced sake) and osechi (traditional new year dishes). It was a good start to the year with these auspicious items.
For the first dish, I chose the premium tongue sashimi. I don't remember ever eating raw tongue before. When it comes to meat, I usually prefer it cooked to avoid any concerns. But there was no need to worry as the tongue was thick, had a firm texture, and a good bite. It had a slight sweetness without any unpleasant odor, truly showcasing the taste of tongue. I enjoyed it with ponzu sauce and sake before moving on to the main course of sushi. As expected, the fatty wagyu sushi was delicious, but after about three pieces, I started feeling full due to the richness.
Overall:
It seems like Itto-san is always up for trying new things. The staff were friendly and accommodating. The high-quality meat dishes added up in terms of cost (around 10,000 yen per person), but it's a unique genre to keep in mind when you're unsure of what to eat. It was a great meal!