mickandcindy
On the first night of my business trip in Osaka, I made a reservation at "Sushi Akazu Mochizuki" anticipating skipping lunch. The restaurant is located on the first floor of a building on the left side when you turn left at the corner of Dojima Avanza after heading south on Yotsubashi-suji from the Sakurabashi intersection on National Highway No. 2. The menu consists of only a course of chef's choice. There are only 10 counter seats, and the course starts at 6:00 PM and 8:30 PM. Reservations are required, and I reserved the 8:30 PM slot. The counter was full, and after everyone was seated, the owner, Mr. Mochizuki, greeted us and asked about any food preferences or dislikes before the course began. Tea and oolong tea were complimentary, but I ordered a draft beer. The course started with ankimo (monkfish liver) and shabu-shabu of kue (from Nagasaki) and firefly squid (from Toyama), served with ponzu sauce. The kue was exceptional in taste. Before the nigiri sushi started, my beer ran out, so I switched to sake. I first tried the "Hidakami Yasuke Dry Junmai Ginjo" in a glass. All the nigiri sushi were already seasoned and ready to eat. I started with a comparison of tuna. The medium fatty tuna, lean tuna marinated in soy sauce, and fatty tuna were all delicious. Even though I'm not a huge fan of tuna, I found these to be very tasty. Next, the "Kawahagi Liver Mix" was served, which was a great accompaniment to sake. The glass quickly emptied, so I ordered a glass of "Toyo Bijin Otokoyama Dry Junmai Ginjo." The course continued with red sea bream with yuzu and salt, bonito, and Japanese flying squid. The seasonal ingredients were delightful. The dish of steamed abalone and bamboo shoots with abalone liver sauce was outstanding. The sauce was exquisite, with a slightly Western flavor that paired perfectly with the Japanese ingredients. The dish was completed with a ping-pong ball-sized red vinegar rice and more liver sauce. The course then featured horse mackerel, spotted prawn, and shime saba (vinegared mackerel) roll. The nigiri sushi continued with seared olive flounder, simmered conger eel, and fatty tuna. The owner even offered a complimentary red clam nigiri sushi. The dessert consisted of Miyazaki mango and homemade pudding with Okayama sugar and vanilla beans. The course was a complete delight, with the quality of the ingredients, the chef's skillful knife work and creative ideas, the interesting conversations, and most importantly, the unique texture and deep acidity of the red vinegar rice, leaving me genuinely impressed. I had a thoroughly satisfying meal and would love to visit again. The bill was around 20,000 yen. Thank you for the wonderful meal!