北のもみたろう
On a certain weekday, "Someday..." became today as I visited a sushi restaurant in Higashi-ku. The restaurant seems to have parking spaces in front and behind the shop. The interior is spacious and nicely designed with a fresh smell of wood. There are counter seats, individual table seats, a raised tatami area with sliding doors, and even private rooms on the second floor. The staff, who appear to be skilled artisans, warmly welcome guests from behind the counter. The background music is calm and soothing.
On this day, I decided to try the "Excitement Course (1280 yen)" with a choice of "Oolong tea." Looking at the menu, there are also limited 10 servings of tempura bowls and seasonal dishes that caught my interest. Of course, there are various options to cater to different preferences. The course meal was served all at once. Taking the first bite... the scattered sushi looks more like a sashimi set. The rice is topped with delicious flying fish roe, cucumber, pickled ginger, shredded seaweed, and the vinegared rice has a good balance of sweetness and sourness. The sashimi includes thick slices of tuna, subtly sweet tamagoyaki, plump sweet shrimp, good-quality salmon, squid sashimi, and delicious engawa with a great texture and oiliness.
The piping hot chawanmushi was smooth and velvety, with plenty of corn, chicken, small shrimp, and chestnuts, all in a lightly seasoned broth, which left a good impression. The salad consisted of radish and lettuce with a French-style dressing, and the miso soup had wakame seaweed, tofu, green onions, and fried tofu skin. Finally, the dessert was matcha warabi mochi, orange, and cherries, enjoyed with Oolong tea to end the meal.
This is just my personal impression, but at 1280 yen for lunch, it is a decent price. When compared to the usual 2000 yen spent at conveyor belt sushi restaurants, this meal provided much more satisfaction. Conversely, compared to ultra-luxury restaurants, the ambiance around the counter is upscale, but the 1280 yen price point made it feel more casual and enjoyable. Thank you for the meal.