ジョンあさあき
From the moment I was able to secure a reservation at Kitashinchi, my excitement levels have been through the roof. For men, Kitashinchi is like a dream world, and today I visited "Teppanyaki Hanasui" for lunch. To be honest, this is only my second time coming to Kitashinchi. The first time was at a wine bar, so I'm still a beginner. Even though it was daytime, just stepping into Kitashinchi filled me with excitement. I relied on Google Maps to find the restaurant from JR Tozai Line Kitashinchi Station. I easily found the restaurant located in the basement of a mixed-use building. As I descended the narrow staircase, I quickly found the door to the restaurant. Peeking inside, I confirmed the compact yet bright atmosphere that I had seen on Tabelog. However, I noticed that there were only two seats set up in the restaurant. It seemed like it was just my husband and me for lunch. Feeling a bit nervous, we entered the restaurant, where we were warmly greeted by the friendly owner. Later in our conversation, I learned that they only seat two parties during lunchtime as they are fully booked for two rounds in the evening and need time to prepare. Once we got comfortable in the restaurant, I felt more relaxed and able to enjoy the meal without worrying about other customers. The owner (chef) was friendly and we had a pleasant dining experience until the end. The restaurant had an L-shaped counter with a maximum capacity of around eight seats. We ordered the recommended course (9,800 yen) which featured abalone and fillet steak as the main dishes, a basic course available for both lunch and dinner, with additional menu items available with advance reservation. When we sat down, we were excited to see abalone (one per person) and fillet steak right in front of us, which raised our excitement levels even more. The course began with a Red Star beer to quench our thirst, and we eagerly awaited the arrival of the appetizers. Two appetizers were served one after the other. Embarrassingly, I have some ingredients that I'm not fond of, so I was a bit worried, but they assured me that they could make changes if needed. That day, we had marinated tuna and simmered flounder. I was able to enjoy them without any issues. The marinated tuna had a deep color and was served with freshly grated wasabi. Once you taste high-quality tuna like this, other tuna just doesn't compare. The fillet was thickly sliced and had excellent flavor and texture. Next, we had simmered beef tongue. The tongue and daikon radish that had been simmered in advance were reheated on the teppan and served with a rich sauce. The owner mentioned that they used to serve foie gras, but due to factors like avian flu in Europe, the price of foie gras has increased tenfold. So now they serve beef tongue instead. I appreciated the owner's honesty, and personally, I was more than happy with the beef tongue. The beef tongue melted in the mouth, and the rich sauce and daikon radish provided a refreshing break. Finally, the black abalone was removed from its shell in front of us, with the liver used for the sauce and the body grilled on the teppan. Watching the preparation up close was satisfying in itself. At the same time, a large king oyster mushroom was also grilled on the teppan. The abalone and king oyster mushroom were cut into equal sizes and served on a plate. The liver sauce was poured over them, creating an enticing aroma. My excitement levels were through the roof! I started with the abalone, which was thickly sliced and coated in liver sauce, creating a heavenly flavor. I was surprised by the king oyster mushroom, which had a texture and taste similar to the abalone. When eaten with the liver sauce, it was just as delicious as the abalone. There was still more to enjoy. We were able to add a bit of rice to the remaining liver sauce on the plate and savor it. It was irresistible! If possible, I wanted to scoop up all the sauce with a piece of bread and enjoy it. Oh, and when I had the abalone, I also had white wine. The wine was perfectly paired with the dish. Still, there was more to come. The fillet steak. It was grilled on the teppan, and the experience was just as thrilling.