masumiさん
After a year and a half, I visited Juso again. It had been about 5 years since I last visited properly, as the previous time I just stopped by quickly. Some of the shops had changed, but the atmosphere remained largely the same. However, it seemed like there were fewer people this time. Perhaps because it was a weekday? Well, leaving that aside, I enjoyed my long-awaited return to Juso. I decided to try Yotsubo, which had caught my eye in Myレビ's review. It's about a 2-minute walk from the east exit of Juso station. There are indeed very narrow shops there. The atmosphere might be a bit intimidating for first-timers. But that didn't bother me, so I confidently walked in. Inside, as expected, it was very narrow and long. It's a standing bar with only a counter. I started with a glass of Akahoshi. I poured it into the glass and drank it in one go. It was still hot, so it immediately warmed me up. Next, I carefully checked the menu. The first thing that caught my eye was the sashimi. I decided to have a 3-piece assortment. Today's selection was Spanish mackerel from Oita, horse mackerel from Nagasaki, and tuna collar from Niigata. Quite a sophisticated choice. The Spanish mackerel had a good amount of fat and a refreshing aftertaste. And for some reason, when I tried it with the recommended salt, I felt like the charm of the Spanish mackerel was enhanced. The horse mackerel was very fresh with no fishy smell. It was delicious even without any condiments. The tuna collar was full of rich fat. It was very sweet and delicious. I recommend having it with plenty of wasabi. Next, I ordered 3 side dishes. Today's specials were celery kinpira, crab miso cold spaghetti, and grilled Bai clam. Among them, the celery kinpira was outstanding. The savory aroma of sesame oil and the bitterness of celery matched perfectly. The crunchy texture was also great. I then switched to sake. I ordered a special junmai sake called Matsunosuke from Tochigi. It had a balanced taste of mild sweetness, acidity, and refreshing bitterness. It was an easy-to-drink sake. I paired it with eel and liver tempura. It was incredibly delicious and went well with the sake. The juicy eel and crispy batter were a perfect match. Adding some sansho pepper enhanced the flavor even more. And the liver had a different charm, with a subtle bitterness adding to its mature taste. Lastly, I tried the Oita CIEBIJIN DOLCE that had caught my eye. I paired it with sake lees cream cheese. This sake is apparently called a "Kijoshu." It is made by replacing some of the water used in brewing sake with sake itself. It was very sweet and light. It was the sweetest sake I've ever had. As the name suggests, it paired well with the dessert. Of course, it also went wonderfully with the sake lees cream cheese. It was a very interesting experience. This restaurant was of a very high standard. However, the atmosphere was welcoming, in a good way, typical of Juso, so you can easily drop in. Thank you for the meal.