辛口トトロン
On November 24, 2022, I visited the restaurant "Niku Saru" that had moved from Tanukikoji to Susukino. I wanted to confirm whether it was still a place catering to young people and the general public, or if it had upgraded to cater to a higher-class clientele. Despite it being a weekday night, the restaurant was fully booked (^_^;) I finally got a seat around 9:15 PM for the second round (sweat) It's incredibly popular! (^_^;) There are many young people here, similar to those you would often see in Susukino. That's a bit reassuring, I guess? (*^^*) However, when I looked at the menu, I was taken aback (^_^;) Wow, it's quite pricey!! (sweat) This place is not for those who go to restaurants with a 50% discount or all-you-can-eat options (sweat) It might be a stretch for me too (tears) But even if it's a place like this, I thought I should challenge myself to see how much it would cost if I ever wanted to take someone there (sweat) So, let the challenge begin! The appetizer was a high-quality dried plum from Kyoto, made with large Nanko plums. It's clear that it's a premium item. If they had served bean sprout namul as an appetizer, I would have been out on the spot (laugh) For drinks, I splurged on a 12-year-old Hakushu highball (sweat) Even a Hakushu highball is considered luxurious now, so a 12-year-old one is probably out of reach (laugh) It's very delicious and has a slight sweetness to it. Well, it's delicious, but this is probably not the right way to enjoy it. I think aged drinks are best enjoyed neat, but I can only drink them with water (sweat) So, for the second drink, I went for a Yamazaki 12-year-old highball ♪ The third drink was just a regular Yoichi highball ♪ Yoichi is a whisky I often drink. Yeah, good liquor doesn't make you feel bad, so I can write reviews like this♪ The assorted kimchi plate includes 6 types: Napa cabbage kimchi, kakuteki, dried radish, nagaimo, umeboshi, and edamame. The crunchy texture of the dried radish is nice. I've never eaten nagaimo before, but it was surprisingly delicious. And umeboshi, huh!? (^_^;) I was surprised. It's turned into kimchi (*^^*) What surprised me even more was the edamame, I don't like edamame, but I can eat this. Now, it's time for the main dishes. First up, Omi beef tongue. It's incredibly tender and delicious! It's like a treasure in my mouth (*^^*) I don't want to swallow it. I finally remembered to sandwich it with whole peppercorns on the third piece. The slight spiciness was a nice touch. Next is Kyoto beef raw liver. The color is amazing, I want to eat it as it is. It's lightly seared and eaten rare. The liver's unique sweetness is surprisingly subtle, with a refreshing aftertaste. It's a top-quality item that you rarely get to eat. Will I remember this deliciousness? No, I will definitely not forget it. Miyazaki wagyu beef tartare. The red egg yolk is impressive, and it's light and delicious. It doesn't have a strong meaty smell. It's made from the female cow's thigh meat, which was chosen as the champion in the Wagyu Olympics. Despite being thigh meat, it's full of marbling (sweat) You can easily bite through it with a crispy texture. With this much marbling, there's no hint of off-flavors or smells. Instead, it's hard to discern the taste of the meat, so I tried it with the sauce for the first time. Finally, I tried the Yamagata beef skirt steak. This is really delicious! You can really taste the meatiness. I used to be the type who ate meat without dipping it in sauce, but this meat is the type that tastes even better with the sauce. The large intestine hormone of Tokachi mud pork. As soon as it's placed on the grill, flames rise up quickly. It has a good elasticity and tenderness, and it was a delicious hormone. Kyoto beef hormone, also known as Yang or Black Abalone, is a rare cut. Despite being called abalone, there is no sea smell or taste, it looks like it and has a similar texture (laugh) Finally, the Kyoto beef rumen.