kmr
As the name suggests, I visited a Japanese restaurant and izakaya in Shinjuku San-chome specializing in Kinmedai (Golden Eye Snapper) with a hobby friend. The location is in a building near Shinjuku Suehirotei. The interior is clean and beautiful, with about 6 four-person table seats. First, they introduced us to the fresh seafood and vegetables they purchased that day at Toyosu Market, which were being sold in boxes. We came for the Kinmedai, but there were so many options to choose from. So, we decided to try the nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) and Makomodake (maitake mushrooms) from the selection. The rest of the dishes were mainly focused on Kinmedai.
Appetizer:
The appetizer was grilled Kinmedai head with salt. It was delicious right from the start. The flesh was substantial, making it enjoyable to eat, and the soft eyeballs were also excellent. It was surprising that this was served as an appetizer.
Sashimi Platter:
The sashimi platter included Kinmedai (from Chiba), Sawara (Spanish mackerel from Chiba), Buri (yellowtail from Nagasaki), Hirame (flounder from Fukushima), and Chutoro (medium fatty tuna). All of the sashimi was delicious, especially the fatty Kinmedai and the Sawara which was a personal favorite. It went well with the sake.
Makomodake:
The Makomodake was simply grilled and served. When lightly salted, the crunchy texture and unique flavor of Makomodake spread in the mouth.
Whole Kinmedai Stew:
Next came the whole Kinmedai stew. The whole appearance was impressive, and the flesh easily fell apart when touched with chopsticks. The sweet sauce coated the flesh perfectly, creating an excellent taste. The eggplant and shiitake mushrooms that came with it were also delicious after absorbing the sauce.
Nodoguro Grilled Whole:
Then came the grilled whole nodoguro. It was incredibly delicious, with a soft and fatty flesh that oozed umami when bitten into. The skin was also delicious. The negi (green onions) underneath absorbed the flavor of the nodoguro and was also incredibly tasty.
Kinmedai Shabu-shabu:
Although we were already very satisfied with the whole Kinmedai stew and nodoguro, the Kinmedai shabu-shabu was served. It was my first time trying Kinmedai shabu-shabu. The Kinmedai was lightly cooked in Kinmedai broth with negi, tofu, and shiitake mushrooms added first. The resulting dish had a different texture from sashimi and melted perfectly in the mouth. The combination of Kinmedai broth and flesh enhanced the flavor, making it incredibly delicious. Personally, I enjoyed the yuzu sauce, and the shiitake mushrooms soaked in the broth were also delicious.
Drinks:
I believe we had Premium Malt, Sawaya Matsumoto Morohaku, Jyoppari Kuhachiji, and Pink Grapefruit Sour. We might have had more sake, but we were so focused on the delicious food that we forgot.
We arrived early, but the restaurant was almost full by the time we left. It's clear that it's a popular spot. The Kinmedai in various styles - grilled, sashimi, stewed, shabu-shabu - were all delicious, and the other seafood sourced daily from Toyosu Market was incredibly fresh. The vegetables were also tasty. After enjoying shopping in Shinjuku, indulging in Kinmedai dishes is definitely a great idea. Highly recommended.