In preparation for afternoon work in Ayabe, I searched near the station. I aimed for this place near Ayabe City Hall. There is an L-shaped counter seat at the entrance, but the main seating area consists of 5 table seats in the tatami room on the right. The first customers were a mother and daughter who had made a reservation, followed by a group of businessmen and a senior couple. As I looked at the menu, I noticed that in addition to sushi, this place also seems to specialize in soba. They also offer a Suppon (softshell turtle) hot pot for 3,200 yen. I chose the "Jou nigiri teishoku" from the set meals, which includes assorted nigiri sushi, salad, and a small bowl of soba. Although there was no explanation of the sushi toppings, they included squid, salmon, flounder, yellowtail, prawn, shirako (milt), ikura (salmon roe), scallop, and chu-toro (medium fatty tuna). Glancing at the normal nigiri set of the customers behind me, I could tell that the quality of the toppings was closer to "top-notch" rather than just "high". The tuna was exceptionally fatty and stood out as the best among the toppings of the day. When I asked the landlady at the time of payment, she mentioned that the restaurant has been open for 32 years. Although there were only 2 past reviews on Tabelog and it may be considered minor, it is a restaurant that is loved by the locals. PS: ↓ Title reference. Momotaro Samurai

A master holding a TV remote control was changing channels and looking at us with a bitter expression, without saying "welcome". The entrance had a counter with about 5 seats, and on the right, you had to take off your shoes to sit in the tatami area. When I asked if I should go up to the tatami area, the master replied grumpily, "Yes, but?" I felt lost and when I finally went up, I couldn't handle the atmosphere of the restaurant, so I left immediately without eating. Maybe the master was just in a bad mood, but it made me really sad.

"Impression: Taste 3.5, Service 3.5, Atmosphere 3.5, Cost performance 3.0, Drink assessment for sake drinkers 3.5"

I went to a sushi restaurant near Ayabe's shopping street and ordered the chef's choice sushi set. It came with 9 pieces of sushi and a shrimp head on top. All the fish was fresh and large, and the uni was sweet and creamy. The high-quality shellfish was also sweet and satisfying. Other dishes I enjoyed were: - Mackerel pickled in vinegar, perfect with sake - Grilled sea bream head with just the right amount of salt, crispy on the outside and flavorful - Tofu in hot broth with delicious dashi, didn't even need ponzu sauce - Mozuku vinegar with mozuku seaweed, mushrooms, and okra, very tasty - Hot peach-shaped sake cup that lifted my spirits, easy to drink The staff was friendly and I left very satisfied.