ふらわ★
I received an invitation to Shabu-Shabu Ginhalf in Odaiba. It's surprising to have the opportunity to drink in Odaiba at this age, life is full of unexpected things. I am grateful to be invited, thank you very much. The seats are all private rooms, and I was guided to a sunken kotatsu-style seating where you take off your shoes before entering. You can enjoy chatting and Shabu-Shabu leisurely. Orders are placed verbally by calling the staff, and the efficient and polite service of the staff is pleasant. The reservation was for the "Enjoyment Course" featuring domestic beef top sirloin & kinako pork loin Shabu-Shabu for 6,000 yen (tax included), drinks are separate. Let's start with a toast with a draft beer. Tonight is a two-person celebration in Odaiba. The beer glass (mug) has a double structure, so your hand holding the mug doesn't get wet. Following the beer, appetizers are served. Tonight we had seared scallops and spinach with white sesame dressing, and wagyu beef vegetable rolls. The combination of scallops and spinach was surprisingly delicious and fresh. The vegetable rolls with meat had cherry tomatoes on the side, a dish that could pass as a high-class cuisine course. Next, a homemade chawanmushi (savory egg custard) with clams and chicken in a cold broth. Despite the lingering summer heat, the cold chawanmushi with clams and chicken broth was refreshing. The addition of salmon roe and beans made it an exceptional dish that you might find in a high-class traditional Japanese restaurant. Then, a fish dish of yellowtail carpaccio with cherry tomatoes. The vegetables are always accompanied by meat, shellfish, and fish, as expected from a Shabu-Shabu restaurant. Tonight, there were plenty of tomatoes, but the seasonal vegetables will surely change. Now, onto the sake. We had a bottle of Kubota Hekiju Junmai Daiginjo Yamahai R4BY from Asahi Shuzo in Niigata. Asahi Shuzo, whose overseas sales exceed half of their total sales, may soon see "reverse imports" for domestic consumption. Hearing such stories makes you want to try it, and it was delicious when served slightly chilled. Now, onto the Shabu-Shabu. First, a platter of assorted vegetables and shrimp dumplings. The vegetable platter included napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, brown enoki mushrooms, sliced green onions, mizuna, pea shoots, kuzukiri (arrowroot noodles), and tofu. The dipping sauces were ponzu and sesame. Once the broth boiled, we added the shrimp dumplings. Since I'm not good at handling hot pots, my friend kindly took the lead. The shrimp dumplings were full of shrimp flavor and paired well with the ponzu sauce, very delicious. After finishing the shrimp dumplings, we cooked the vegetables. This vegetable platter was a variety of mushrooms cooked in the broth, which we then dipped in ponzu sauce. The mushrooms soaked up the various flavors of the broth, creating a delicious taste. Recently, I've started drinking Japanese whiskey when I see it, and tonight I had Chita on the rocks. Yamazaki and Hakushu are also delicious, but Chita is also delightful. Lastly, we had green tea highballs. Just drinking tea is plain, but drinking too much alcohol is not good either. Noodle dishes are served with hot pot meals. Here, they provided kishimen noodles separately from the hot pot. The noodles were served in the broth with fish cakes and spinach, a comforting taste. For dessert, we had matcha warabi mochi. A sweet ending to a delightful meal.