大正丸
Today, I visited the restaurant "Rinzen" with a friend to try out their meat kaiseki cuisine. It was my first time experiencing meat kaiseki, so I was really looking forward to it. The restaurant had a luxurious feel from the moment we entered the building, and the interior was beautifully designed with attention to detail. I was a bit nervous as I hadn't been to such a high-end restaurant before. We were seated at a counter where the chef would prepare the dishes right in front of us. I was initially nervous about the face-to-face interaction, but the chef was friendly, cheerful, and funny, which put me at ease.
Now, let me introduce the courses we enjoyed. First, we had a hand-rolled dish of Tajima beef sirloin and Hokkaido sea urchin. We rolled it ourselves and the combination of the sea urchin's flavor and the Tajima beef sirloin's richness was amazing. It went really well with drinks. Next, we had a soup with grilled sea bream. The aroma of the broth was delightful, and the sea bream had a unique texture that was both soft and crispy, creating a delicious and comforting taste.
Then, we had a side dish of black Wagyu beef tongue with Kaga eggplant and shark fin sauce. The tongue was tender, and the eggplant paired perfectly with the shark fin sauce. Following that, we tried the Tajima beef tartare with caviar. The presentation was impressive, and the combination of the beef and caviar created a burst of flavors in our mouths. It was surprisingly delicious.
We also indulged in a special black Wagyu beef lamp cutlet sandwich, which was made with a rare cut of lamp and had a crispy texture. The sandwich was filled with wasabi, enhancing the flavor of the beef. This was followed by a grilled dish of seasonal vegetables with miso, which was a perfect palate cleanser.
Next, we had chilled Tajima beef shabu-shabu with ponzu sauce. It was my first time trying chilled shabu-shabu with such luxurious beef, and it was perfect for the hot weather. The beef was flavorful, and the special ponzu sauce complemented it well. The accompanying tomato was also exceptionally delicious.
For the main course, we had charcoal-grilled Tajima beef Chateaubriand, which was cooked slowly over charcoal. The thick slices of Chateaubriand were served with ponzu sauce, salt, and wasabi. It was my first time trying Chateaubriand, and I was amazed by how delicious it was. The beef was tasty on its own and even more flavorful when paired with the condiments.
Finally, we enjoyed a course of corn and edamame rice cooked in a clay pot, red miso soup, and three small side dishes. The rice was cooked to perfection in the clay pot, and the red miso soup and pickles were also delicious. For dessert, we had a bite-sized sweet mochi with kinako powder, which was a perfect way to end the meal.
Overall, it was a memorable experience dining at a meat kaiseki restaurant for the first time. The food was incredibly delicious, and I would love to visit again in the future. Thank you for the wonderful meal!