ジェームズオオクボ
Platinum Toridama Main Store @ Minato-ku, Tokyo ~ Amazing variety of rare cuts
The other day, I had the opportunity to have a meal with Mr. Izawa, a former member, at "Soba Kappo Kurata" in Musashi-Koyama. It had been a while since I last saw Mr. Izawa, who had moved from Mejiro to Machida about ten years ago, so I felt like visiting "Platinum Toridama Main Store," which I hadn't been to in a while, and made a reservation with Mr. Izawa. We started with a small dish of fresh ingredients. Then, I decided to let Mr. Izawa, who is knowledgeable about alcohol, choose the drinks. Here is the menu, which includes an amazing variety of rare cuts. We started with cold red soup, which left a lasting impression as it was not something you see often. We also had tofu topped with meat miso and grated radish. For the a la carte appetizers, we chose vinegar motsu, dried konjac, and pickled turnips. The motsu used a lot of the egg tube part of the lantern, giving it a unique appearance and texture. The pickled turnips were a unique choice. The first yakitori was "tougarashi," made from the calf's thigh. It had a fluffy texture. Although it was made from the thigh, which doesn't use much muscle, it was white and had a mild taste. The dried konjac yakitori was served with spicy miso, shoyu, black shichimi, sansho pepper, and ginger. It was delicious. The leek roll was a skewer that Mr. Izawa used to enjoy with his father at a yakitori restaurant when he was a child. It was delicious. We paired it with "Sengin Classic Muku Namamato 2020," an unfiltered sake. It had a sweet impression at first, but when paired with the chicken, a soft acidity emerged. It was delicious. We also had "Misaki Female Tail" with ginger, a specialty from Daruma in Yokohama. It was crispy and crunchy, and the sauce and ginger complemented it well. We paired it with "Konishi Junmai Osamu 720ml Sake," a sake from Nara. Next, we had "Bera," which had a texture similar to pork's white meat or liver. Then, we had "Kinchaku Hormone," and "Hakurakusei Hiyaroshi Tokubetsu Junmai Sake" to pair with it. It had a refreshing taste. We also tried "Hizakashira," which allowed us to enjoy both the thigh and cartilage at once. We had "Harami," which included the thymus gland between the neck and skin. Lastly, we had "Saezuri" and "Mimuro Sugi," a 13-degree sake. It was crispy and hot, and the elasticity became prominent when it cooled down. We also had "Gatsu Furisode," which had a different fiber quality in the shoulder part, resulting in a unique flavor. It was delicious. We ended the meal with the chef's special "Oyakodon," made with sake and red wine, which had a gentle flavor. It was a unique and delicious dish. For dessert, we had a special treat from Mr. Izawa - a mysterious but delicious dessert with wasabi and black honey. Recently, the price of chicken meat has skyrocketed, and even renowned restaurants have adjusted their prices accordingly. However, Toridama offers excellent cost performance.