孤高のグルメ☆
Hello, everyone! I am the servant of your food, "The Solitary Gourmet☆". Recently, my single noble friend has been inviting me to new restaurant openings. He loves eating sushi while listening to my impressions and interactions with the owner, even though I have no prior information about the restaurant. He seems to be concerned about his youthful appearance and muscle tone, which may be affecting his popularity with the opposite sex. I can't bring myself to tell him that, so could someone please help him out? Oh, it looks like we're at Ebisu, at the main store of "Toraji" in Ebisu. Toraji is still thriving, right? It went through a slump for a while, but it completely transformed after upgrading the interior. It's been almost 30 years since it was founded, right? That's amazing. Before entering the restaurant, there is one outstanding feature about the building where a yakiniku restaurant is located. The air conditioning system is excellent, which is crucial because if it's bad, smoke can spread inside the building, making it difficult for yakiniku restaurants to operate as tenants. Even during the pandemic, the yakiniku restaurant received special treatment, right? That's proof. Now, there's an elevator up to the second floor. Ding. Oh, we've arrived. Oh, they have a proper entrance. Sliding doors. Oh? The ceiling is high and the interior is spacious. There seem to be plenty of private rooms. Oh, my companion is waiting in the back. Wow, this place is amazing. It doesn't look cheap at all. Considering how prices have skyrocketed near Ebisu Station, this is quite impressive, right? Oh, my companion is already waiting for me in the back. It's amazing, being in such a clean space with no one around (laughs). Oh, the counter is so long and made of a single slab of cypress or hinoki wood with no knots. One, two, three, four, twelve seats? This flawless, knot-free wood grain on a single slab like this... it's truly outstanding! The use of granite inside the counter is also well done. I say, "Hey, are we having the course with appetizers today?" My friend replies, "Yes, I went for the omakase with appetizers." I say, "Oh, that's great. I've been drinking aged wine consecutively, so I wanted to have some sake today." The owner says, "Welcome, I will do my best with the sushi today, please enjoy." We say, "Thank you, we look forward to it!" Oh, this single slab is amazing. The way they've sanded it to bring out the wood grain, it feels so good! As you develop a taste for high-end Japanese cuisine like sushi and tempura, you naturally learn about Japanese culture, sake, and even knowledge about Japanese houses and kitchen knives. I say, "I'll have a draft beer, and not the Master's Dream, but the Premium Malt this time! Also, I feel like trying a trendy sake today. Do you have anything trendy?" The owner laughs and says, "A trendy sake? Well, today we have the fresh sake from Shinsei and the junmai ginjo from Sakunomi." I reply, "Oh, that sounds perfect. Let's have one of each." The owner says, "Of course, enjoy (laughs)." Ah, they've put a lot of effort into the interior, but there are some mismatched items in the decorations and sake vessels, huh? Cheers! Ah, drinking a draft beer on a hot day in a cool space is the best... The owner says, "Here is the soup course with conger eel and matsutake mushrooms." Oh, I wonder how the matsutake mushrooms are this year after all the heavy rain and typhoons? Oh, it smells like it's domestically sourced. The broth and conger eel are quite delicious. The staff says, "Here is the Shinsei sake." Oh, it's the Shinsei X type. The president with the scientific look over there is also involved, right? Ah, they've perfectly paired it with this junmai ginjo from the beginning. The sashimi seems to be a kind of rockfish, like a sea bream from a distance... what was it again? Ah, it's a grouper! Grouper has that color. It's a rockfish, huh... I can't remember the name. It's a grouper!