TAKEGOJP
On the second Monday of August, at 5:00 pm. Visited to escape the daytime heat. There were only two young men speaking in a strong Kansai dialect as the first customers. No other customers afterwards. Secured my usual spot, the far right end of the counter as I entered the entrance. The slight cramped feeling of my right elbow hitting the counter also felt calming. "I'll have a draft beer, please!" Black label draft beer, 480 yen. It's a shop with a very reasonable price. Immediately served with some mozuku vinegar as a complimentary dish. The vinegar taste is not too strong, making it suitable even for those who are not fond of it. The sweetness is perfectly balanced. It's refreshing and cold. First, I ordered the cold tomato for 160 yen as an appetizer to help cool down from the heat. Is this really only 160 yen? A fantastic dish. A whole tomato cut into four pieces and soaked in cold oden broth. It also comes with karashi mustard. Oden with mustard. I encountered this delicious combination for the first time here. It must be an illusion created by their unique broth. The whole summer tomato is juicy. When you break it with chopsticks, the juice inside spills out generously. It's a must to finish the broth completely. Next, I ordered another oden dish, the shiitake mushroom tempura for 240 yen. It's not fried like tempura or karaage, but rather a Kansai-style tempura. It's a warm oden dish. A carefully prepared dish that brings out the umami flavor of the shiitake mushrooms. The quality of the ingredients is evident, fitting the price. Normally, you would eat this type of dish quickly in one bite, but it's too good to rush. I savor each bite slowly. For the main dish, I ordered the "Soudatsu nigiri" with "midori" for 1,600 yen. The nearby "Soudatsu" along the Mizukaido road is always crowded, and it's quite a distance to go to the Udagawa promenade. I'm grateful to be able to enjoy it here. The amount of cucumber roll is adjusted, suitable even for those who are not drinking. The nigiri and rolls are pre-brushed with sauce, allowing you to enjoy the flavor of the toppings without being hidden by soy sauce. With six items, egg, and thick-cut pickled ginger, the "midori" may seem modest on the menu, but it's filling. I pair it with a cold draft beer for a delightful experience. The tempura corn fritter for one, 380 yen, is served last to preserve its flavor at a low temperature. The crispy texture is apparent at first glance. The corn kernels are fried with their husks intact. This means they are undoubtedly sweet and tender. Each kernel of corn is carefully sliced and coated with batter, then deep-fried slowly. The tempura is crispy, the color of the batter is beautiful, and the airiness (gaps in the batter) is remarkable. It breaks with a crisp sound as soon as you put your chopsticks in, crumbling finely. There is no hint of greasiness. What a treat! The sweetness and juiciness of the corn on a per-kernel basis. Despite the adult corn with husks, the flavor and texture of this corn fritter are extraordinary. I can't help but wonder, are they really using that corn?... The quality that makes you want to savor each kernel. Oh, it feels like summer! I was planning to end with daikon radish, but I'm already full. I finish the last corn fritter with a black label beer and call it a day. I'll be back.