In the Sumida Ward, Azumabashi is where I had lunch. One of the ingredients I always crave in the summer is loach, and this year I plan to visit "Iidaya" again. I had never been to "Hirai" in Sumida Ward, across the Sumida River. It is an old established store founded in the Meiji era, with a traditional curtain dyed in white with loach patterns, exuding a nostalgic atmosphere. Although I arrived a little before the opening time of 11:30, the store was already open. I entered through the curtain and into the store. There were already four customers in the raised tatami seating area. There was one table on the right as soon as you entered, three tables for four people in the raised area, three tables for two people, and two counter seats facing the kitchen, which is convenient for solo diners. I sat at the counter and waited to be attended to. The elderly couple who run the place seemed to be managing the store, and it looked like a bit of a challenge in this space. After taking orders from the other customers, I ordered a bottle of beer. They only had small or large bottles, which is a characteristic of traditional stores. I ordered a small bottle of Asahi Dry. Asahi Beer is the local brewery, so I went with that. A small plate of pickled vegetables with salted fish roe was served as an appetizer, which went well with the beer. I ordered the "Yanagawa" hotpot, rice, miso soup, and pickles. I decided to have the pickles first as a snack. The pickles consisted of eggplant, cabbage, and daikon radish, pickled in bran, and were delicious. I could see the owner cutting the loach behind the counter. The freshly cut loach was arranged in a pot with burdock root and placed over a flame. After about 30 minutes, the Yanagawa hotpot was served. The rice and miso soup followed. There were about eight loaches in the hotpot. I enjoyed the piping hot loach, rice, and miso soup. The atmosphere was calm and relaxing. The elderly couple were the only ones running the place. Given the size of the store, having at least one more person would have been better, but the relaxed atmosphere was quite nice. However, if you are short on time, it might be better to avoid this place during certain hours. In terms of atmosphere, I preferred "Komagata Dozeu," but when it comes to the taste of loach itself, "Hirai" might be the best. I felt that way. I would like to come back here when I feel like having loach alone. The menu for loach dishes includes Loach Hotpot - 2650 yen, Loach Hotpot without burdock root - 2750 yen, Yanagawa - 2750 yen, Yanagawa Donburi - 2750 yen, Grilled Loach - 3000 yen, Loach Tempura - 2300 yen, Grilled Loach with Miso - 1450 yen. The menu for side dishes includes Mackerel to close the meal - 1180 yen, Three-cup Vinegared Sardines - 750 yen, Asari Clam with Miso - 750 yen, Herring Roe - 850 yen, Mitsuba and Wasabi - 790 yen, Edamame - 550 yen, Green Beans with Sesame Dressing - 570 yen, Grilled Eggplant - 570 yen, Tamagoyaki - 570 yen, Tempura Shrimp - 1560 yen. The drink menu includes Large Beer - 770 yen, Small Beer - 500 yen, Non-Alcoholic - 330 yen, Junmai Ginjo "Tamano Hikari" - 520 yen, Junmai Ginjo "Kikumasamune" - 510 yen, Junmai Ginjo "Tamano Hikari" Cold Sake - 1200 yen, Rice Shochu "Shiromizu" - 500 yen, Oolong Tea - 220 yen, Cider - 270 yen. (Visit rating: 3.43)

During self-training in RED on 7/29, I took a break for lunch and traveled by subway from Daimon to Honjo Azumabashi. I arrived around 12:30. I ordered a Yanagawa bowl for 2750 yen and was served hot tea while waiting. About 15 minutes later, the dish arrived. I dug in! It had shredded burdock root and opened loach topped with egg, typical of Yanagawa cuisine. About halfway through, I tried both sansho pepper and shichimi seasoning for flavor variation. Sansho pepper goes well with the loach, but shichimi is better with the rice. So, I continued eating with shichimi. The pickles included homemade cucumber and cabbage with shiso leaves, slightly tangy and refreshing. Unlike eel, this dish is light and perfect for summer. Maybe loach is better than eel during the summer, right, Hiraga Gennai? It was delicious! P.S. The Sumida River fireworks festival caused heavy traffic in the area, but it didn't affect me as I continued training in RED until 22:00. My best time on that day was 1:04:29.

The nearest station is Honjo-azumabashi Station on the Toei Asakusa Line, a 4-minute walk away. I visited with my family at night. We made a reservation as we wanted to eat at a table. The restaurant is run by a master and a female owner, giving a relaxed atmosphere. It seems like they prepare the loaches after receiving the order, which is promising. We ordered loach hot pot (2,450 yen), loach tempura (2,100 yen), loach soup (480 yen), and some drinks. The loach hot pot had a light and tasty broth. There was no strong smell from the slimy loaches, making it easy to eat. Probably because the loaches were fresh. We didn't order it this time, but I would like to try the nukinabe (hot pot without vegetables) if they prepare it after ordering. The tempura had a delicious flavor with the skin's umami still present. The loach soup was slightly light but paired well with rice. It's a restaurant run by hardworking elderly people, and I feel like supporting them. Thank you for the meal.

The restaurant is located roughly in the middle between Honjo-azumabashi Station on the Toei Asakusa Line and Asakusa Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, slightly closer to Honjo-azumabashi Station. If you exit from exits A1 or A3 of Honjo-azumabashi Station and head towards Asakusa (Azumabashi direction), you will come to a five-way intersection at the intersection with Kuyakusho-dori. The restaurant is located just a short walk in the direction of Azumabashi. As you approach this area, you can catch a glimpse of the Skytree a little further ahead, which is quite spectacular. The restaurant has a traditional atmosphere, with table seating, a small raised tatami area, and counter seating facing the kitchen. Since there were available seats, we decided to dine in the small raised tatami area. We ordered the signature dish, "Dojou Nabe," along with "Dojou Jiru" (soup) and rice for our meal. We also noticed "Kurikara Yaki" on the menu, which seemed unique for a dojou restaurant, so we decided to add that to our order as well. The "Kurikara Yaki" arrived first, consisting of skewered dojou fish that had been grilled in a special sauce. The taste was light and refreshing, and we quickly finished the seven skewers. Next, the hotpot arrived, which appeared small but was filled generously with dojou fish. Finally, we were served rice and "Dojou Jiru," completing our meal. The soup had a slimy texture similar to Nameko mushroom soup, with a red miso base. Although it looked rich, the flavor was surprisingly mild and complemented the rice well.

Eating dojou while sitting and savoring every bit, even the bones. The flavor is rich with natural Aomori ingredients. The subtle aroma of burdock in the dojou soup adds to the charm. They use Edo-style sweet miso. It's a perfect place to enjoy a summer moment. This is a restaurant worth treasuring.

Under the Skytree, Mizumachi recently opened with only a few bakery and café shops operating. On the first day of the July holiday, my wife and I visited for lunch. The shop had a nice curtain hanging at the entrance. Perhaps due to the influence of the coronavirus or because it was daytime, there was only one customer at the counter inside. In the kitchen, there were presumably an elderly man and a woman, likely the owners. They had a down-to-earth, artisanal vibe typical of the downtown area near Asakusa. They were not overly friendly, but not unfriendly either. We were told we could sit anywhere, so we chose a small raised area. There were no sunken kotatsu tables. We ordered the Dozue hot pot and the Kurikara-yaki, as well as "Tamano Hikari" (as listed on the menu), which was served warm or cold. Since it was the rainy season, we chose the warm option. The temperature of the sake was just right. The marinated bonito and pickled daikon (or turnip) that came with the sake were delicious. We ordered a total of two bottles of sake, each with one cup. The Dozue hot pot here had a light seasoning, unlike other places where it can be a bit too sweet. The portion was decent, and we shared one pot for two people. There was quite a lot of green onions in it. The Kurikara-yaki had a rich sauce that complemented the dish well. It was delicious. If sake is your main focus, I would recommend this dish. Overall, it was a good restaurant. Bon appétit.

I visited a restaurant to eat loach. I started with a tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelette) and iwashi no sanbai-zu (vinegared sardines) to accompany a drink. The tamagoyaki was sweet in flavor. The iwashi no sanbai-zu was delicious, but the portion was a bit small. For the main course, I had dojou (loach) cooked in a dozeu (pot) and nukinabe (hot pot with loach without bones and innards). Each had a different taste, but the nukinabe was slightly more expensive, perhaps due to the extra effort put into preparing it.

A couple enjoying a refreshing drink and a relaxing atmosphere, reminiscent of traditional Japan.

It's delicious!

It tastes bone-like after all.

First-time experience at Dojo.

The food is delicious with a strong flavor even though the portion is large.

Let's have a mini year-end party (a gathering that has been held twice a year for 45 years) in April, so we gathered with only the younger members, although they are all in their 60s, so to others it may just seem like a group of old people (laughs). One of the members is a resident of Kiba, who has been saying for a while that we should meet in the downtown area, and today, his wish came true. When we left Honjo-Azumabashi Station, it was pouring rain, and even though the shop was only 300m away, we were all completely drenched, umbrellas were completely useless (laughs). When we arrived, everyone was already there, and when I said, "Wow, everyone is early," they all responded in unison, "You're the one who's late, we were supposed to meet at 5 o'clock," and I said, "What! Wasn't it 5:30? Sorry about that," it was a big blunder (laughs). So, let's toast with "bottled beer," and then enjoy some "premium Kikumasamune" warm sake. Today, we had: "edamame," "sashimi" ... and finished with mackerel and bonito, which were delicious! Especially the vinegar seasoning on the "mackerel" was just right. "Anago nuta" ... you can really feel the Edo vibes, a must-have when you come to the downtown area. "Tamagoyaki" ... also well seasoned. "Mitsuba wasabi" ... irresistible, you can drink as much sake as you want. "Nanohana sesame salad" ... while drinking warm sake, eating something like this is the best, it makes me so happy I could cry (laughs). "Dojou no kurikara yaki" ... fragrant, with the scent of dojou, flavorful, personally I don't like the appearance of this grilled dish, but when you try it, the deliciousness makes you want to eat more (laughs). "Iwashi sanbai-zu" ... really, the dojou dishes here are excellent, you'll get tipsy before going to the dojou (laughs). "Dojou nabe" ... dojou simmered in a pot, with plenty of green onions added, you might hit a bone, but that's part of the flavor, the taste and aroma of the dojou is wonderful. "Nuki nabe" ... a dish where the dojou bones have been removed, personally I find this easier to eat and I like it. Maybe because the dojou dishes here are so good, we really drank a lot, the six of us drank almost 40 bottles, from edamame to nuki nabe, everything was delicious and perfect for drinkers, there are many good restaurants in the downtown area, and most of them have high ratings on Tabelog, making it easy to make reservations at any time. We will visit again, thank you.

I went to a shop specializing in loach because there is none in my local area! First, I looked at the menu and realized that loach is quite expensive, similar to eel. There was a menu called "nuki-nabe" which is loach without its guts and bones. I didn't understand it, but when it was brought to the table, I was surprised to see a whole loach opened up in the pot! It was much bigger than the loach I had at high-class restaurants in Kanazawa! When the pot started to simmer, a large amount of leeks were added separately, and it was delicious! I thought it would be tough because it was big, but it was fluffy with a hint of earthiness, closer to eel than loach. The abundance of leeks also helped reduce any fishy smell, making it very tasty. There was quite a lot in the pot, so I was surprised by the initial price I saw on the menu, but maybe it's worth it? I also ordered tempura, which was crispy and delicious, but the shrimp tempura was a bit soggy for some reason. Overall, it was very delicious.

First Visit - March 18, 2017 I visited Tokyo for the first time in a long while to attend my niece's wedding. I used to live in Saitama Prefecture 20 years ago, but I was transferred to Mie due to work. For this trip, I decided to visit one place each that my wife and I wanted to go to. We arrived in Shinagawa at 10 am, and the first stop was the Meguro Parasitological Museum in Shimo-Meguro, Meguro Ward, which was a request from my wife. It was a long-awaited visit for her, and although it was a small museum, we thoroughly explored every corner. My request was to go to a loach restaurant. I enjoy reading food essays and have about 600 food-related paperbacks. Among them, loach was high on my list of things I wanted to eat. After searching on Tabelog, I found that Dozou Hirai had high ratings. In the afternoon, we planned to visit the Skytree like typical tourists. We arrived at the restaurant a little before 1 pm. The entrance had a modest, traditional feel to it. We chose a table seat as there were no other customers present. We ordered based on our research on Tabelog. We ordered the Nuki Nabe (2,280 yen), Yanagawa (2,280 yen), Dozou Kurikarayaki (1,250 yen), Iwashi Sanbai-zu (710 yen), Asari Nuta (710 yen), a large bottle of beer for me (720 yen), and cider for my wife (250 yen). The restaurant had a simple yet sturdy wooden interior. The elderly chef and a woman in her early 30s were there, making it feel like a scene from a movie. We toasted with the beer and cider served with a thinly sliced radish dish with miso. It felt nostalgic for my wife, who had lived in Gotanda and Minami-Senju. The Iwashi Sanbai-zu and Asari Nuta arrived with a short delay. The Iwashi Sanbai-zu had thick slices of sardine with cucumber and grated daikon. The sardines were meaty and firm. The Asari Nuta had a slightly strong miso flavor. I seemed to have gotten used to milder flavors. I regretted not ordering sake, as I should have. The Dozou Kurikarayaki arrived next. The loach was skewered and grilled with a savory soy sauce-based sauce. It had a crispy texture and paired well with the beer. Finally, the Nuki Nabe was served. The loach, split into two, was arranged in the pot with the soup. It was quite large. A basket of finely chopped green onions was served, and we asked when to add it. We were told to add it when the soup starts to boil. We added the green onions and ate when they were cooked. The loach melted in the mouth without a strong taste, complemented by the soup and green onions. The beer kept flowing. We ordered rice for my wife and then the Yanagawa arrived. The pork Yanagawa, a dish similar to the loach, was delicious. The balance of loach and burdock root was interesting, and the way the eggs were cooked was also unique. It was slightly salty but tasty. I also enjoyed the rice. I was satisfied with the one-hour experience of trying loach for the first time. Thank you for the meal.

As planned, I revisited the restaurant promptly (laughs). This time, it was quite crowded. About 30 minutes after entering, the place was almost full. There were 2 groups of customers who had called in advance to confirm the situation. Now, I ordered mainly the dishes I didn't try last time! By the way, the "sake-don" turned out to be bonito. Here are my thoughts on the dishes: - Green bean sesame salad: Delicious. Everything is just right. - Three-cup vinegar sardines: The sardines were impressive! They were big yet tender, and the seasoning was just right. Very well done. - Tamagoyaki (rolled omelette): Absolutely delicious!! The gentle flavor is unforgettable!! - Dojo tempura: I was torn between this and the kisu (sillago) tempura, but choosing the dojo was the right decision. It's excellent as a snack!! The opened dojo was crispy and crunchy. To my delight, there was also tempura wrapped in egg and shiso, which was also superb!! So happy~~~ - Nuki-nabe (hot pot without noodles) - Dojo soup and egg soup: Both were excellent. [Conclusion] Everything at this restaurant is delicious! First visit review: Visited in July 2015, reviewed in July 2015. Previously visited restaurants in Azabu-Juban: Azabu-Juban Yabu Soba, Unagi Zen, and now Dozeu Hirai. Located across from the old location of Unagi Zen, this is a renowned restaurant in Azabu-Juban 1-chome Delta. It's a bit hard to find, but when you open the noren curtain, you'll find a raised tatami area to the right and tables and a counter to the left. The master and mistress in the kitchen leave you waiting for a while. It's like they're testing you... Can't help but feel that way. Prompted by the mistress, I sat in the raised tatami area. The atmosphere inside the restaurant, filled with an aura of serving delicious food, inevitably raises expectations. The menu is simple, and everything looks delicious. I'm absolutely sure this is a foolproof restaurant!! After deciding what to eat next time (laughs), I placed my order with the mistress while sipping on my favorite Tamano Hikari sake. First, we had an appetizer: radish and something mixed with sake-don. It was delicious. Next came the minced clam dish. It was sour, with the umami of miso, and oh, a spicy kick. A delayed attack, delicious! Then came the grilled chestnut. It looks a bit gross (sweat) but, oh well, I took a bite. Delicious!! What is this deliciousness!!! Here comes the Marunabe (round pot). The mistress told me to add leeks right away. The loaches are a bit small, but they're clean and delicious!! Now, the Nuki-nabe. The mistress told me to cook the loaches first and then add the leeks. These loaches are raw. So it'll take a little time, right? And this is the only time of year when there are eggs on top! It's simmering nicely now! I couldn't wait, so I took a bite. Super delicious... What is this!!! I saw the owner. He's preparing the Nuki-nabe dish we ordered. The Marunabe is delicious, but the Nuki-nabe is sneaky. Shrimp tempura. The sound of frying is so delicious~ I want to put it on top of Yabu Soba's soba (laughs). For the finale, I had the Yanagawa-don (grilled eel and egg rice bowl). It's incredibly well-balanced. I've never had a Yanagawa dish this delicious... The charming smile of the mistress and the refined gray of the master. The elegance of a genuine restaurant that transcends smiles and service. The difference between a theme park and the real deal. I'll be back soon!!

6/16 Sunny season for child-bearing loaches. Last year, I wanted to go but missed the chance to eat them. This year is my second attempt. I opened the door and asked if they had child-bearing loaches. They said you won't know until you try it. So I decided to give it a try. - Sake without ordering - Appetizer: Sake lees and thinly sliced radish salad The combination of sake lees and radish was surprisingly good. Mixing it with radish seems to round out the salty taste. The dish had quite a lot of eggs! There was also a generous amount of green onions in a basket. They told me to put them in once it starts boiling. I wasn't sure when the loaches were fully cooked, so I started with the green onions that had softened. It served as a good snack. There were also sansho pepper and red pepper on the table. Be careful not to put too much sansho pepper as it can overpower the dish. The loaches were small in size. Except for one, they didn't have any muddy smell. I'm not sure about the timing, but they would probably taste even better if they were cooked just right. The eggs didn't have a strong flavor. The texture was fine and reminded me of something, but I couldn't quite place it. Could it be flounder?

Regarding my father's late friend, Mr. T, I have mentioned in previous posts about his pursuit of "fine dining" at places like the tonkatsu restaurant "Sasamoto" in Shinjuku, the ramen shop "Wakatsuki," and the soba restaurant "Nagaura" in Asakusa. He was someone who pursued the pursuit of good food with his own palate, without being swayed by societal trends or fame. When Mr. T lived in Asakusa, his favorite place for dojo (loach) was "Hirai" rather than the famous dojo restaurant "Komagata Dozeu." Today, my father suggested, "Let's go eat dojo in Asakusa!" and we decided to visit this restaurant that I had been curious about. We arrived at the restaurant just after 5 p.m. when the evening service started. There was only one other customer. The four of us ordered the following: Dozeu nabe (whole loach hot pot) - 2000 yen, Nuki nabe (gutted loach hot pot) x3 - 2100 yen, Dozeu kurikara yaki (grilled loach) - 1200 yen, Megochi tempura x2 - 1680 yen, Tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) - 530 yen, Iwashi sanbai-zu (vinegared sardine) x2 - 680 yen, Kaki kushi yaki (grilled oysters on skewers) - 950 yen, Rice x3 - 220 yen, Goshinko (pickles) x3 - 300 yen, Non-alcoholic beer x2 - 300 yen. Total: 18060 yen. The "Dozeu nabe" is a whole loach that hasn't been gutted, while the "Nuki nabe" has been gutted. The 100 yen price difference is likely due to the additional effort required. Personally, I prefer the gutted "Nuki nabe." The "Dozeu nabe" with whole loaches tends to have a slightly slimy texture on the surface and a crunchy texture from the bones, which I find a bit off-putting. I confirmed my preference for the gutted "Nuki nabe" when I compared the two at Takahashi's "Isesugi" (now closed) a long time ago. However, today, out of curiosity and because it was my first visit to this restaurant, I decided to order one serving of the whole loach "Dozeu nabe." The result was as I expected. The "Dozeu kurikara yaki" was a first for me, and despite its dark appearance, it was surprisingly bland. The light soy sauce-based sauce was fragrant, and when the loach crumbled in my mouth, the broth would splash out. It was a dish with a "sophisticated sake snack" feel. (Having non-alcoholic beer with this was a bit lonely even for a light drinker like me, but there was no choice as I had to drive home.) The "Tamagoyaki" had the perfect sweet flavor typical of the Kanto region, and it was delicious. It rivaled the one I had at Akasaka's "Murocho Sunaba" (soba) recently. The "Megochi tempura" came as three pieces in one order. It was a "proper tempura" that could have come from a tempura restaurant, with the quality of the Megochi and the frying both being excellent. The "Kaki kushi yaki" was noteworthy. I usually have oysters either raw or fried, so having them grilled was a rare treat. The oysters, perfectly grilled with a crisp exterior and a slightly rare interior, were very fragrant and delicious. The "Iwashi no sanbai-zu" had a good balance of vinegar and salt, and the freshness of the sardines was evident, making it a flawless dish. Overall, the loach I had after a long time turned out to be more bland than I expected. I honestly cannot say whether the loach at this restaurant is tastier than at "Komagata" or "Isesugi" (now closed). Loach is inherently more bland than eel, which may make the difference in taste between each restaurant more subtle. However, it is undeniable that the quality of the dishes at this restaurant, which have refined loach to be so elegant and sophisticated, is of high standard. The image of the restaurant owner, who seemed like a character from an Ozu Yasujiro film, silently working in the kitchen, stayed with me.