Walking into the restaurant, there were regular tables with little metal stools to sit on, but also an area with tatami mats. Since I was in Japan, I had to opt for the traditional seating.
After looking through the menu and pictures on the wall, there was only one thing that I absolutely HAD to try. So, I left the rest of the ordering up to my lovely tour guide for the evening. This is what we managed to spoil our palates with.
To start off with, we were in Japan, in a seafood barbeque place. We couldn't exactly leave without having at least 1 Japanese beer. So, we started off the meal with a nice pint of Kirin. I may have been a little thirsty, so I took a sip before pictures were taken.
Next came the large cubes of fresh tuna, and uni maki. I tried to resist any form of sushi as I was planning on going to the fish market the next morning, but the temptation was just a little much.
Even the most mediocre grade of tuna in Tokyo tasted absolutely amazing! Mmmm...
It was then time to utilize the grill. The waitress came over to teach my tour guide / personal chef for the night (Ron), how to grill the seafood. Here is what we ended up with.
The scallops were absolutely delicious. Fresh, plump, tender scallops with the briny flavour of the ocean in the juices that came out of it.
Next was the surf clam. It was slightly tough in texture for my liking. The juices that came out of the surf clam were also slightly saltier that I would have liked, unlike the well balanced salty / sweet flavour from the scallops.
This was a perfectly baked fish. Not overly cooked and dry on the inside. Instead, the flesh was moist, tender and had a sweetness of fresh fish.
I was relatively full at this point, but I had 1 more thing to eat before I left. To save the best for last, I had already tried this as the second dish of the meal. As stuffed as I was though, I had to order a second helping of it, even if it meant having to unbutton my jeans!
Last but not least, the crab shell licking good, Kani Miso. I drool at the thought of this. Although those of you who have not tried it may be grossed out at the thought of it, but the insides of the crab (everything aside from the meat), are often enjoyed in Asian cuisine. It brings a delicious balance of sweet, creamy, briny flavour to your palate. This was exactly what this dish was. A mixture of creamy, sweet, slightly salty flavours of the inside of the crab, mixed with bits of crab meat that brought out more sweetness in flavour. Now THIS, it something that you must try once in your life! It was a party in my mouth. Or, what some would call a food orgasm. Right there and then, I was in love!
Conclusion, I would give up Izakaya for one of these delicious crab shells filled with Kani Miso again any day! Great end to a day of food exploration. That, along with the yuzu / plum wine definitely made my day!
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