I couldn't resist re-ordering my favourites from the last visit. I held off on the pork belly skewers (for no particular reason) but otherwise obeyed my "next time I would order" reminder. The complimentary grilled edamame was flavoursome as I remember and started the stomach juices flowing. Quail kara-age (still succulent, tender and delicious), black cod saikyo miso (still incredibly flavoursome, delicately textured and well cooked) and the Wagyu sirloin (seemed a little more cooked and chewy and slightly less melting than last time). The kaki-age tempura rice was much less moist than last time and therefore much better. One dessert was also a repeat with mochi tofu and green tea ice cream better than I remember and now presented in a glass.
New dishes tried were:
- Chargrilled Baby Octopus, Mizuna, Pinenuts, Mustard Miso $15 - I had to look carefully to see if this was raw. The texture is so soft that it almost feels that way but didn't have any chewy or stringy parts. It's cured in sake and mirin overnight and tenderised to the point that it doesn't require extensive cooking;
- Chicken Meat Ball, Creamy Egg $13 - nice smooth minced chicken swathed in a liquid egg yolk. The egg isn't the easiest thing to eat with the meat balls but brings a different flavour and texture;
- Sardine Namban, Spicy Tartar $15 - a beautifully presented and exceptional dish of chewy (essentially) de-boned fish that was an absolute pleasure;
- Shitake, Enokitake, King Brown Mushrooms, Selected Special Soy $12 - strong flavours enhanced by a touch heavy of salt on the shitake;
- Roast Fuji Apple, Yuzu Ice Cream, Walnuts, Honey-Infused Umeshu $15 - a warming dessert of slightly tart yuzu icecream that held well without melting too quickly on roasted apples cooked to retain a small amount of internal crunch and walnuts. Excellent. Last time I had the persimmon version which was also great.
Having eaten here twice, the quality is not fluke. The food and flavours are strong, bold and excellent (if you like strong flavour).
The cumulative dishes I've tried means that my favourites list for next time (which I'm sure there will be some day) are: edamame, quail, pork belly skewers, sardines, black cod, possibly Wagyu, roast apple for hot dessert and mochi tofu for cold dessert. And this is all before I've managed to try the chicken thigh skewers, lamb backstrap with eggplant, pork spareribs, duck sukiyaki or tea pudding with sweet potato. Hmm.