(Translated by Google) Okachimachi is a place I often take a detour on my way home from work, and since I started working at my current company, it has become my hometown for drinking.
I often go to the west side, where there are Ameyoko and Panda Square, but I don't often go to the east side across Showa-dori, where there are few restaurants.
I used to go to the discount Takeya a lot to shop, but the whole building was rebuilt over the course of several years.
Times have changed since then, and the store has become earthquake-resistant and stylish, but perhaps because of the rise of online shopping,
I have completely stopped going to Takeya.
So, on a whim, I decided to go to the east side, which I hadn't been to in several years.
I discovered "Kihachi," which is located behind Takeya, or rather, on the first basement floor of a building in the office district east of Okachimachi Park.
Looking at the signboard, I saw that they had a reasonably priced "Thank You for Your Hard Work Set" for the "Chef's Choice Course"! I immediately went down the stairs to the basement, where bottles of fine sake were lined up.
It was a little after 6pm on a Friday, and the only customers were three senior men and women who seemed to have retired.
The restaurant had five counter seats, three tables that seat four people, and one table that seat six people.
Being in the basement, it was small, but it had a surprisingly large capacity.
The head chef (as it says on the menu), who wore glasses and a white coat, was probably the de facto owner,
but he looked like a friendly, provincial man (and I mean that as a compliment). He was very relaxed and calm,
inviting me to a counter seat, even though I was a first-timer.
The gentle atmosphere created by the natural and relaxed head chef
helped to ease the tension of a first-timer.
My partner was a young woman who seemed to be from the area.
So, I ordered the "head chef set" and a draft beer that I was looking for.
I started with an appetizer salad. Let's eat.
Hmm! It's basil dressing. Exquisite aroma and flavor. It also has pork shabu-shabu inside.
The leaves add a nice touch to the aroma. I say to the head chef, "Basil sauce salad is delicious."
→Smiles, "Thanks..." It's good to be natural and not try to be cool!
I guess I'll go for the "seasonal sake" pouched in the red section selected by the head chef.
Hmm? I don't know this. I'll ask the part-timer for "Hizen Kuragokoro" from Saga Prefecture. The Japan Sea side of Kyushu is not a shochu region, but a sake region, and there are delicious sakes there.
I ask, "Is it correct to read this as Kuragokoro?" and he says, "I don't know anything about sake. Hahaha.
I'll ask the head chef." His amateurish customer service is also good in a natural way.
Then, the head chef. "It's Kuragokoro. If you want to drink a variety, you can order half a glass.
Of course, the price is half." he said, so I ordered half a glass.
He's so friendly and natural to solo customers. The head chef is a nice guy.
Oh, can I take a picture of the sake bottle too? Yes, thanks.
Hmm, it's a manly sake that's not flashy, but clean and crisp with a slight bitterness. I like it.
The next sashimi was bonito and sea bream. Both were thickly sliced. Because they were thickly sliced,
you could fully enjoy the flavor of the fish itself when you chewed them.
As the name "Sakana-ya" suggests, the fish is sure to be delicious. Delicious.
The "seasonal sake" menu had a unique explanation from the head chef: "The sake on the far right is the driest of these.
The one on the far left is the sweetest of these. So the one in the middle is kind of in-between."
Next up, from the "Classic Sake" in the light-green column, we have "Daisen Tokubetsu Junmai" from Yamagata Prefecture.
It has a nice aroma and is a light summer sake that is easy to drink.
Next comes the main dish, grilled "exquisite mackerel".
Wow, this is amazing... The fat is oozing out. You can tell just by looking at it that this is going to be delicious!
Let's eat right away.... Mmm...! Delicious! When you bite into it, the fat oozes out and spreads inside your mouth.
The saltiness is moderate, so the deliciousness hits you right away! You don't even need to add soy sauce.
I asked the head chef, "This is so delicious! Is this mackerel from Wakasa Bay in Fukui, which is famous for mackerel? Or is it from Kyotango in Kyoto?" He replied, "It's from Mito in Ibaraki. Mito mackerel is the best right now. In fact, it's the number one mackerel catch in the country." The best mackerel I was served was from Mito.
Wow, the fat in this mackerel is also amazing. I've never heard that Mito mackerel is the best.
Then, I ordered Mito sake "Sabadesh" to go with it. It's a little dry but has a smooth taste,
washes away the fat that remains in your mouth and goes perfectly with the mackerel! "That's a special sake made to go with mackerel."
As expected. You can't go wrong with this collaboration! If you don't choose the set, you must try the mackerel on its own.
The mochi "Sabadesh" is a must-have pairing! This sake is destined for mackerel.
The last dish is "Tatsutaage" chicken. This is also delicious without a doubt. It goes perfectly with the mayonnaise that comes with it.
I pair it with "Kakurei" sake from Niigata, which is unmistakable.
A stable light and dry taste. Subtle aroma, sharpness, deliciousness... nothing more to say.
And lastly, I was interested in the "Western-style appetizers on the blackboard." It's great that they have not only Japanese but also Western dishes.
I tried to order "Shrimp Ajillo", but they said "It's too much, so we can't serve it for one person."
So I ordered "Raw whitebait crostini". This can be ordered in half size and the price is cheaper, so I ordered it. (Maybe because it's bread, they can divide it into smaller portions?)
The last sake I ordered was "Higashi Rikishi Suika", which the head chef told me "Many people mistake it for Gunma, but it's a sake from Nasu City, Tochigi Prefecture." It has no particular flavor and is easy to drink for beginners. This was also light because it was a summer drink.
The last dish, "Raw Whitebait Crostini," had a slightly bitter taste that is characteristic of whitebait, which goes bad quickly, but the cream cheese obscured the bitterness and skillfully brought out the umami flavor, making it delicious to the last bite.
It seemed like you could pay with a credit card, but the atmosphere was that "cash is preferred with strict fees," so I paid in cash out of respect for the kind head chef, the delicious food, and the drinks.
Hmm? Isn't it cheap? Did I make a mistake in the calculation? Is it okay? What? Oh, what, I got a half portion, so it's not that bad?
No, thank you for your politeness and kindness until the end.
By the time I noticed, about 70% of the restaurant was filled with customers, but it's a good restaurant that could do with more people.
Maybe it's because the location is a little hard to find and it's underground, which makes it difficult to enter...
But anyway, I found a great restaurant on the east side of Okachimachi.
It's nice to be able to relax in a friendly local atmosphere even though it's in the city. The drinks and food are delicious, too.
I'll definitely stop by by myself again.
Thanks for the meal.
(Original)
御徒町は通勤の帰り道で良く道草する所で今の会社に勤めてからは、
飲みのホームタウンだ。
アメ横やパンダ広場などがある西側にはちょくちょく行くが、
飲食店が少ない昭和通りを跨いだ東側にはあまり行かない。
昔は良くディスカウントの多慶屋に買物に行ったが、全館数年かけて建直し。
その内に時代は変わり、店は耐震でオサレになったものの、
ネットショッピングも台頭して来たせいか、
私もさっぱり多慶屋には行かなくなってしまった。
で、気紛れで、数年ろくに行ってなかった東側に足を運んでみた。
その多慶屋の裏側と言うか、御徒町公園の東側のオフィス街の
ビルの地下1階にポツンとある「嬉八(きはち)」さんを発見。
立看板を見ると「板長おまかせコース」のリーズナブルな
「お疲れ様セット」みたいなのがあるではないか!
早速、銘酒の酒瓶が並べられた地下室への階段を迷わず降りてみた。
金曜日18時チョイの時間帯、先客は定年退職されたような人生の男女の3人の先輩達のみ。
店内はカウンター5席と、テーブル席が4人掛け3卓、6人掛け1卓。
地下室故にこぢんまりとしつつも意外にキャパがある。
メガネをかけ白衣でキメた板長(とメニューにも書いてある)は実質的にマスターなのだろうが、
風貌は親しみのありそうな地方のオッサン風で(褒め言葉ですよ。)初見にも余裕の対応で、
カウンター席に誘ってくれた。いや、自然体で余裕ある板長の作り出すやんわりとした空気が、
初見の持つ緊張感をほぐしてくれる。あと、パートナーは若いジモティーらしき女性。
では、早速お目当ての「板長セット」と生中をお願いします。
スタートは前菜のサラダ。いただきまーす。
ん!バジルのドレッシングだ。絶妙な香りと美味み。中に豚しゃぶも入ってる。
リーフも香りに華を添え美味いなぁー。板長に言う「バジルソースのサラダ、美味いッスね。」
→笑顔で「ありあとあーす…。」カッコつけてない自然体がイーね!
じゃ、板長セレクトのパウチされた赤い欄の「季節のお酒」行っちゃおっかな〜。
ん?これ知らんな。じゃ、佐賀県の「肥前蔵心(ひぜんくらごころ)」を
バイトちゃんにお願いしま〜す。九州の日本海側は焼酎圏ではなく、日本酒圏で美味い酒あるよね。
「これ、クラゴコロって読んで合ってる?」と聞くと「お酒わかんないで〜す。あははは。
板長に聞きますね~。」素人丸出しの接客も自然体で良い。
すると、板長。「クラゴコロですね。もし、色々飲みたいなら、ハーフもできますよ〜。
もちろん、お値段もハーフ。」と仰るのでハーフで。
1人客にも自然体で親切だなぁー。板長、ナイスガイっす。
あ、酒瓶も写真撮らせていただけるの?ありあとあーす。
むっ、華やかさよりすっきりかっちりとして少し苦味もある男臭い酒だ。イイね。
で、次に来たお造りは鰹と鯛。どちらも厚切り。厚切り故に噛み締めると
魚自体の美味みを存分に味わえる。
「さかな家」と言うだけあり、魚は間違えないっすね。美味い。
「季節のお酒」のメニューは「1番右に書いてある酒がこの中で1番辛口。
1番左に書いてあるのがこの中で1番甘口なんですよ~。だから、真ん中のは中間って感じ。」と
板長からユニークな説明あり。
で、次は黄緑の欄の「定番の日本酒」から山形県の「大山 特別純米」を。
香りが良く、夏酒で軽やかで飲みやすいね。
次に出て来たのはメインの「極上サバ」の焼き。
うわ、ヤバい…。脂がダラダラと流れ出ている。これは見るからに美味いとわかる!
早速いただきます…。ううーっ…!美味い!実を噛ると脂が滲み出て口の中に広がるぅ〜。
塩加減控え目だから、逆に美味みがドーン!と来るね!醤油かけなくても良い。
板長に「めちゃめちゃ美味いっすね!これは鯖で有名な福井の若狭湾か
京都の京丹後辺りの奴?」と聞くと、板長「茨城の水戸ですね〜。今の水戸の鯖はサイコーっすよ。
実は鯖の水揚げ量全国1位なんでね。」という話を聞きながら提供されたサイコーの鯖は水戸のもの。
いや、これ脂も旨味が凄まじい。水戸の鯖がサイコーなんて初めて知ったわ。
で、合わせて頼んだ水戸の酒「サバデシュ」は、やや辛口ながら滑らかな口当たりで、
口に残る脂を流してくれて鯖との相性も抜群!「それ、鯖に合わせて作られてる専用酒なんですよ〜。」
さすがやね。このコラボは間違えないね!鯖はセットを選ばないなら単品で必食。
もち「サバデシュ」はマリアージュしないとね!この酒は鯖との運命の人です。
最後は鶏肉の「竜田揚げ」。間違えなくこちらも美味い。添えられたマヨネーズと相性抜群。
間違えない新潟の「鶴齢」を合わせる。
安定の淡麗辛口。香り仄か、キレ、美味み…、何も言うまい。
で、最後に気になっていた「黒板の洋食風なツマミ」
和だけじゃなく洋もあるのが素晴らしい。
「小えびアヒージョ」をお願いしようとしたけど
「量が多いので一人前では提供できないっす。」とのこと。
じゃ、「生しらすクロスティーニ」を。こちらはハーフサイズ可能でお値段も安くなると言うので
お願いした。(多分、パンだから小分けできる?)
最後に頼んだ「東力士 酔夏」は板長が「群馬と間違える人が多いけれど、栃木県那須市のお酒。」と
教えてくれた。その酒はクセがなく、初心者向けの飲みやすいお酒。夏酒ゆえにこちらも軽やか。
で、ラストに登場した「生しらすクロスティーニ」は、足の速い「しらす」らしく
特有の若干のエグみ苦味が出てしまっていたが、クリームチーズがそのエグみをぼかし、
旨味だけをできるだけ出すよう上手にフォローし、最後まで美味しく食べられた。
お会計はクレカとか使えるみたいな感じだけど「手数料厳しい 現金歓迎」みたいな空気だったので、
親切な板長と美味い肴と酒に敬意を評して、現金払いで。
ん?安くね?計算間違ってない?大丈夫?えっ?あ、何、ハーフにしたから、そんなでもないのか?
いや、最後まで、丁寧親切にありがとございあした〜。
気がつけば、7割位、客で埋まってたけど、もっと入っても良い優良店だよな〜。
場所がイマイチわかりにくいのと地下ってのが、入りづらいのかも…。
いや、それにしても御徒町東側で良い店みっけ。
都会なのにローカルでフレンドリーな空気も寛げて良かった。酒も肴も美味いし。
また、1人で寄りましょう。
ごちそうさまでした。