urauratakanori
I visited for the second time on a weekday. One of the joys of dining at Okada is, indeed, Okada himself. Okada entertains us with his culinary skills, storytelling, and spirit of service. It all starts with watching him skillfully prepare the Oizaki beef tongue right before your eyes. The beautiful tongue, expertly handled by Okada. As the prelude to the upcoming dishes, the excitement builds even more. Now for the first dish: Western-style chawanmushi with salmon roe (flan) made with Matsusaka beef broth. Smooth chawanmushi with plenty of firm salmon roe. Enjoying the different textures, it's quickly devoured. Next, the second dish: plentiful sea urchin and Matsusaka beef menchi-katsu. Under the abundance of Nemuro Bafun sea urchin lies the Matsusaka beef menchi-katsu. First, savor the sea urchin, then enjoy it together with the menchi-katsu. The rich sea urchin slowly melts with the freshly fried menchi-katsu, irresistibly creamy. The collaboration with the juicy menchi-katsu is truly delightful. Now, the tongue makes its appearance. Instead of serving the tongue sashimi with summer truffle on the side, it's covered in summer truffle. Accompanied by Noto salt, freshly grated wasabi, ponzu, and Hamaboufuu. Enjoy the freshly prepared tongue as sashimi. The unique crunchy texture of the tongue tip. The more you chew, the sweeter the tongue sashimi becomes. I couldn't quite appreciate the goodness of French summer truffle with it. I prefer it with just salt! Moving on to the next dish: Kobe beef fillet marinated in sweet soy sauce. The marinated fillet stands out with its rich sweetness, almost making you forget it's marinated. The refreshing accents of wasabi and vinegar add a nice touch. For a palate cleanser: Kobe beef consomme soup with asparagus and turnip greens. The disciples have diligently prepared Kobe beef consomme soup. It's light yet flavorful, a comforting break. And now, onto the thrilling second half. First up: Matsusaka beef sirloin with folded eggplant in Makuhou egg, Kansai-style sukiyaki with refills allowed! Beautifully arranged on the plate, the exquisite marbled Matsusaka beef sirloin. Just looking at it makes you sigh in awe. Enjoy it with Kansai-style sukiyaki. This time, the sweetness in Kansai-style sukiyaki doesn't come from sugar, but from Lakanto, a zero-calorie sweetener. Even when heated, its sweetness remains unchanged. Accompanying the meat is folded eggplant. A historical eggplant said to have been exclusively grown in the local area of Sanpo-Orido by Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Edo period due to its deliciousness. It was said to have disappeared after the Meiji era due to changes in agricultural conditions, but thanks to various efforts, it was able to make a comeback in 2005. The egg used for marinating the meat is Makuhou egg. Compared to regular eggs, it has 2-3 times more richness and high foaming properties in the egg white, making it ideal for making fluffy omelets and cakes. We first enjoyed the meat and eggplant without the egg. The rich sweetness of the meat is irresistible. The eggplant is also rich in flavor. For the second serving, we dipped it in the Makuhou egg. Is it really an egg? The fluffy texture of the egg complements the rich meat smoothly. It's almost unfair. And next, the signature dish of Okada: Ichibo yukke bowl with Okada caviar on top! The Matsusaka beef Ichibo that Okada has been finely chopping in front of us is finally served as a yukke bowl. You're asked about the portion size just like at Jiro's. No matter how full you are, and considering the dishes that will follow, you can't resist ordering the extra-large size. Today, Okada mixed it for us. The more you mix it, the more delicious it becomes. You'll understand the meaning of those words once you take a bite. Mixing warms the rice just right with the meat, creating a perfect harmony when you take a bite. The meat and caviar melt in your mouth. And now, for the grand finale.