忖度するキャバ嬢
To vent the frustration of the state of emergency declaration, I decided to indulge in a stay-at-home luxury experience at this restaurant. Depending on the course chosen - kaiseki, teppanyaki, sushi, tempura - the seating arrangement varies. The counter seat with a view of the courtyard is for sushi, while the live teppanyaki counter is a favorite of mine, but this time I opted for tempura. The restaurant is currently open until 8:00 PM and is serving non-alcoholic beverages only. From the neighboring table, a voice lamenting, "I want to drink alcohol..." could be heard, and it seemed like all the customers at the counter were silently agreeing with that sentiment. Now, there are two course options: a slightly over 20,000 yen course or a slightly over 26,000 yen course. The difference lies in whether abalone is included and if you can choose caviar egg yolk tempura rice as the finale. Honestly, I wasn't particularly fixated on having abalone, so wouldn't the 20,000 yen course suffice? But then, the opportunity card "Since we're here" was activated. It's once again my turn. I decided on the higher-priced course. Suppressing the urge to loudly request a beer, I opted for sparkling shiso tea instead. It's sweet but pairs well with tempura. The color also adds to the lovely selection. The appetizer was yuba! Ah, it was worth coming all the way from Fukuoka... The gentle and deep broth washed away the fatigue. The tempura varied in coating depending on the ingredient, with some being crispy and fragrant, while others had a soft and gentle texture, revealing the depth of tempura. It made me realize the depth of tempura as a cooking method. Not only the abalone, wagyu, and Wu tofu tempura were impressively delicious, but the simple and standard items like lotus root, pumpkin, and kisu tempura left a lasting impression. The lotus root had a fibrous texture that drew out the sweetness, the pumpkin was incredibly soft and sticky like sweet potato, and the kisu... my favorite... made the flavors of the ingredients concentrated and spread in the mouth. Blissful. Ah, but the abalone was indeed delicious. It's eaten with the liver sauce, which is rich... Where is my sake...? The finale was egg yolk tempura rice topped with caviar. The oil-coated egg yolk and the saltiness of caviar were heavenly. Lastly, we had Pierre Herme's dessert. It was a simple dessert with figs on ice cream, but the caramel and cinnamon ice cream were already special. Perfect ice cream. I'm usually a light eater, but somehow managed to finish everything. For an average person, it might have been a satisfying portion. As we were the last customers, we had a delightful conversation with the head chef. We were also given an illustration of seasonal ingredients interwoven on a single piece of paper, which was incredibly skillful! We took it as a souvenir. I was very happy that I got to eat yuba and hamo here, which I had wanted to try in Kyoto. Even after returning to the room, I couldn't stop thinking about how delicious everything was. Personally, I highly appreciate the fact that the experience didn't rely on quantity. In the end, I ended up enjoying the higher-priced course, but I believe the 20,000 yen course would also provide a great experience. I want to come back, but I'm torn between trying teppanyaki or sushi. Oh, the dilemma. Thank you for the feast.