I heard that a long-established high-end blowfish (fugu) cuisine restaurant started serving lunch, so I decided to try it. They offer only one option for lunch, a tempura set meal for 1000 yen (tax included). The tempura was served in two separate batches to ensure it was freshly fried, including shrimp, eggplant, and squid in the first batch, and shrimp, sand borer, and onion in the second. The sand borer was wrapped in shiso leaves and was fluffy and delicious. Snow salt was also provided, which was a nice touch. The soup, rice, and simmered hijiki seaweed were all delicious. ☺️

In June of the 5th year of Reiwa during lunchtime (11:30-13:30), I had a delicious set meal consisting of tempura (2 shrimp, whiting, squid, eggplant, onion), red miso soup, rolled omelette with dashi, pickles, simmered hijiki seaweed, and rice (with one free refill). The tempura was served in two batches of three pieces each, so we could enjoy them hot and freshly fried. They were delicious either dipped in tempura dipping sauce or eaten on top of rice with tempura donburi sauce. The eel sauce provided on the side for the rolled omelette went really well with it.

A well-known fugu specialty restaurant in the local area, with a quiet and steady business catering to regular customers. In the past, during the previous owner's time, the restaurant was always full due to the good economy. The layout of the restaurant includes a counter on the left side upon entering, and tatami rooms on the right side. The owner is friendly despite his appearance and the quality of the ingredients is exceptional, making every dish a delight to eat. Eating this level of fugu in Shinchi easily exceeds 30,000 yen. Both the salt-grilled and sauce-grilled shirako were delicious, but the sauce-grilled one stood out. I definitely want to go back.

In the past, during the bubble era, this place was very busy. But now, no matter when you go, it's always empty. That's why we come here - for a relaxed and leisurely experience. The taste of the ponzu sauce is good. The texture of the fish may not be super firm, but it's satisfying enough to feel like you've had fugu. This restaurant is recommended for beginners to intermediate level diners of hot pot dishes. You can also learn some hot pot terminology here. Lately, they seem to be too free, as they sometimes close on days other than their regular holidays.

My base of living in Osaka, Sumiyoshi-ku, is a town of shopping streets, with one-way roads and shopping streets intertwining, making it difficult for ordinary people to reach their destination by car. Our shop is also located in the Shimizuoka shopping street. I had known about the shop before, but I had never entered it myself, thinking, "Oh, it's a blowfish restaurant," as I am not in a position to eat blowfish for dinner alone. This time, it was a treat from our business partners! When I heard about the restaurant, I was surprised! It's "Matsufuku" from my neighborhood! It's worth going all the way there from a distant place! Excited, my boss and I visited the restaurant, and while some people dislike business entertainment, I love it! Because I can drink until I lose my memory (laughs). We started with a toast with beer, and the blowfish course began. First, we had blowfish skin in hot water. Hmm, the ponzu sauce is delicious! The deep umami of the homemade ponzu sauce stimulates the brain. Next, would you like to have "tessa" or "butskiri"? When asked, our business partners chose "butskiri" saying, "Tessa is too thin and tasteless." What came out was indeed "butskiri"! It was sliced blowfish sashimi with blowfish skin in hot water sprinkled on top, enjoyed with ponzu sauce. This was a new experience for me, with a firmer texture than tessa and a richer blowfish flavor. The crunchy texture of the sprinkled skin also matched perfectly. The three of us drank about six beers, then switched to fin sake! Next was the fried blowfish, which we enjoyed normally. While continuing with the fin sake, about three cups in, I, a wine lover, wanted to savor the delicious blowfish with white wine, but they didn't have any, what a shame! It would definitely go well with white wine. Next was the blowfish milt. The milt was placed on aluminum foil, baked with sauce. You can also choose salt-grilled milt. It was my first time eating this, and the sweet and savory sauce with the creamy texture of the milt was like pudding. It made the sake go down even smoother. Finally, we had the blowfish hot pot. Of course, it was delicious. After enjoying blowfish dishes that were in a league of their own, we bid farewell and headed to the second party!