孤高のグルメ☆
Recently, I've been thinking that my followers on Tabelog are very gourmet, have good reading comprehension skills, and are generally wonderful people. In a positive sense, it would be great if I could regularly introduce them to good dining establishments that are currently receiving unbalanced reviews. Now, in Nagatacho, there's a place called "Oumi" that has been open for about 2 years. When I stayed at Kitano Hotel during its renovation, another sushi restaurant that was doing well in Roppongi was located here, so I initially overlooked it. However, I already knew that this place was quite good even before hearing about it. One of my followers who left a very accurate comment on my review of "Sushi Takumi" in Yotsuya, as well as on another one of my reviews for "Itsuka" in Minami Aoyama, recommended this place to me. A recommendation from such a person for a restaurant means that it must be good. So, I ended up visiting multiple times before writing this review. It's embarrassing, but I couldn't resist because I realized that this is the perfect time to enjoy a high-class restaurant like this at a leisurely pace. In the near future, this place will become famous in Tokyo and even worldwide, which is why I wanted to experience it now. The interior design here is amazing, especially considering that it's a sublet. How did they manage that? There are many advantages to managing the restroom in a hotel restaurant, but it's also a testament to the owner's luck and charisma to have found this property. Speaking of which, the recent Michelin recognition of "Saito" in Roppongi is no surprise. I had already predicted that this would happen a few years ago. Now, back to "Oumi." The owner, Mr. Omi, worked as the second-in-command at "Kanesaka Main Store" in Ginza for over 10 years. He also helped out at "Kanesaka Akasaka Store" when "Saito" was there, so he's only around 40 years old. Starting a job during a recession and an unlucky year was actually the perfect timing. I remember seeing him occasionally helping out in front of Mr. Kanesaka at "Kanesaka Main Store" when I first started my Ginza sushi adventures. The impression left by the customers who dined in front of him was very enjoyable. The regular customers affectionately call him "Sanpei," a nickname that he liked so much that he even had it carved on the signboard of the restaurant. Serving at the forefront with a high level of tension, interacting with wealthy customers from all over the world, and working alongside a world-class sushi artisan like Mr. Kanesaka, have all contributed to his growth. Even now, Mr. Kanesaka continues to run his own top-class restaurant, leading a group of staff and providing exceptional sushi. The pressure on the staff working closely with him must be immense, but Mr. Omi is always calm and approachable. His experiences and knowledge are undoubtedly of a superlative level. Moving on to the sushi itself, the first dish was a marinated "hirame" (flounder). It looked very tender, with a perfect balance of white and transparent colors. It was not your average hirame. I took a bite and thought, "What a feminine piece of sushi." It's not girly, but more like "mature girly," if I may use a fashion term. If I delve too deep into that, even Bill Gates might get involved.