客員教授
The Japan archipelago is shaking with COVID-19, but the streets of Kawaramachi and Gion in Kyoto are quite crowded, despite the lack of foreign visitors. I wanted to have a few favorite spots in Kyoto, so I settled on Kiyama for Japanese cuisine and Nakajin for tempura, but I was still undecided on a sushi restaurant. Kyoto is known to be tough for newcomers, especially when it comes to sushi restaurants with limited seating, making it difficult to secure a reservation without a referral to a well-known establishment. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, reservations are challenging to come by and the threshold is high. Therefore, I had been carefully reading reviews on Tabelog to find a suitable sushi restaurant and came across this relatively new restaurant, Fujiwara. The day before, while staying in Kyoto, my wife and I decided to call the restaurant around 7 pm as a last resort. A young woman answered the phone and her pleasant manner immediately gave me a good impression of the place. Good restaurants, not just sushi restaurants, show consideration in various aspects, and I have had many experiences where a good restaurant turned out to be disappointing. On the day of our reservation, we walked through Pontocho while using Google Maps to find the restaurant. With modern technology, we can now easily find our way to such obscure places, but in the past, it would have been quite challenging. The restaurant had a quiet and unassuming appearance. As soon as we entered, we were greeted by a beautiful white wooden counter. The master welcomed us with a smile as we were the first customers that day. There were only two more reservations for the evening, totaling two groups, which was also due to the impact of COVID-19. With no other customers around, the master shared his story with us, mentioning that he had trained in Japanese cuisine at Miimon, worked at several restaurants, and decided to open his own sushi restaurant after Miimon went bankrupt. Although he had little formal training in sushi, the dishes he served and the sushi we ate were meticulously prepared and showed a genuine care in his work. He was particularly enthusiastic about sourcing fresh and rare fish from across the country. The "Yaito masu," a type of grouper, served as sashimi was flavorful with a sweet and firm texture. The mackerel from Boso was lightly seared over charcoal, enhancing the rich flavor of the fish. Even for just two slices of sashimi, he did not cut corners. The horse mackerel, slowly grilled over Bincho charcoal, was served with a touch of tangy sauce, creating a harmonious balance of flavors. The grilled Spanish mackerel, with its thick and fatty flesh, was meticulously prepared, with the edges cut off and the best part in the middle seared with tar sauce, complemented by the bitterness of the fuki miso. The meal started with firefly squid in vinegar miso and progressed to sushi, resembling a traditional kaiseki menu. The soup, made with moon bear meat, celery, urui, and seaweed, was rich in flavor from the bonito broth and bear meat extract, a unique and delicious dish. The homemade ankimo was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The steamed abalone with ankimo sauce, mixed with a bit of sushi rice, was a delightful finish. And finally, the awaited sushi arrived. The sushi rice, seasoned with red vinegar, was slightly sweet, possibly due to the use of local Ryuno Hitomi brand rice, known for its large grains and sweetness. The shari was firm, just how I like it. The soy sauce was a bit on the sweet side, but it suited my taste. The tuna from Boston, weighing 240 kilograms, had a delicate flavor despite its large size, with a hint of acidity making it very delicious. The striped jack, said to be over 10 kilograms, had an unexpectedly rich fatty texture. The golden snapper, with a subtle fatiness marking the end of its season, had a refined flavor and umami. The master's pride, the striped jack weighing over 10 kilograms, had an unexpectedly rich fatty texture. The golden snapper, with a subtle fattiness marking the end of its season, had a refined flavor and umami. The meal was truly enjoyable and delicious.