蓼喰人
On a Saturday afternoon, I had plans to attend a piano concert at Suntory Hall and decided to have lunch in the Akasaka area beforehand. I had picked out a few restaurants that were open on holidays in advance. When I arrived at Akasaka-Mitsuke Station around 12:30, I found that there was quite a crowd in Akasaka due to the complete lifting of COVID-related restrictions. The first restaurant I went to, "Yagenbori," had about 10 people in line, mostly young women. I realized that it might be the same situation at other places, so I quickly headed to a restaurant specializing in "Echigo Mochi Pork" dishes just slightly off the main area. My follower, @aisaika14, who is familiar with this area, had visited this place and highly recommended it. When I arrived, over 80% of the seats were already taken, but I managed to get a seat near the counter. The restaurant was still receiving customers, and although the turnover was relatively fast, some people were giving up and leaving due to the crowded situation. The lunch menu featured dishes like tonkatsu, pork steak, motsu-ni, and kashira-yaki, but the most prominent item was the "shabu-shabu set meal." I decided to order that with the choice of "grated ponzu" as the dipping sauce. Additionally, I wanted to try something else, so I added a side of "tare katsu" and paired it with a glass of draft beer. A small cassette stove was brought to the table along with a pot of dashi broth, a plate of thinly sliced pork loin and belly, a bowl of vegetables, a small dish of dipping sauce, and a bowl of rice. I quickly cooked the pork slices in the boiling broth using tongs, dipped them in ponzu sauce, and enjoyed the light flavor and tender texture. The belly meat also had a delicious umami from the fat. I don't have much experience with pork shabu-shabu, but I found it to be light and easy to eat. The vegetables included finely sliced cabbage, enoki mushrooms, mizuna, spinach, and carrots, all of which cooked quickly in the broth, retaining their crunchy texture. The grated ponzu sauce had a strong flavor that remained consistent until the end. The "tare katsu" side dish was made with what seemed to be pork shoulder, slightly tough with a very sweet sauce-soaked coating. It was much sweeter than the usual katsu sauce, and I wondered if this was the authentic taste of Niigata. The rice was delicious, perfectly cooked and of high quality. There was hardly any scum from the pork, and when I transferred the remaining broth to the ponzu sauce dish, it turned into a tasty soup. Although the meat slices were thin, the overall portion was satisfying, and I felt that the set meal for 1,000 yen including tax was a good deal. Despite the crowded holiday crowd, the staff seemed a bit rushed but their hard work was evident, and the overall impression was not bad. In the end, choosing this restaurant was the right decision, and I had a pleasant lunch. I would like to express my gratitude to @aisaika14 for recommending this place.