箱人
Visited a sushi restaurant in Kichijoji for the first time in April 23rd. The restaurant is located about a 20-minute walk from Kichijoji Station, slightly away from the station. I had heard about this new restaurant opening a while back but hadn't been able to visit until now. I made a reservation for 12 o'clock on a weekend, and luckily I was able to secure a spot by calling early in the month. The restaurant has a cozy atmosphere with a total of 8 seats in a sunken kotatsu style setting. The husband and wife owners run the entire place, with the husband being extremely knowledgeable about fish and handling everything from preparation to serving. I started with a beer and opted for the 15,000 yen omakase course. The meal included various appetizers such as scallop sashimi, firefly squid, oysters from Murotsu, seasoned herring roe, smoked bonito from Kagoshima, and seaweed. Each dish had a unique texture and flavor that stood out from what I had experienced before. The firefly squid was particularly exceptional as it was carefully selected during the peak season. The oysters were cooked in a way that allowed the broth to penetrate the meat, resulting in a delicious dish. The smoked bonito, smoked with cherry wood chips, paired perfectly with the mustard soy sauce. The nigiri sushi included squid, young sea bream, golden eye snapper, lean tuna, medium fatty tuna, salmon roe, sea eel, and tamagoyaki. In between, we were served miso soup with clams to complete the course. The squid and sea eel at the beginning and the fluffy tamagoyaki at the end stood out for their deliciousness. Despite the reduced fish catch due to rough seas at the time of my visit, the restaurant managed to provide a variety of high-quality fish. I enjoyed sake such as Namazume Junmai from Nambu Bijin, Junmai Ginjo from Hakurakusei, and Junmai from Hidakami. All were easy to drink and complemented the meal well. I spent about 3 hours chatting with the other guests and the talkative owner, enjoying a pleasant time. While I can't afford to visit every day, I look forward to another opportunity to dine at this restaurant. Thank you for the wonderful meal.