ZDM1000R
【2022 Top 100 Restaurants】Mr. Kentaro Imamura worked as a chef at a Japanese restaurant in Brussels before gaining experience in the sushi department and returning to Japan to open his own restaurant in Shirokanedai. He is entirely self-taught in the art of sushi, without any formal apprenticeship in a sushi restaurant. I made a reservation by phone about a month ago and was fortunate to secure a seat for one person. When you plan to visit, it's located roughly midway between Shirokanetakanawa, Shirokanedai, and Ebisu stations. I found that taking the Toei Bus Route 06 from Shimbashi Station and getting off at Kourinji-mae was just a few minutes' walk away, so I decided to take the bus.
◇ Omakase: ¥23,000 plus sake and complimentary wine: ¥29,900
◆ Hokuraku-sei Akashi red sea bream, grilled mackerel, seared saury, broiled Megumi rice cake with scallops
◆ Fourteenth-generation Hon-maru, grilled natural eel, grated daikon, creamy toro in miso sauce, skewered abalone with ankimo (monkfish liver), ponzu sauce, throat black sake-steamed, topped with crab miso, extra-thin-sliced ginger with a spicy kick
◇ Bonito, finely chopped with a hidden knife, pickled, green onions
◇ Striped horse mackerel, skin removed
◇ Salmon roe gunkan sushi
◇ Marinated lean tuna
◇ Otoro (fatty tuna) with sinew, slightly warm rice
◇ Kohada (gizzard shad), strong vinegar
◆ Banshu-ichi North scallop, warm topping, strong vinegar
◇ Horse mackerel, green onions
◇ Shiso leaf, sesame, green onions, and toro, otoro roll sushi
◇ Shrimp, from Saitama
◇ Purple sea urchin gunkan sushi
◆ Shirakabe Junmai Ginjo
◇ Anago (conger eel) fin, miso soup
◆ Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru 1994, might go well with ankimo (monkfish liver) and egg
◇ Fluffy tamago (egg), dessert hojicha (roasted green tea) ice cream with coconut topping
I found the restaurant in a building at the back of Burger Mania. Interestingly, I only realized this after buying a burger to take home as a souvenir (^^; From the sashimi appetizer to the carefully drained ingredients, the flavors are concentrated, making it a perfect match with sake. When the rice, cooked in an iron pot, is served, it lacks a distinct texture while still hot, but it gains a strong texture, starting with the tuna. The seasoning of the rice is relatively mild, but the saltiness of the simmered dish stands out. If it's too salty, you can reduce the amount of simmered dish.