眞論酔徒
"Shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, hot pot... with a traditional Japanese atmosphere, what's the deal with 'Azuki'? Three reviews. Hmm. Why did I get interested? Well, there aren't many good dining options around here. Maybe... just maybe, Azuki is the answer? The three reviews on the world's Yelp are a bit intimidating. It seems popular, but the prices might be on the higher side for a working lunch. It might be a good option for those with too much time on their hands during the day. Azuki has a Japanese vibe... there's a possibility.
I went there yesterday, near Ramen Yabuzuka. There are stairs, but they're steep, so take the elevator. From the outside, it doesn't seem very appealing. There are a lot of partitions, so you can't see the whole place. I settled at the counter. For lunch, they had the following menu: Matsukadō Bento (Yuki) for 1,000 yen (limited to 10 servings, sold out), Matsukadō Bento (getsu) for 2,500 yen, Olive Beef Gozen for 3,000 yen. The Matsukadō Bento (Yuki) would have been a good choice, but it's sold out, it seems. I wasn't immediately impressed with the menu.
They also had a lunch menu for Azuki: Olive Pork Shabu-shabu for 1,000 yen, Inaniwa Udon Gozen for 1,200 yen, Roast Beef Don for 1,200 yen, Sashimi Assortment Gozen for 1,300 - 1,404 yen. Prices are pre-tax. The cheap shabu-shabu is tempting, but there aren't many options that catch my eye. Let's start with sashimi and see how it goes. 'Sashimi Assortment Gozen, please.'
Tea... hmm, there's a big teapot placed on the table. It's self-service. No one comes to pour it for you. It's clear this isn't a high-end restaurant. The 'Sashimi Assortment Gozen' arrives. The plates aren't chilled, just at room temperature. The sashimi includes sea bream, octopus, lean tuna, bonito, and yellowtail. I prefer it slightly colder. The sashimi is decent, nothing exceptional, which was expected. Rice is refillable. It doesn't have that distinctive taste of restaurant rice, so I'll go for a half serving more.
The miso soup is red miso with tofu and wakame. I'm not a fan of red miso with these ingredients... I don't have any particular feelings about this lunch. It's like a sashimi set meal or sashimi don. Tea is self-service, and the staff at this restaurant aren't very friendly. I don't have high expectations for dinner either. That's about it. It's Gossan."
Note: Some parts of the text were unclear or incomplete, so the translation reflects the original text's ambiguity.