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We made advance reservations.
【ポイント】
○オープン：2024年10月、ベテランシェフによる日本料理店
○ A atmosphere reminiscent of kaiseki cuisine
◯ Service and ingredients are quite impressive in terms of cost-effectiveness.
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*Operation: Two-Op
* 고객층: 2인조
*Payment: Accepted by credit card.*
*잔액, 서비스 요금: 10%
*Online Reservation: Available. Accommodates 1 person.*
*Lunchtime Operations: None*
*One-person visit: Possible*
*Second restaurant-related: The first one in the direction.*
*Stay time: Approximately 3 hours
*Google評價：5.0
*食べログの現状評価と実際の状況との乖離：評価なし*
【Restaurant Overview】
This is a new restaurant that opened in October 2024.
It refers to a kaiseki restaurant.
It seems that they also had a restaurant in Shinjuku District before.
At that time, their regular customers are still considered to be the main customer base.
It seemed that the restaurant offers a variety of dishes from Aomori and alcoholic beverages as its main offerings.
It's a short walk from the station.
Located in the hide-and-seek street.
【Atmosphere and Service】
Only six counters available.
The seating spacing might be a bit narrow if the restaurant is fully booked.
As expected from a "かくれんぼ横丁" restaurant, the atmosphere is calm and it’s a good place to dine.
The conversation between the owner and the staff members.
Both of them seemed to be not very accustomed to operating a restaurant at the moment.
The owner might be teasing, saying that he has a blunder.
The cooking process took slightly longer overall. At the end, although we chose to stand waiting, the staff did not hand over our jackets. They had to go get them themselves. This can’t be considered a service that justifies a 10% surcharge.
Regarding the cuisine, it's better to consider it as a three-hour menu, regardless of the number of customers.
And since there is a service charge of 10% on every order, it would be better to change the type of alcohol with each new order.
The staff members are mainly engaged in work in the back kitchen, and they do not pour water very frequently.
The service is polite, but they also insist that both of them leave the restaurant together before leaving.
The other groups had also finished their courses. Let's continue until we exit into the alley and make sure that no customers can be seen anymore!
Other than that, I won't write anything more. There were a few other points that I found interesting.
Overall, it cannot be said that a service level of 10% can still be considered acceptable.
【주문 내용과 가성비】
This is a one-course menu priced at 22,000 yen.
I ordered 3 cups of Japanese sake as my drink.
The dishes are as follows:
◯セイコガニと鱈の白子の茶碗蒸し
◯八寸
Fried Japanese mackerel fillet with acorn squash and wild rice, steamed crab with alaskan salmon sauce, chestnut and walnut dish
◯ Hairless crab and nut crab rolled up
◯ Basket of Wild Vegetables and Large Clams
◯Sashimi: Herring and Wakame in salt
◯Sashimi: Tuna, horsehead herring, yellow croaker
◯ヤナギガレイの一夜干し
◯天ぷら
Mushroom, shishamo, haze, peanuts
◯ Beef, shabushabu made with reed
◯ Cherry shrimp and pickled rice, red broth, pickles
◯ Matcha arrangement with adzuki beans
The menu items and the alcoholic drinks seem to be a bit expensive.
Especially the alcohol was beyond expectations and exceeded the budget.
Details will be explained later.
【感想】
It had a atmosphere reminiscent of kaiseki cuisine, or a refined Japanese dinner.
It must be said that there was no dish that truly conveyed the essence of the chef’s skills. However, the broth and flavors were exquisite and well-crafted. The dishes were simple yet delicious, offering a sense of comfort and satisfaction.
At Kagurazaka, the price of this menu is quite reasonable, which means that the cost is kept low.
Appetizer: Tea bowl steamed food.
The broth is very good.
The subsequent dishes, such as shabushabu and cooked rice, have a mild broth and a balanced flavor.
However, the Seiko crab likely has a slight odor due to its eggs.
I assume that it is because it is placed in a hot tea bowl steamed food.
Perhaps in the subsequent volume, it would be better to receive Seikagon as a gift.
Eight inches convey a sense of meticulousness.
The abalone is warm, and the persimmons and chestnuts are sweet and delicious.
It makes the alcohol feel more enjoyable.
The dish was wrapped in a mixture of hairy crabs and Bafun oysters.
And on top of that, there are even more bafununi.
A taste of luxury.
The bowls also have the broth from the dill.
The appropriately cooked wazuka also has a rich flavor.
There are four types of sashimi.
The first scallop has a wonderful umami flavor and texture when it's left to rest.
The second batch featured auoli crab, with hidden knives that were handled with care, resulting in a delicious texture.
On the other hand, although the course price is acceptable, the steamed dishes made it difficult to feel a significant reduction in production costs.
The grilled dish is overnight dried yanagi garei.
It is cooked slowly over a charcoal fire.
The umami flavor is well expressed, making it simply delicious.
The way the stems of the taro are arranged is also very thoughtful.
The tempura is fried right in front of my eyes, as if being dressed in its wrapper.
Not only are the eggs of females good, but the testes of males also have a higher fat content and juiciness. I really like that.
These mushrooms have a pleasant fragrance.
Pre-meal last bite of shibu-shibu.
Beef is also delicious, but the cost of production is still kept relatively low.
Again, it seems like there's no other way around it.
The lettuce was crunchy and delicious.
The chili used for finishing the dish might not be necessary if it doesn’t weaken the flavor of the broth at all.
The rice consists of cooked rice, red broth, and pickles.
The soy sauce is delicious, and the pickles are also well-prepared.
However, the rice did not seem to have been cooked freshly. It seems that some time had passed since it was cooked.
The temperature is not warm enough. Also, the texture is not crisp enough.
Also, I think it's a good service to immediately show customers the cooked dish after opening the lid.
The combination of autumn cherry blossoms and shrimp is a rare one, and I think the flavor was good.
The sweetness comes from the matcha and adzuki beans.
It has a concentrated and delicious matcha flavor.
The small beans are not too sweet, yet they are elegant in taste.
This course was completed with an excellent outcome.
At Kagrasa, a course costs 22,000 yen.
Due to high prices, it's understandable that everything is quite challenging.
However, considering the existence of other restaurants, I felt that it would be better if the menu at this restaurant included more ingenuity and consideration in terms of service.
Even with my limited culinary experience, I have numerous choices of excellent restaurants in Kagurazaka and other downtown areas. There are also many other places where the balance between price and quality is excellent, resulting in high satisfaction levels.
It might be extreme, but I thought that even in a budget-friendly Japanese restaurant, the quality of the food could be almost equivalent, and we could serve similar dishes at a more affordable price.
I feel that it would be better if they had more skills and unique features.
Even so, let's talk about the service again. I was bothered that from the very beginning, we were served a Japanese sake called "Shichidori", which costs 3,000 yen per kan.
And after that, for some reason, the prices of the alcoholic drinks became increasingly lower. Lol.
Well, the wine I really liked the most was, of course, the last one served.
As the name of the restaurant suggests, it seems that “Shichibutō” is a generic term for the place. I understand that the drinks served here are quite ordinary. However, for first-time customers, it’s better to take their time and choose a specific brand of drink.
It's nice to have options for half a size for single customers.
From the perspective of hospitality, it seemed to be a restaurant where there are still many things that can be done without spending much money.
