A note on the words: shari is the vinegared rice under a piece of sushi — the half of it the chef is judged on. Omakase means leaving the choice to the chef. Nigiri are the hand-pressed pieces, maki the rolled ones. Shirako is milt, the soft roe of a male fish. Ankimo is monkfish liver. Narazuke are vegetables cured in sake lees, nukazuke pickles fermented in rice bran. Chutoro is the medium-fatty belly of tuna, akami the lean back. Amazake is a sweet drink made from fermented rice.
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Sushi Onikai +1 on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Right then, this is Hangover Meshi. This time, sushi in Nakameguro! I feel I have been coming to Nakameguro fairly often lately. It is close to Roppongi, easy for people heading home toward Kanagawa, and above all there seem to be plenty of places with a good atmosphere — a fine part of town, is it not ^^ So, sushi was the aim this time, but I had left the planning to the last minute and was thinking there would be nowhere free, when I found somewhere that looked good! “Sushi Onikai +1.” Sushi Onikai appears to come in a plain version, a +1 and an x2 (and possibly others!), and there is apparently one in Toranomon Hills as well.
The system is that you choose between the 18:00 sitting and the 20:30 sitting. Fully changed over between the two. 18:00 is awkwardly hard to make if you are working, ha, and 20:30 is awkwardly late, ha. Well, this will depend on each person’s rhythm ^^
This time I booked the 20:30 sitting to give myself room!
Omakase course, 11,000 yen
Omakase course with pairing, 16,000 yen
Omakase course with non-alcoholic pairing, 13,800 yen
At 16,000 yen with the pairing, it may well be rather good value.
It is sushi, but the pairing is with wine, apparently. Something to look forward to.
Right, you sit down and the first drink arrives.
You can choose beer or sparkling to start, they said, so I took the beer.
Wine straight out of the gate would indeed be a bit heavy. A thoughtful touch!!!
So this is how springy sea bream shirako is!
It is characterized by a creamy, rich flavor, and the way it melts in the mouth is delicious.
And after this we were shown the shari being cut, and handed a bite-sized piece of freshly cut shari wrapped in nori.
The rice is from Mihama in Fukui, and the shari is seasoned with two vinegars, red vinegar and rice vinegar.
Next, lean tuna and chutoro seared hard over the flame (this too is done in front of you, which is fun)
and then rolled and handed straight to you, ha. This may well be a shop that leans heavily on hand-passed rolls ^^
Searing lifts the savor of the fat, and it spreads through the mouth along with the fragrance of the char.
The first nigiri is hokkigai, surf clam. Mmm, fresh surf clam is delicious.
The savor, yes, but the sweetness is really something.
Hirame, delicate yet refined in flavor.
There is a faint sweetness to it, and the balance with the shari is exquisite.
The first wine of the pairing, FRAPPATO.
Some people say kohada is how you judge a shop’s ability, ha. A well-judged acidity with the savor concentrated.
The clean flavor that only young tuna has. You can feel the savor of the lean meat clearly.
A roll, ha ha
Softly simmered abalone paired with narazuke.
The savor of the abalone and the sweetness of the narazuke match exquisitely.
Next, SULKI
Ankimo, rich in flavor! It is characterized by a texture that melts in the mouth and a deep, full body.
Fresh sumi-ika has a dense, clinging texture and a sweetness that is its charm. The savor spreads the more you chew.
It is a roll, but it has the air of a main course.
Apparently it is tempura supervised by “Tempura Miyashiro,” which has a Michelin star, made up as a hand roll — shrimp tempura rolled in nori.
The shrimp tempura was extremely good! I am becoming rather curious about Miyashiro.
Hotaru-ika in season is characterized by the rich savor of the innards.
One mouthful and you have the taste of spring.
I wondered what kannuki was, and apparently it is a large sayori, halfbeak. Delicious!
The smoked sawara has a fragrant aroma and concentrated savor. A flavor with a difference to enjoy.
Deliciooous! Soft and melting. An exquisite balance with the shari.
A roll!
And then miso soup at the end and we are done. There are a fair number of items, so you end up full!
Broadly, satisfied! Plenty of rolls. Well, if I say one thing, ha — with the pairing they try to clear away the previous wine glass straight away even when there is still wine in it, ha. That one point I should like them to take more slowly! Some of us drink slowly! The sushi is straightforwardly good and the pairing wines are decent, and at 16,000 yen for this, is that not fine! I may well try the “Onikai” without the +1 if I get the chance. The Toranomon Hills one is new, so I am rather curious!
Sushi Onikai +1 (Sushi / Nakameguro Station, Daikanyama Station, Yutenji Station)
Tabelog dinner rating ★★★☆☆ 3.4
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
