When we first entered the restaurant, there were about 10 seats at the counter. We sat in a seat in the back and decided to order from the drink menu. It was hot as a rock, so we decided to start with draft beer. We spent two thirds of our time walking around the restaurant, our heads filled with ice-cold draft beer. My friend is not a fan of alcohol, so I decided to order a Yanagizakuraen Hojicha. As I slurped down the draft beer with its wonderful ratio of hops, I forgot all about the heat at once. My friend’s hojicha was also very cold and very tasty, feeling both fresher and deeper than the hojicha I usually drink.
We had many meals at Nikomi Suzuya, but this time I would like to introduce some of my favorites. These were the Omi beef stew, bonito salt tataki, and duck roe umami.
First, Omi beef stew.
As one would expect from a restaurant with “nikomi” in its name, it is extremely tasty. When you put the stewed fish in your mouth, it instantly melts in your mouth. In the heat of summer, the stew melts in your mouth just like powder snow melting in early winter. The combination with the mustard on the side was perfect, and I ate it up in one go.
The next recommendation is bonito salt tataki.
After having the Omi beef stew, I wanted to try some refreshing sashimi, so I ordered the salted bonito tataki. A large piece of bonito came out. A lemon and karashi (mustard) were served on the side. I immediately squeezed the lemon over the bonito, and was pleasantly surprised at how refreshing it was. I eat the bonito tataki and pour down the ice-cold beer from earlier. The sweetness of the bonito and the bitterness of the hops hit the palate alternately, and the bonito’s flavor is greatly enhanced. I highly recommend giving it a try.
And last but not least, I recommend the duck loin umami.
After having eaten Omi beef stew, Omi beef halami yaki, and chicken thigh yaki until halfway through the meal, I was getting full and asked for duck roast, thinking it would give me heartburn. My expectations were completely betrayed. In fact, the duck roast did not give me heartburn at all. On the contrary, the moment I took a bite of the duck roast, I felt as if my cheeks were about to fall off from the refreshingly light sweetness that spread out from the roast. I highly recommend that you try this dish when you visit Nikomi Suzuya.
And to top it off, I ordered a rice ball with chirimen sansho (Japanese pepper paste). It was just two pieces, so it was perfect for sharing with a friend. I don’t get many chances to eat onigiri made by others anymore. Watching the owner make the onigiri right in front of me reminded me of the mornings when I was in elementary school and my mother would make me onigiri with umeboshi and tuna mayonnaise on the morning of field trips. Thinking that I might try making onigiri myself next time, I savored the slightly larger rice ball with chirimen sansho in my mouth, and paid the bill. It was a very satisfying summer evening. Next time, I would definitely like to visit during the cold season, when I can hear the footsteps of the end of the year creeping up on us. Spring, summer, fall and winter, delicacies and delicacies.
AloJapan.com