Unuseually good Japanese restaurant in Kamonomiya鴨宮で異彩を放つ名割烹 : 肴とお酒 うを弘

It is very difficult for good restaurants in small towns to get high scores in Tabelog because only a few people write reviews. I found this restaurant when I read Tabelog thoroughly. I think this restaurant should get a higher score than 3.35, which it received in December 2019. I couldn't make a reservation on Friday, but could get 2 seats the next day.

Only one cook is in charge of the whole kitchen, and 2 middle-aged women help serving. Except for the private room, 11 seats were fully booked and the cook prepared every dish by himself in silence.

As other reveiwers wrote, Hassun (a tray of about 24 cm square for serving several dishes) is extraordinarily wonderful. The dishes were as bellows:
Monkfish liver
Rolled Japanese-style omelette
Boiled chestnut
Steamed rice with dried mullet roe
Oyster loaf
Deep fried dried sword fish
Boiled seasoned cod roe
Simmered turban shell
Smoked barracuda

All of the dishes were well-prepared, beautifully presented and very delicious. Each plate was a work of art. The dried sword fish was served just after it was deep fried, and the rice was served just after it was steamed and covered with grated dried mullet roe, so it was as fresh as it could be. It seemed like the cook dried mullet roe by himself. It was surprisingly flavorful. The young cook managed to serve extremely delicious dishes for all 11 guests, fresh just off the grill.

He used to study under Mr. Keisuke Hirayama, the owner of a famouse Japanese restaurant, Kuikiri Hirayama, which has been awarded with a one star Michelin rating for 3 consecutive years. A beautiful moth orchid presented by Kuikiri Hirayama was put in the restaurant to welcome guests.

It was surpriing that such a good restaurant has been in service in Kamonomiya all this time. I think I should check Tabelog closely more often.

We enjoyed the 5,000 yen course. The dishes included in the menu were as bellows:
Steamed egg custard with oysters
Tuna, barracuda, and sea bream sashimi
Hassun (as mentioned above)
Taro root
Crab with chrysanthemum
Grilled spanish mackerel with chestnut
Steamed rice with dried young sardines and Japanese pepper
Scorched rice with fish broth
Pear compote

The restaurant is still popular, though it is slightly overpriced for this area. It shows how good the quality of the dishes are.

ある日、暇だったので、食べログを丹念に見ていて、発見したお店。
地方都市ではありがちな、口コミ数が少なくて、実力と食べログ点数が乖離している典型的な店。

ある金曜日に予約しようとしたら満席だったので、翌土曜日になんとか2席だけ予約。

お手伝いの妙齢の女性2人はいるものの、板場は若き大将ただひとりで取り仕切る。
個室以外の11席が満席となり、こっちがドキドキしてしまったが、若き大将は寡黙にテキパキと料理を提供して行く。

他の方も書いているが、八寸の完成度の高さは特筆に値する。
あん肝、出汁巻卵、栗の渋皮煮、唐墨の飯蒸し、牡蠣の松風、太刀魚の白髪干し、助子のお浸し、栄螺の旨煮、カマスの燻製、どれも非常に手が込んでいて、美味しくて、かつ、美しい。
それは、まるで芸術品のようだ。
太刀魚の白髪干しは、もちろん揚げたて。
唐墨の飯蒸しは、（たぶん）自家製の唐墨をすりおろしたものを、蒸したてのちっちゃいお結びにまぶしたもの。
これが絶品。
たったひとりで11名の客に、ほぼ同時に、揚げたて、蒸したて、焼きたて、の極上の料理を提供す若き大将。
聞けば、ミシュラン1ツ星を3年連続獲得した平山恵介氏が手がける懐石料理「銀座喰い切り　ひら山」で修業したとか。お店の何周年かのお祝いだろうか、「銀座喰い切り　ひら山」から贈られた胡蝶蘭がお店に飾られてあった。

こんな郊外の住宅街に、こんな実力を有する名店があったとは。
たまに食べログは、丹念にチェックしなくちゃね。

いただいたお料理は、以下の通り。
一番気軽な、ひとり5,000円のコース。

牡蠣の茶碗蒸し

お造り
メジマグロ
カマス
しろ鯛

八寸
あん肝
出汁巻卵
栗の渋皮煮
唐墨の飯蒸し
牡蠣の松風
太刀魚の白髪干し
助子のお浸し
栄螺の旨煮
カマスの燻製

里芋饅頭
蟹と菊花の餡

鰆の丹波焼
（生の栗をのせて）

ジャコと山椒のご飯

おこげの出汁茶漬

洋梨のコンポート

鴨宮にしてはちょっとお高めの価格設定だが、いつも人気の名店である。