Celebration bubblies and sticks

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I was still at lunch in Macau when RAW Yeah pinged me. Would I be interested in joining supper at Hidden (秀殿) tonight with the Man in White T-shirt? Well... after continuously stuffing my face over the last day or so, I really should take it easy tonight and stay home. I declined the invitation.

Then I got to thinking... why not treat this as a celebration for the Man in White T-shirt? After all, Neighborhood just got their first macaron yesterday... and surely that is something worth celebrating! I messaged RAW Yeah and told him I would be happy to join. Besides, it's been so long since I went to Hidden for supper, just like we did in the old days.

Mr. White T had already been there for an hour by the time I arrived, having mixed up our starting time. I would also meet a couple of new friends tonight, one of whom turned out to be my kohai (後輩) from high school in Tokyo.

Fried chicken wing (手羽唐揚げ) - YES! It is de rigueur to kick off a meal here with one (well, at least one) of these chicken wings. Mr. White T let slip that he did, at one time, get the recipe for this and ended up serving it at Neighborhood. Somehow I don't remember ever tasting that.

One bite cheese fried (一口チーズフライ) - always happy to have a bite with ketchup.

Baby sweetfish (稚鮎) - gotta get this while it's in season. So happy.

Young onion (新玉ねぎ) - I love onions, especially when deep-fried. So sweet.

Spring onion pork flank roll (豚バラねぎ巻) - OH YES! This is always very sinful but really good. Thin slices of fatty pork belly wrapped around some diced spring onions, where the fat from the pork gets soaked into the greens. Just awesome.

Pike conger (はも) - another seasonal item which requires ordering every time.

Red pickled ginger pork flank roll (豚バラ紅しょうが巻) - I prefer the spring onion version but... how can I resist pork belly? The acidity from the pickled ginger does help to cut the fat, though...

Herring roe on kelp (子持ち昆布) - another perennial favorite. Love how the cooked herring roe resists the bite then bounces back after the pressure is taken off. So fun to eat!

Fried chicken wing (手羽唐揚げ) - always remember to order a second chicken wing!

Kogane pork wiener (黄金豚ウィンナー) - another item that deserves my attention... fatty wieners! Just look at the cross section!

Young onion (新玉ねぎ) - couldn't help but order it again. Maybe I need to go get some onion rings, too!

Napolitan spaghetti (ナポリタン) - the Man in White T-shirt already ordered up his large portion and polished it off, so I had to get a smaller portion to share with friends. So good.

Special rich pudding (特製濃厚プリン) - can't leave here without the pudding! I love, love, love it so much! And the caramel sauce on top...

Of course I started the evening with a girlie drink... my usual melon umeshu (メロン梅酒).

I also brought along 2 bottles of bubbly for the celebration.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 170ème Édition, ID 221035 - acidity seemed a little higher than usual tonight. Still a crowd-pleaser.

1996 Moët et Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon - nice and caramelized, a little bit of sugar cane and also marmalade. Nice and smooth now, and still very lively.

Very, very happy for my friend. Now if I could only drink with him a little more...