Japan Michelin tour 2023 day 6: drunken onion, episode 9

We went straight from dinner to Tamanegiya (酒たまねぎや), where Fergie had been waiting for us for about an hour. Thankfully Master was happy to entertain him in our absence and ply him with sake...

Master offers us a selection of shio kombu (塩昆布) to go with our drinks.

He was clearly in a good mood today, and started to show us some of the plates he uses for otsumami (おつまみ). He bought these from the flea markets decades ago for next to nothing, but they are more than 100 years old.

Azumaichi Junmai Daiginjo Shizukushibori Tobintori Show Selection (東一 純米大吟醸 雫搾り 斗瓶取り 選抜酒), R3BY – seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 39%. Nice and elegant, lovely on the palate.

Isojiman Nakatori Junmai Daiginjo 35 (磯自慢 中取り 純米大吟醸35), 2022 – seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 35%. Nice nose of banana, fragrant notes of fermented rice, sweet, slight hint of savory fermentation on the palate. Still very rounded.

Master knows I have been visiting Tabaru-san in Fukuoka, so he brought out this bottle which had been given to him by Tabaru-san. There's a familiar face on the back label...

Tabaruzaka 46 (田原坂46) - very nicely balanced, some sweetness on attack but gets a little drier.

Another late night spent at my favorite place in Tokyo, and a very restrained one, but always a good time. Now we need to work out details of the upcoming tasting in Hong Kong with Master...