Sticks and Burgs

Pin It

The Great One needed to bail on her booking at Hidden (秀殿) due to her babysitting duties on behalf of the tourism board, so Foursheets and I were only too happy to take it over. As this was a foursome, I asked a couple of other friends to join us. As it turned out, one of them was making his first visit after years of reading about my visits.

The boys were pretty happy to follow our lead and just raise their hands when we were doing the ordering. As I knew they don't visit as often as I do, this meant I was ordering a bunch of stuff just so they could try more items. Methinks I ordered a tad too much...

Awa-odiri fried chicken wing (阿波雄鶏手羽唐揚げ) - we always, always start with the chicken wing. One of my favorite chicken wings in town, with the wonderful acidity in the sauce being the perfect complement to the delicious deep-fried chicken skin.

One bite cheese fried (一口チーズフライ) - it's so simple but what's not to love about deep-fried cheese?! And ketchup!

Onion fish cake (玉ねぎさつま揚げ) - I do love this version of fishcakes made with onions. It's much sweeter and also has a softer texture.

Pacific saury (秋刀魚) - always one of my favorite items when it's in season, and I do love how fatty the fish gets.

The perilla leaves they sandwich between the layers bring a wonderful fragrance to it.

Shrimp taro (海老芋) - we love, love, looooove these taro because the texture is just soooo silky and fine. Always gotta order when it's on offer.

Cristal Blue shrimp (天使のえび) - it's not everyday that they get the Cristal Blue shrimp from New Caledonia, so I made sure to get us some. Very, very tasty.

Maitake (舞茸) - gotta get us some vegetarian stuff, and this is the right season for it.

Fried tofu (厚揚げ)

Pearl onions (ペコロス)

Crab leg (かに足) - I always try to order one of these up. Always very, very tasty.

Kogane pork wiener (黄金豚ウィンナー) - I love these fatty sausages. So juicy. So much flavor.

Spring onion pork flank roll (豚バラねぎ巻) - another one of my favorites. That thin slice of pork belly rolled up and stuffed with spring onion at the center... so juicy and perfect.

Pacific saury (秋刀魚) - I'm so greedy I wanted another serving of this while I had the chance.

Conger eel (穴子)

Sand borer with Japanese parsley (きす三つ葉) - I love sillago and the way they rolled it up with fragrant mitsuba (三つ葉) in the middle was really nice, as it kept the fish moist on the inside.

Quail eggs (うずら卵)

Ham cheese (ハムチーズ) - I really do like this ham and cheese in deep-fried form!

Napolitan spaghetti (ナポリタン) - I had checked with Stephen yesterday whether they would have this available tonight, only to be told they they were not serving any pasta for the time being. I WAS CRUSHED! But not long after our meal began, he quietly came to show me that we could order it, so of course I did!

I was so, so happy to have this today. And it just wouldn't be the same without putting Tabasco sauce and Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese on top.

Plum sauce with shiso pork flank roll (豚バラ梅しそ巻) - not sure I have ever had this variation on the pork belly before, but that plum sauce definitely brought the acidity to cut the fat.

Scallop salmon roe (ほたてタルタルいくら) - can't believe here without introducing our newbie to my favorite dish... So, so happy to chomp down on that battered and fried scallop topped with tartar sauce and salmon roe.

Special rich pudding (特製濃厚プリン) - AAAAAAND can't leave without my favorite pudding! Love that caramel sauce on top of the creamy, rich pudding.

Funnily enough, we all brought bottles of Burgundy tonight...

2020 Frédéric Cossard Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Croix Rouges - ripe and caramelized on the nose with metallic notes, like La France pear or Anjou pear. The first pour was too warm and was really metallic on the palate, too. The second pour was colder thanks to more chilling, and showed flint on the nose. Acidity was on the high side, and kinda tasted like a dry French cidre.

2019 Hubert Lamy Puligny-Montrachet Les Tremblogs Vieilles Vignes - started drinking a little more than an hour after opening. We've got some flint on the nose, a hint of vanilla and some oak. This was a little fatty when warmed up slightly in glass, but the acidity was still high and very grippy or tannic on the palate. The finish was quite long thanks to the acidity.

2011 Perrot-Minot Mazoyères-Chambertin - started drinking more than 1½ hours after opening. Nose was showing eucalyptus, a little coconut butter, and vanilla oak.

I definitely ordered and ate too much, but I was so happy and so excited to go back with my friends that I couldn't help it.