2. Sushi Experience in Hiroshima
I made an online reservation for a boutique sushimi restaurant my sister had been to six years ago. For two people the experience costed $410, but it would be the best and most unique dining experience of our trip.
鮨 – sushi – Experience at 坂本屋 市兵衛 – Sakamoto ya Ichibei – ichibei.com
The name of the restaurant can roughly be translated as: One Solider to protect a shop at the bottom of the hill.
The restaurant was established in a 船井 – boat town in 1996, and relocated to its current location in 2004 – which essentially looked like a front of a house. He took three seatings per day; 12pm, 6:30pm, and 8pm each lasting up to 2 hours. There were only counter seats surrounding their small kitchen, meaning a maximum of 6 people could eat at one time.
When we arrived there were two Japanese businessmen from the previous sitting. The younger man was a dermatologist, accompanied by what could have been his dad. They remained quiet, only speaking Japanese between themselves or to the chef. Before it was time for them to go, the younger man spoke to us in perfect English. He said that this place was famous in Hiroshima and we were lucky to have a booking. He was interested that we were Australian as he had toured Melbourne and Sydney 13 years ago in a choir.
- When we ordered a flask of sake, we got to choose our cups
Our chef, Naoki, highly experienced and over 60, was referred to as 大将 – Taishō – meaning head sushi chef or store owner. He was assisted by his wife Yukiko, who helped cook, prepare drinks, and was also a graphic artist. She designed an image of him which we’d later learn to recognise this posture – menacing yet excited, face thrown forward, eyes open, lips seal and hands open at the breast – represents the famous painting by Toshusai Sharaku – of the role of the rougish yakko (samourai’s servant) Edobei enacted by Otani Oniki in the drama Koi-nyobo Somewake Tazuna in May 1794.
The art of making sushi is a specialised skill. If a cook wished to make sushi, they would start over again as an apprentice. So precise this craft is, it takes a year dedicated to just learning how to cook rice correctly.
This ended up being a degustation course followed by Akadashi (fresh miso soup).
- Baby octopus
- Urchin and caviar with rice
- Potato wrapped around Rockfish with oyster sauce: potato was a light prawn cracker consistency. Served with tomato and baby corn. The green herb on top is called santo.
- Taigari, a giant oyster lightly seared with chewy texture (like shark)
I attempted to pick up a piece of sushi with chopsticks and it crumbled. Naoki took it off me, and made it again. He asked us if we ever ate sushi with our hands? In an attempt not to upset what could be custom, we said we only ate less fancy sushi with our fingers. Conversely, he recommended eating sushi with your hands.
Good sushi is soft and chopsticks will break it, so eat with hand.
From the sushi I had attempted to eat before, he realised I had also mixed it with ginger.
Sushi is not meant to be eaten with ginger, it changes the taste of the topping. Instead it should be used as a palette cleanser.
We proceeded to eat with our hands and had a bowl of scented water beside us with a towel so we could wash our hands between eating.
We enjoyed our meal with Sake, and later a nice luxury beer called Rococo. We were lucky to try it, as it was only offered to select restaurants.
- Bonito topped with pickled radish and wasabi.
- Egg yoke with Wagyu steak: The egg yoke was cooked to 62 degrees and solidified. The yoke was soft and buttery and tasted like a creamy cheese. This also had a creamy spring onion sauce tamed in butter. This was our favourite one.
- Tiger Prawn sushimi: We tried a new recipe he came up with 2 years ago, to bring the flavour of shrimp to the fullest. The sauce used finely chopped shrimp in it.
I asked Naoki if he liked to eat McDonald’s:
The teacher that taught me to eat sushi said I should never eat McDonald’s… This is just between you and me, I eat it occasionally.
The tastiest burger he had was somewhere in Cairns, Australia. He did not think the American ones were tasty! I asked what he was doing in Cairns many years ago. He said he just went there to play in the sea. He likes diving.
Naoki and Yukiko commended my pronunciation of Japanese and wondered how I was able to speak it. I explained that I learned it in school and my town had a sister city. He asked how I found out about this store, and I explained that my sister had visited this place 6 years ago, and had said it was unmissable. He was excited and impressed to hear that. He surmised that I was introduced to him through my sister, and that in Japan that means – He drew me this Kanji – 縁 En – having several meanings – fate, connexion, causation, karma, destiny, bond, chance.
Money means nothing, this means 縁 En.