Tokyo Izakaya: Nakamenoteppen, Naka-Meguro - なかめのてっぺん、中目黒

Monday, August 30th

My quest for food and nihon-shu in the Tokyo metropolis means that I have clocked up many hours, if not days and weeks, scouring the pages of tabelog.com for inspiration. Love it or hate it, it is a useful search tool, and while I have become wary of the arbitrary nature of the ranking system, I've had plenty of successful dining experiences through it, too.
So, with my list of 'go to izakayas' spawning lists of their own, I (foolishly) decided to devote the 10 days of my summer holiday to knocking some of the buggers off.
The first day of my holidays coincided with The Surfer's birthday, so a booking was made at Nakamenoteppen; an izakaya which had piqued my interest after being named one of tabelog's top restaurants for 2009 - what the criteria was is anyone's guess.
Nakamenoteppan is conveniently housed on the first floor of an apartment building on a street parallel to the station. Gaining entrance, however, proved to be something of a skill test - of which we failed miserably. The liliputian door, barely one metre in height, had no handle or 'bing-bong' and was resistant to force. "How the hell do we get in?" - well, those seemed to be the magic words, as suddenly the door slid open and we were warmly greeted by a spritely waitress.

Entering the shop, there was no reprieve from the sweltering summer conditions outside; we were hit with a wall of heat, which was emanating, along with uncious smells, from the large robata grill that dominated the room.

Seated at the low wooden counter that surrounded the grill, we were afforded a pleasing view of the day's organic vegetable fare and in-house cured himono, which were assembled on the counter top. Each offering had a hand written plague giving its name and provenance.

Although it was still early, the shop was humming and, by the look of the group of salarymen that occupied the large communal table at the far end of the room, festivities were already well underway. The source of their levity was obviously from the bar, which was stocked with an impressive array of shochu in all of its glorious forms - the house speciality. A quick look at the drinks list reveled, however, they that also had 8 sake of ginjou (or higher) grand on offer - phew!

Given the heat, lemon sours and nama beer kicked us off, along with an otooshi of Kyo-yasai tsukemono; all of which were disappeared fairly quickly.
The menu focuses on robata grilled food - natch; lots of veges, dried fish, along with grilled meat and a few Okinawan dishes for the pork lovers. Once our order was placed, the chef, who was boisterously manning the grill, dispatched it with such lightening speed that within minutes all of our dishes arrived and we were forced to colonise the our neighbours counter space.
First up, the sashimi moriawase, which arrived on a plate so long that it required two photos: tai, kinmedai, chu-toro, nama tako and shime-saba. All of good grade and cut in generous proportions. Note the personalised reservation and welcoming message in the background - I must be easily impressed because it scored points with me.

Next was the saba heshiko, which packed a salty, umami punch - not an unpleasant thing in my books. This was, however, our one mis-step of the evening - definitely a dish that should be enjoyed at the end of the meal, as the residual salt lingered on our palate for the rest of the evening.

The tsubodai himono had to wait in the wings for a while, but once we had made our way through the first few dishes, we discovered that it was the star of the show. It was deliciously caramalised on the outside and moist within; its time on the robata grill imparting a wonderful smokiness to the flesh. Divine.

By the time our grilled asparagus arrived our dishes were starting to pile up in the most cumbersome fashion. Surely the kitchen could pace the service better than this? In hindsight, we had made a rookie's mistake; order as you go - the grill waits for no man.

Of course plenty of sake was needed to wash down all of this good, and highly seasoned, food. The Surfer choose the Dassai junmai daiginjou (獺祭純米大吟醸) - always good, followed by a tokkuri of Soukou jumaishu (蒼空純米酒) from Kyoto, which was a revelation.

As it was the Surfer's special day, we decided to throw caution to the wind and work our way through the rest of the sake list. I had recently enjoyed the Taka (畳) junmaiginjou at Kudan, so was interested to try it in its ginjou form, however, we deemed it too heavy for our palates and the fish-centric dishes we were eating. The Kudoki Jouzu Bakuren ginjou dry(くどき上手ばくれん吟醸辛口) proved to be a winner: crisp, dry and dangerously drinkable - the 'pick-up artist' is a perfect epithet for this charming little tipple.
As the night progressed, more and more punters managed to work out how to get through the door, and before long the shop was filled to capacity. The grill chef was now working like a man possessed and with each successive order the smoke and heat were ratcheted up a notch, which made for thirsty, and consequently, increasingly intoxicated customers - Hic!
One last round: Hayaseura junmaishu (早瀬浦純米酒) from Fukui; Okinawan mamodake and lashings of iced water. The makomodake, a type of young bamboo, was succulent and delicious with a delicate flavour not dissimilar to young corn. It paired nicely with the sake, which according to my notes, was dry and refreshing with a nice level of acidity. I, too, am slightly astounded at my articulateness given the amount of nihonshu that had been put away throughout the evening. Double hic!

 Nakamenoteppan certainly delivers good food and atmosphere, and if shochu is your poison, you will be well catered for here. As we staggered to the station, I couldn't help thinking that if I was fortunate enough to live in a desirable neighbourhood such as Naka-Meguro, this would definitely be my local. So, when the occasion calls for something cheap and cheerful, I will be making a bee-line to Nakamenoteppan, but - mental note to self - I will dress lightly, order slowly and return in more clement weather.


Nakamenoteppan
03-5724-4439

Tokyo Izakaya: Kudan, Gakugei Daikaku - 件、学芸大学

Sunday, August 8th.

Kudan is an unprepossessing eatery in an equally unprepossessing backstreet, a short walk from the west exit of Gakugei Daigaku Station on the Toyoko line. Its humble exterior belies the little gem of a store inside. While relatively new, it is well worn, which is testiment to its enormous popularity and regular patronage by sake aficionados.
Kudan's kanji, 件、has a fairly obscure meaning. So much so, that even the owner had a hard time explaining it. Basically, he said, the character represents the issue that most concerns him; retaining and giving a modern relevance to the traditional home-style cooking techniques of the family kitchen. In other words, slow food. No instant dashi stocks here, everything is made from scratch with seasonal ingredients, using the tried and true methods of Japan's best chefs - mothers. Case in point, all nitsuke dishes must be ordered well in advance, as it takes a good 30 minutes from pan to plate.
What enticed me to Kudan, however, (once again, props to 食楽) was the shop's reputation for having a well-stocked sake fridge and an owner who is a self-described '日本酒マニアク’. That was enough to get my pulse racing.


Every summer I dread the arrival of the otooshi as it is invariably some type of nebaneba (read slimy) food designed to stimulate the appetite and cool the body. Tonight, it was a double-whammy of goo: natto and tororo (grated mountain yam) wrapped in a fried kinchaku casing with a sprinkling of aonori (blue seaweed) seasoning. My Japanese companion was all ooh's and aah's, while I was more blah! No matter how hard to try to go native, I draw the line at decomposing soybeans and slimy mountain yam goop. Next!



Katsuo and nama tako were the sashimi offerings for the day. Both were of good grade and freshness.


The tako was flash seared (it was a Sunday after all), then served with sadachi (a Japanese citrus) and Himalayan mountain salt - the latter of which came with its own wasabi grater.



The Kudan salad was next up, with a hefty helping of びっくり肉 - surprise meat. Grrr! That wasn't on the menu. My companion polished off the lot, so at least one of us was happy with it.


As we waited for our nitsuke order to cook, I ordered up some smoked tsukemono and 豆腐味噌漬け - tofu preserved in miso, which has a cheesy taste and consistency; not dissimilar to Okinawan tofuyou. Lip-smackingly good.



Drinking snacks in place, and lemon sours drained, I turned my attention to the sake list and its enviable list of good quality junmai ginjou. The first round consisted of Tensei（天例), from Kanagawa, and Biwa no Choju (琵琶の長寿), from Shiga. The latter, a usual crowd pleaser, was poured from the bottom of the bottle, so was not as pert and floral as I knew it should be, but the former proved to be the star of the night. Light, fragrant and easy to drink - a great summer sake.



The gindara (sablefish) nitsuke arrived resplendent in a rich broth packed with flavour and cooked to perfection. Yum. It really doesn't get much better than this.


Back to the sake list. The first round came in hefty ceramic cups, which, given the heat and my lack of appetite, could only lead to disaster. Sensing my concerns (I think it was the forlorn look I was giving the refrigerator), the owner provided a smaller chokko for us to drink from, so that we could order without fear of passing out in our dinner.


The owner recommended Houhai junmai ginjou (豊盃 純米吟醸), from Aomori, to match the nitsuke. It was fragrant and well-balanced, with robust fruity notes that were not overpowered by the rich flavours of the meal.


I must have been so captivated with this Izumofuji junmai ginjou (出雲富士純米吟醸), from Shimane, that I completely forgot to photograph it. Here's an image from the brewer's website so you know what to look for. It was an elegant sake with good roundness and soft acidity. Delicious!


Kudan is another one of the shops profiled in 食楽‘s Nihon-shu Banzuke edition, and the owner chose to prepare a food pairing for the number #2 sake of the season: Kikuyoi tokubetsu ginjou (喜久醉特別吟醸), from Shizuoka. It's mellow and gentle - a comforting tipple for the end of the meal.

Around us tables were slowly being turned over with a steady stream of Gakugei's 30 something crowd. And it's easy to see why Kudan enjoys a healthy trade; it has a great vibe and is an easy place to while away the hours... 5 hours in our case. Eventually, last orders were called and we begrudgingly realised our night had come to an end. If you are ever in the area I highly recommend investing some time in this slow food izakaya. It will be worth your wait.

Kudan
03-3794-6007

Tokyo Izakaya: Nakamura, Shibuya - 並木橋 なかむら、渋谷

Sunday, August 1st.

Summer sees the arrival of a plethora of antipodean visitors to these shores, desperate to escape the worst of the southern hemisphere's bleak winter. So while most folks headed to Yokohama to watch the hanabi display, I guided two Kiwi's through the madding crowds of Shibuya to a quiet side street in Namikibashi, and our destination, Nakamura.

Housed on the 2nd floor of a nondescript office building, Nakamura's restrained, minimalist interior and subdued lighting give it an air of casual elegance. The room is dominated by a wide U-shaped wooden counter, which encloses the kitchen, upon which large platters of the day's vegetables and fish are temptingly displayed for your consideration. Discrete private dining areas are also available for larger, more boisterous groups. 

Nakamura specialises in obanzai fare; something which has become a bit of a trend among eateries these days - what's old is new, it would seem. The menu focuses on homestyle food made with seasonal ingredients. This evening's specials included a variety of organic vegetables, which could be ordered individually or as part of an obanzai tasting platter. 

We opted for nasu (eggplant), tomato and courgette, which were served on ice with umeboshi, miso and Okinawan salt. Although flavourful and cooling, let's be honest it's just a pricey plate of cut up vegetables. The sadachi sours we ordered helped everything go down nicely - including my indignation.

The waiter who attended us grew impatient with my endless questions and requests for kanji readings - fair enough, it was peak dining time and the place was filling up fast. So after a few minutes fretfully deciphering the cursive script, I placed our order and hoped for the best.

Our sashimi moriawase was an elegant array of suzuki (sea bass), iwashi (sardine), katsuo tataki (seared bonito), nama tako (fresh octopus) and tashiuo (great sword fish). The only let down of the evening was that the special of oma maguro (line caught adolescent tuna from the Tsugaru Channel) was not included in the dish.
We were advised to eat the white fish with a squeeze of sadachi and Okinawan salt in order to best enjoy the flavour, and we obediently did just that. All were of good quality, and they did not skim on the portions - as is so often the case with posher places.

Nakamura's sake list has around a dozen well regarded brands on offer and a sake sommolier is on hand to guide you through the selection process. Prices range from ¥1,000 to over ¥1,400, for a daiginjou, per tokkuri; a little expensive, but one can can't really quibble when the sake comes served in an elegant urushi bowl such as this.

First up, the sommelier's recommendation of Ishizuchi junmaiginjou (石鎚酒純米吟醸) from Ehime, which had the soft fragrance of rice and a nice clear finish in the mouth. The bottle was not presented to the table (me being a mere female and all), so click here for a visual.

The agejakko (fried whitebait), okahijiki (land seaweed) and silken tofu salad is one of Nakamura's most popular dishes for good reason; it's delicious. Even the Kiwi's, who prefer their protein to come with a wooly coat, scraped their plates clean.

There was no nitsuke this evening - the bane of dining out on a Sunday - but I was delighted to learn that they had 'early' sanma shioyaki on offer; a fish one usually associates with autumn. According to the news, fishermen are predicting the worst sanma season on record due to a severly reduced fish stocks off the coast of Hokkaido. Apparently, 'global warming' is to blame - or that just the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestries and Fishing's code word for 'overfishing'?

The sanma was indeed early, as it arrived before the sashimi. When I questioned the waiter about timing, he immediately apologised for the oversight (sashimi is usually served at the start of the meal, and I had ordered it as such), and the the offending dish was immediately removed. When it, or rather one of its freshly charcoal grilled brethren,  reappeared later in the meal, it was indeed a happy reunion. The flesh was moist and unctuous with a wonderful smokey flavour. Delectable.

Reminiscing about misspent youths is thirst inducing, so a round of Gorin daiginjou (五凛大吟醸), from Ishikawa, was ordered. It had a fresh, slightly fruity fragrance and a full body, which gave way to a lovely clean finish. Mmmm. By now, the sommelier had realised that one member of our group was a sake otaku (my stack of sake guidebooks must have been the giveaway), and began offering the bottle to the table. Please note; they don't take too kindly to flashes accidentally being fired - I was soundly admonished by our curmudgeonly waiter for this oversight.

The kiwi's were well pleased with the golden orbs of minchi katsu which arrived next. The crispy panko coating gave way to juicy, just pink meat inside - or so I am told. The waiter decided that I shouldn't miss out on action, and presented me with a plate of my own, "Service desu!". It was a nice, though wasted, gesture and was quickly re-gifted to the Kiwi's, who thought all of their Christmases had come at once.

Plans were being hatched for a nijikai in Ebisu, so umeboshi ongiri were ordered along with a round of Senkin junmaigingou (仙禽純米吟醸), from Tochigi. The Senkin was refined and elegant with a gorgeous aroma, kind of like cassis... or at least that's what I managed to glean from my increasingly illegible notes. I have no memory of the onigiri.

Nakamura is definitely a shop to keep in mind when an occasion calls for food and surroundings that are a little more refined that your usual izakaya joint. Overall, the food was fantastic and the service, while at times brisk, was professional and attentive. Sadly, my ordering did not do the thoughtful and comprehensive menu justice, so a return visit is most certainly on the cards.

Nakamura　
03-6427-9580