Skipped writing the Namba dinner review for this real quick, atmosphere at Riku recently was insanely fun. Food was great too which helped, many traces of Sugita’s influence and folks pointed out some of the Mizutani elements in the shari for some of the tuna tonight. I had a bit too much fun and the night went a bit towards the sake part of it but the food was almost entirely tremendous
I was struggling to choose between this and Ryujiro – honestly almost everyone I asked said Ryujiro but thanks to the folks who said Riku, this blew most of my meals with Nakamura out of the park and I’m glad to have done it. This was the only restaurant whose line I asked for and I’m just really excited to see where it goes in the future
Courses:
1. Hamaguri with rice soup 2. Kue from Shizuoka and buri, kue was excellent tonight and I liked the buri – brave of them to cut it in front of the guests haha 3. Tachiuo chawan with katsuo, tachiuo and kombu dashi. Very good but I really liked the dashi part of it the most 4. Ankimo w sweet shiitake & gotemba wasabi + chinmi place of ebi miso, kaki and kazunoko. A glass of kijoshu accompanies it like at Sugita but a different type, one of the nice gentleman at dinner mentioned he’d originally served it with the same hinotori but was mixing it up a bit today. This was so good, it was the best ankimo I’ve had on the trip 5. Yaki shirako, delicious – first time having it this way on this trip but I loved it 6. Fukahire agedashi with matsutake, this was superb. I’d have ordered more if I didn’t feel wrong for eating it in the first place 7. Ankimo x2 – I ordered another, so good 8. Kohada, fantastic- this was one of the best I’d had in the trip 9. Hokkigai, very good! Was not grilled like most of the ones thus far but I really enjoyed it 10. Sumi ika, good – thick neta that was still fun to eat. In contrast to my one at suzuki lol 12. Kawahagi with kimo underneath, this was the best piece of the night imo. This is why you pay up for kawahagi over umazu/usubu ima 13. Toro, shari here was hot and medium light sour 14. Akami, excellent 15. Chu toro, excellent – the best of the tuna that night 16. Amaebi, very good 17. Amaebi x2, very good 18. Akagai, around here I started drinking with the folks a bit more seriously. Still this was perfect 19. Iwashi with neta served cold and yakumo on top, this was maybe my second favorite piece of the night. This or the kohada 20. Aburi kinmedai from choshi, very good – cook was perfect 21. Bafun uni with shio 22. Bafun uni with shio x2 courtesy of nice guest next to me who found uni for everyone 23. Giant futomaki 24. Torotaku maki, fantastic 25. Warabi mochi with kuromitsu and kinako, every time I see kuromitsu and kinako my mind just goes to kyoaji. I can’t help it, he did a kuzukiri that has never left my mind – RIP the goat
I’m genuinely just so glad I went, the guests were all talkings sake and food together n we ended up buying bottles for the restaurant (didn’t turn it into a bar, everyone could still easily walk after the night was finished, but we had a lot of fun). I’ve gotta go again, I’m honestly asking if he’s got any cancellations this week lol
GReeeeN_
Thanks for the write up! How did you get a reservation?
2 Comments
Skipped writing the Namba dinner review for this real quick, atmosphere at Riku recently was insanely fun. Food was great too which helped, many traces of Sugita’s influence and folks pointed out some of the Mizutani elements in the shari for some of the tuna tonight. I had a bit too much fun and the night went a bit towards the sake part of it but the food was almost entirely tremendous
I was struggling to choose between this and Ryujiro – honestly almost everyone I asked said Ryujiro but thanks to the folks who said Riku, this blew most of my meals with Nakamura out of the park and I’m glad to have done it. This was the only restaurant whose line I asked for and I’m just really excited to see where it goes in the future
Courses:
1. Hamaguri with rice soup
2. Kue from Shizuoka and buri, kue was excellent tonight and I liked the buri – brave of them to cut it in front of the guests haha
3. Tachiuo chawan with katsuo, tachiuo and kombu dashi. Very good but I really liked the dashi part of it the most
4. Ankimo w sweet shiitake & gotemba wasabi + chinmi place of ebi miso, kaki and kazunoko. A glass of kijoshu accompanies it like at Sugita but a different type, one of the nice gentleman at dinner mentioned he’d originally served it with the same hinotori but was mixing it up a bit today. This was so good, it was the best ankimo I’ve had on the trip
5. Yaki shirako, delicious – first time having it this way on this trip but I loved it
6. Fukahire agedashi with matsutake, this was superb. I’d have ordered more if I didn’t feel wrong for eating it in the first place
7. Ankimo x2 – I ordered another, so good
8. Kohada, fantastic- this was one of the best I’d had in the trip
9. Hokkigai, very good! Was not grilled like most of the ones thus far but I really enjoyed it
10. Sumi ika, good – thick neta that was still fun to eat. In contrast to my one at suzuki lol
12. Kawahagi with kimo underneath, this was the best piece of the night imo. This is why you pay up for kawahagi over umazu/usubu ima
13. Toro, shari here was hot and medium light sour
14. Akami, excellent
15. Chu toro, excellent – the best of the tuna that night
16. Amaebi, very good
17. Amaebi x2, very good
18. Akagai, around here I started drinking with the folks a bit more seriously. Still this was perfect
19. Iwashi with neta served cold and yakumo on top, this was maybe my second favorite piece of the night. This or the kohada
20. Aburi kinmedai from choshi, very good – cook was perfect
21. Bafun uni with shio
22. Bafun uni with shio x2 courtesy of nice guest next to me who found uni for everyone
23. Giant futomaki
24. Torotaku maki, fantastic
25. Warabi mochi with kuromitsu and kinako, every time I see kuromitsu and kinako my mind just goes to kyoaji. I can’t help it, he did a kuzukiri that has never left my mind – RIP the goat
I’m genuinely just so glad I went, the guests were all talkings sake and food together n we ended up buying bottles for the restaurant (didn’t turn it into a bar, everyone could still easily walk after the night was finished, but we had a lot of fun). I’ve gotta go again, I’m honestly asking if he’s got any cancellations this week lol
Thanks for the write up! How did you get a reservation?