The fish you catch is made into an exquisite dish!
We returned to Tokyo from Tateyama and disbanded for the night. We met again in the evening at "Ikenoya" in Yutenji. The staff loves fishing and serves fish they caught themselves, so this restaurant understands fish. Of course, the non-fish dishes are also excellent. We were allowed to bring in fish we had caught and had them cooked for us. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of dishes they will make with the fish they catch!
The first item was sashimi. They processed four kinds of sashimi: black rockfish, scorpionfish, kintoki, and hachibiki.
Takeuchi: I had never seen kintoki at an izakaya or sushi restaurant. This was the first time I learned that the taste and texture was like this.
Ishii: I know I'm being a bit forward, but I caught the best black rockfish I've ever caught myself. It was so fatty that I could understand why it is called a high-class fish.
Talking about who caught the fish makes the scene come to life. Over a meal, we talk about fishing, work, and our personal lives. Since we spend time together from early in the morning, we can get closer to each other even if we meet for the first time.
The second item was deep-fried Ukkali scorpionfish. The largest size was caught by Mr. Hirose.
Hirose: Is it really fried fish? The texture is so shocking that it makes you think, "Is it really fried fish? If you squeeze some sudachi (a Japanese citrus fruit) on it, it has a different taste and it's great. Because I caught it myself, it tastes even better. It is fried well, so you can even eat the bones and kabuto.
Takeuchi: It's more like meat. The fried fish I usually eat seems dry and dry, but this one is briny and chewy. It is an impressive taste that I have never had before.
The third dish is simmered scorpionfish. This is a standard dish of scorpionfish, but if we catch the fish ourselves, the taste is doubled.
Komatsu: The meat is fluffy. The seasoning is also excellent. It is incomparably better than the scorpionfish I used to make by myself. It is a dish that shows the high level of Ikenoya.
Ishii: When it comes to scorpionfish, it is boiled, right? I have been waiting for it. It seems to go well with shochu and sake.
The fourth dish is hachibiki sauteed in butter. Hachibiki is red meat, but its flavor is light and goes well with the richness of butter.
Frost hedge: It makes you want rice. The thick meat is moist and satisfying, and the gutsy flavor everyone loves is delicious.
Ikemoto, who brought the hachibiki home, later sautéed them in butter just like this one.
Ikemoto: I made a copycat version. Lately, I had only caught small fish, and even if I brought them home and cooked them, there wasn't that much to eat. But this hachibiki was big, so there were lots of places to eat and it was very satisfying.
Chopsticks never stop for the exquisite dishes. And finally, we were served the soup of black rockfish and scorpion fish. We were very satisfied with the deliciously cooked dishes.
Frost hedge: Everything was insanely delicious. To be honest, I am not very good at fish dishes. But I could eat as much fish as I wanted, and I wondered what it was that I had been eating until now. I even think it changed my concept of fish.
Hirose: It was my first time fishing, so eating fish I caught myself was a special experience. I feel a real sense of being alive.
Takeuchi: We fished by trial and error and ended up eating at the end of the day. It was a day with a story. Growing up in the city center, the experience of eating fresh food is priceless.
Ikemoto: I can't believe I can eat Ryokan-like food at a Tokyo izakaya. It is fun to eat while talking about the fish you caught. I think it is a unique way to enjoy ocean fishing, where you can enjoy everything from playing to eating.
Komatsu: All of the food was really delicious. Some of the fish were new to me, and I really feel that fishing is a rich experience. It was great to spend a fun and delicious time.
Ishii: It's not limited to fishing, but just having one common language brings people closer together, even if they are meeting for the first time. And over a meal, you get to know each other even better. I was reminded once again that fishing is a quick and easy way to get to know each other, because there is a groove of joy and sorrow when someone catches a fish and everyone is happy when someone else catches a fish.
