In a back alley of Fukushima, the popular establishment "Sumi no Oto Asuto" has been gaining momentum! 🔥

I heard they introduced a new course featuring seasonal ingredients, primarily seafood, cooked on a traditional irori grill, so I went to check it out! ✨

The nearest station is Shin-Fukushima on the JR Tozai Line, but it’s also within walking distance from Fukushima Station on various lines. 🚃

There are counter seats and upstairs seating, where you can see the food being prepared at the counter. 🔥

I ordered the new course from Asuto (9900 yen). 😊

First, we could choose our chopstick rests🥢. They were all so cute that I had a hard time deciding! ❤️

For drinks, I had:
-homemade ginger ale🫚,
-homemade lemon soda🍋,
-and oolong tea✨.

Freshly made sesame tofu✨.
First, I tried it plain. It had a mochi-like texture, with a slight saltiness, and was delicious!✨
It also tasted great with dashi and wasabi! 🔥

Salt-baked new onion chawanmushi🥚🧅 included:
-new onion🧅,
-white asparagus,
-fresh seaweed from Amakusa,
-cheese🧀,
-and black pepper🔥.
The flavor of the fresh seaweed was excellent, making it a perfect match for the chawanmushi!
The new onion and asparagus were sweet and crunchy, delicious! ✨
The taste of the cheese and black pepper gave it a Western twist, blending beautifully! ✨

Red snapper sashimi🐟.
It was seasoned with soy sauce, accompanied by grated apple and apple vinegar🍎.
The flesh was tender, sweet, and delicious!🐟
Both the soy sauce and apple vinegar had a gentle taste that was delightful!🍎

Grilled yellowfin tuna🐟 was cooked right in front of me with the skin thoroughly grilled! 🔥
It was thickly cut with some lemon squeezed on top🍋.
There were two types: sliced pickled vegetables with blue cheese🧀 and yuzu pepper🔥.
The skin was crispy and fragrant while the flesh was rich and delicious!🐟
The flavor of the blue cheese and the crunchiness of the pickled vegetables paired nicely!🧀
The yuzu pepper added a fantastic spicy kick! 🔥

Grilled mackerel from Ishikawa🐟.
I could see it being slowly grilled over charcoal right in front of me! 🐟🔥
It was served with daikon radish and pickled garlic for a palate cleanser✨.
The fish was perfectly grilled, rich in flavor, and incredibly delicious with just the salt!🐟
The palate cleanser of daikon and pickled garlic was also refreshing and tasty! ✨

Firefly squid sushi🍣🦑.
They rolled a lot of firefly squid in nori for the sushi🦑.
It was topped with grilled firefly squid and it was rich and delicious! 🦑
The rice had a hint of goji and Kyoto black pepper, adding a nice kick and great flavor!✨
Snap peas were included, adding a nice crunch! 🫛

Crab with Shōgo-in radish🦀.
The crab was grilled in its shell and combined with the daikon cooked in dashi🦀.
The crab had rich crab roe, and the dashi was mild, pairing beautifully with the tender radish—it was incredibly delicious! 🦀
There was even some yuzu peel sprinkled on top, enhancing the aroma and flavor!✨

Hyogo Prefecture's 100-day chicken🐔 was grilled slowly right in front of me🔥.
They served it with homemade ponzu, suggesting I mix it before eating🐔.
The skin was crispy and fragrant, while the meat was juicy and incredibly delicious!🐔
The ponzu had a refreshing and slightly spicy flavor, perfect for the chicken!🐔
The accompanying daikon sprouts and myoga had wonderful flavors as well! ✨

Bamboo shoot rice🍚.
It was prepared in a clay pot, full of bamboo shoots and kinmokusei leaves🍚.
It was generously topped with bottarga, making it feel luxurious!✨
The rice was delicious, and the bamboo shoots maintained a nice crunch!🍚
The bottarga's flavor and saltiness complemented the bamboo shoots beautifully!✨

Oysters in red miso soup🦪.
It was served with rice🦪.
The red miso had a deep flavor, and the oysters were plump and delicious!🦪

Every dish was incredibly delicious! 🥰

They serve the dishes slowly, making it an ideal place for those who enjoy a good drink! 🍶