おばんざいでのむ酒も旨し : Nihonshu Bar Mori

Right after exiting the East Exit of Shin-Maruko Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line, I turned left and arrived at "Nihonshu Bar Mori" to meet a friend.

It’s just under a minute from the station, and since it was lightly raining that day, I took a brisk 30-second walk. It doesn’t take long to reach from Musashi-Kosugi Station either. Given this location, I chose this place for meeting up with drinking buddies. The sign out front reads "Japanese Sake, Kyoto Vegetables, Fish." The somewhat elongated interior features an L-shaped counter and a few small tables on the first floor, with additional seating on the second floor. It appears to be run by two relatively young men.

While I could opt for a to-go drink, it feels like a great opportunity to enjoy sake at this sake bar, so let’s go straight for the Japanese sake since I’m not planning to stay too long. Sake is available in 90ml (glass) / 120ml (glass) / 240ml (tokkuri), priced at JPY 400 / JPY 450 / JPY 850 and JPY 480 / JPY 580 / JPY 980 (all prices exclude tax). The selection includes about 30 varieties, from Matsumoto and Sohomare to Tedori-gawa, Hidakami, Denshu, Houou Bidan, Gikyo, Shichida, and Yamato Shizuku. They focus more on classic and reliable brands, rather than the latest trendy labels, featuring selections that have shown consistent quality over the past few years—a somewhat cautious lineup, I would say. For a shop of this size, I feel the selection is quite appropriate, especially since some establishments overstock without adequate turnover. Now, let's try some Haginotsuyu.

Next, I looked at the appetizers. While the seafood is tempting, I saved that for the next place and focused on the Kyoto vegetable options written on the menu. I ordered the Kujo Green Onion with Seafood Nuta, Kyona Flower with Clams in Sake Steamed, and Horikawa Burdock Tempura, priced around JPY 500 to JPY 900. Other appealing items for sake lovers included Sake-Grilled Gindara, Hotaru-Ika and Seri Tempura, and Takoyaki, but I decided on the Kyoto Vegetable Assortment (available in S, M, and L sizes) for JPY 550, and the Obanzai Assortment for JPY 980.

The Obanzai included tempura of ebiimo (sweet potato), kyona flower with vinegar miso, and fuki no to (butterbur sprouts) with white sesame. While I expected these to be simple home-cooked dishes, they were surprisingly crafted with a level of care that made them delicious. Instead of an immediate impact, as I savored the sake along with the food, I was impressed by the subtlety and creativity in how they highlighted the ingredients' natural flavors. This makes it easy to enjoy more sake.

Since I had plans for another venue, I only had about two cups this time, but I look forward to trying more of their dishes in the future. It was a great meal!