“Kappo Shimamura” where you can enjoy the deliciousness of carefully prepared Japanese cuisine

This February, it seemed like snow was piling up, then it suddenly got warm, and then it got cold again, making an already short month of February feel farther busy.

One evening in such February, I visited “Kappo(Japanese cuisine) Shimamura”, located just a short walk from Nihonbashi Station.

Actually, I had been here once before for lunch. And the food was so high quality that I wanted to come back in the evening, so I was really looking forward to this day of meeting.

The store is in a modern all-glass building, and from a distance, it looks like a white building. However, looking closely, I can see a shoji behind the glass, and I can tell that it is a Japanese-style shop, but if I didn’t know, I wouldn’t think I could enter by myself. Taking the plunge and opening the sliding door at the entrance, it is a traditional Japanese restaurant, which is completely different from what I would imagine from the outside. (I was told later that the current store is a temporary one, and that they will open in a new location once the redevelopment of the surrounding area is complete.)

When I went up to the second floor with the guidance of the staff, I found a private room separated by sliding doors, where we can concentrate only on our group’s conversation. The room was a Japanese-style room with an alcove, but it had chairs and a table, so I thought it would be nice to bring my elderly parents over.

First of all, cheers!  It’s an appetizer.

Do you know what’s in the small yellow bowl? It’s a sea cucumber. Yes, some of you may have seen it at the beach, that sea cucumber.

In my hometown of Nagasaki, sea cucumber is served as a New Year’s dish, but I hadn’t seen it since leaving my hometown, so it made me feel very nostalgic. The texture was crunchy but much softer than I expected, and the broth of Tosa vinegar was just right, making it a very easy to eat delicacy.

Next is the bowl.

A soup of sea bream and scallops. I was overwhelmed by the color and smell of the broth.

When I take a sip of the soup stock, the rich flavor hits me, but the aftertaste is refreshing. I want to drink it all the time. Someone said, “I want to drink this the morning after I have a hangover”.

Next is the sea bream piece. And then this visual came out. As I thought, it’s beautiful, but where is the sea bream?

It is said that I have to stir it, and when I do it, the large chunks of sea bream appear from under the seasonings, and it’s like a treasure hunt. Sea bream is usually eaten as sashimi, but when it was cut into chunks, the texture and flavor were stronger, and it came together with the condiments and ponzu sauce. Therefore, it was a memorable dish.

Someone suddenly suggested we try some sake, as it would go well with sea bream, and we chose “Junmai Ginjo Nihonbashi 9th generation Shimamura”, named after the restaurant. It has a dry and refreshing taste, but also has a strong umami flavor, making it the perfect match for dishes with broth or fish.

This is also a visually impressive dish, simmered head of sea bream. Unlike when I was living in my parents’ home in Nagasaki, I rarely make boiled fish at home, so I’m very happy!

The seasoning was gentle and elegant, taking advantage of the umami of the sea bream.

As we near the end of the meal, we had the black pork hotpot. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but the volume and vivid colors of the vegetables served on the large plate are eye-catching. The combination of the specially made broth, the sweetness of the black pork, and the crunch of the vegetables is exquisite.

And although I forgot to take a photo, they have the restaurant’s original red yuzu pepper, so I can enjoy the change in taste. This red yuzu pepper is so effective that a small amount is enough to warn the store staff, “It’s very spicy, so please use it a little at a time.” As someone who loves spicy food, if they sold just yuzu pepper, I would have bought it.

What do we do next after sake? When I looked at the menu, I noticed that they also have Shimamura’s original potato shochu.

Actually, three of the members on this day, including myself, coincidentally have connections to Kyushu, so we thought, “This has to be it!” and ordered it. It has a firm, solid core flavor rather than a fruity one.

And the last sweet is sorbet. While feeling the aftertaste of the many dishes that have been served so far, the taste of yuzu left a refreshing and ended the meal.

Since this day was a weekday and there were many people working the next day, we couldn’t finish all the shochu, so we asked them to keep the bottle! Maybe it will be gone by the time I come next time?

We had a very satisfying evening with a lot of flavorful dishes, a private room with a sense of privacy, and deep conversation. There is also a counter on the first floor, so I would definitely like to use it on another occasion! Thank you very much.