We were invited to a dinner by our business partner in Japan, and it was an excellent meal at a wonderful izakaya.
Daikanyama 代官山 is a stylish, Brooklyn-like quarter of brewpubs, coffee roasters, and gourmet delis. O-yama no Kapporeオ山ノ活惚レ is located in Daikanyama, nondescript and blended into the surrounding quiet neighbourhood. If not for the constant stream of diners going up and down the narrow staircase, one would not believe such a popular izakaya existing in that area.
The place is very cosy, i.e. very small, with a small room for 4 guests, a counter for around 12 people and another 10 seats at the back of the room. The open kitchen allows everyone to see (and smell) the action going on.
お通し Appetiser
All izakayas will charge a cover for each person at the table, but they will also provide an otoshi (お通し), which is an appetiser. Most are quite simple, but Oyama provided an elaborate otoshi to start.
The otoshi came in two parts – a small cup of soba noodles served with mozuko seaweed from Okinawa in a sweet vinegary ponzu dashi and sprinkled with 五色あられ (goshiki arare) five-coloured rice crackers . Mozuku is a type of seaweed produced in Okinawa and is known for its thick and slippery texture and its nutritional benefits. The second was a small saucer of raw ika (squid) served with a salty marinade. Delicious appetiser to kickstart the meal.
Aramasa Ama Cat 新政 亞麻貓 Sparkling N.V.
Unlike typical sake, Aramasa Ama Cat 新政 亞麻貓 Sparkling N.V. has a refreshing fruity taste since it is made from not only normal Sake Koji but also white malted rice usually used for Shochu (distilled spirit), which gives a strong sour taste of citrus. Although it has a dry and fresh flavor, it also gives a juicy sweet taste of rice. It will leave you a pleasant aftertaste even after it goes down your throat. Smooth, like white wine.
合鴨ロース おつまみ Duck Loin Snack
This dish originated from Kamo nanban (鴨南蛮) which is served with noodles. The duck was poached together with the leeks to produce a stew and served with soba or ramen. Here, the duck loin was served with leeks and a salad as an appetiser. Not much favourite dish in the menu.
生牡蠣 Raw Oyster
These 生牡蠣 (Namagaki) Raw oysters are from Hokkaido Senpoji 北海道仙鳳趾, and they are famous for huge oysters. Their curvaceous bodies are proof that they have been raised in the cold and rough seas of Akkeshi Bay 厚岸.
Japanese oyster season is from November to March, and we arrived just in time for the first batch. They are usually served with ponzu sauce, spicy radish and chopped chives.
白子 ポン酢 Cod Milt in Ponzu Sauce
Shirako (白子) is fish’s milt, or sperm sacs. The Japanese eat the milt of cod, anglerfish, blowfish, and salmon. It’s eaten both raw and cooked and has a milky, creamy, velvety texture, similar to oysters or runny cream cheese. It’s also seasonal and can only be found during the winter months of December to February, reaching peak flavours in January.
We will be tasting all three ways of shirako tonight, starting with having them raw with ponzu sauce. It is the best way to enjoy shirako, as you can taste the creaminess after you overcome the yuckiness.
毛蟹 香箱蟹 食べやす Kegani Kabakokani Ready to Eat
The next course came with two types of Japanese crabs that were already shelled and prepped for consumption – 香箱ガニ (kabakokani) incense box crab (L) and 毛ガニ (kegani) horsehair crab from Hokkaido. Not to be confused with hairy crabs from Yangcheng Lake, kegani is a deepwater crab with very sweet meat and hairy spiky shell.
香箱ガニ Kabakokani is a female snow crab caught in the Hokuriku region. Among the small appearances compared to male snow crabs, they have a crushed egg called brown 外子 (そとこ) sotoko, and an orange 内子 (うちこ) uchiko, which is the 蟹味噌 (ガニみそ) kanimiso. Even with a little, the taste is rich and full of umami. Because the female has a short fishing period from the beginning of November to the end of the year, it is very sought after.
お山の餃子 Signature Gyoza
The 餃子 gyozas were made in house using minced wagyu meat. They’re OK IMHO, when compared to the rest of courses that were served.
刺身５種盛り 5 Kinds of Sashimi
What さかな割烹 sakana kappo (fish restaurant) can be worth its salt if their sashimi was not a highlight of the meal? The wonderful platter included 天然ブリ (tennen buri) wild-caught yellowtail, 九絵 (kue) grouper, 雲丹 (uni うに) sea urchin, のどぐろ (nodoguro) blackthroat perch, 本鮪 (hon maguro) tuna, しらす(shirasu) whitebait, 虎河豚 (torafugu) puffer fish, 鰹 (katsuo カツオ) bonito and two more that I highlighted below.
つぶ貝 (Tsubukai) Conch has a crunchy texture and sweet taste. In Singapore it was seldom served as sashimi, but blanched in stock because of fear of parasites.
鮑 (Awabi) Abalone when served raw can be rather chewy, which was the case here. Blanched abalone sashimi is more tender than raw abalone sashimi.
海老芋かク上げ Fried Shrimp and Sweet Potato
The shrimp was really sweet and large, so was the sweet potato.
ハムカツ Ham Cutlet
Tonkatsu used pork loin or other cuts of pork meat. But ハムカツ (hamukatsu) used a thick cut of cured ham, breaded and deep fried. The ham was not too salty, and the deep frying made it rather juicy.
ぶりかま塩焼き Salt-grilled Yellowtail
ぶり Buri or Japanese amberjack/yellowtail is a seasonal favourite in the colder months when the meat has a higher fat content. Fresh and fatty, it was best grilled simply with salt and in this case. Served with mashed daikon (Japanese radish) to neutralise the fattiness of the fish.
Aramasa No.6 Type X 2022
Aramsa No. 6 Sake celebrates the yeast that was originally isolated from Akita’s Aramasa Sake Brewery in 1935. This pure yeast strain (Kyōkai No 6 Kōbo, きょうかい六号酵母) is currently the oldest yeast distributed by the Brewing Society of Japan and can be used by Sake brewers throughout the country. The sake is all made with rice from Akita prefecture but each type differs by the degree of rice polishing. It is a premium sake so called “dream sake” and is hard to find even in Japan.
The top-of-the-line “No. 6” model, the X-Type, is a flagship model that stands for “eXcellent” (luxury version). Because it uses polished rice, it has a more sophisticated finish, and you can vividly feel the clean and powerful presence of No. 6 yeast. This is a work that hopes to evoke the taste of Tankuchi at the time of the birth of Yeast No. 6, beyond 90 years.
白子 天ぷら Cod Milt Tempura
白子 天ぷら (shirako tempura) cod milt tempura was the second way we enjoyed these exotic delicacies from the sea. As shirako hardens when overcooked, it takes great timing to get the crust crispy and the inside soft and creamy.
Tempura is a technique of cooking that is similar to steaming the food contrary to what many thought it was. The crust forms very quickly in the hot oil, and the moisture of the ingredient gets super hot and steams the ingredient.
白子チーズリゾット Shirako Cheese Risotto
And the final way to enjoy shirako was in a risotto. The cream risotto meets creamy shirako. The shirako was aburi (flame torched) to give it smokiness and intensified the flavours of the milt. The raw egg yolk was the crowning glory, giving the risotto that comfort level that a runny egg yolk can.
Aramasa No.6 Type S 2022
The S-Type of the “No.6” model is a flagship model for “Superior”. The initial aroma of this sake reveals itself in layers. Complex yet allowing your taste buds to discover notes of several tropical fruits and smoky apricot. A light and soft mouthfeel accompanied by over-ripened lychee. A medium body sake with amazing transitions that ends off with an appetite-enhancing citrusy bitterness.
焼き おにぎり Grilled Rice Ball
And to finish the meal, we each had an onigiri (rice ball). 焼き おにぎり いくら ウニ 醤油 Grilled rice ball with soy sauce topped with sea urchin and salmon roe, served some nori (seaweed) sheets and topped with furikake (rice seasoning).
The rice ball was grilled to a crispy on the outside and seasoned with a light layer of soy sauce. There was a lot of ikura (salmon roe) and an excellent way to eat it was make a nori wrapped gunkan with ikura in it.
銀杏ひすい揚げ Fried Ginkgo Nuts
No, the jade (ひすい or 翡翠) in the Japanese description does not refer to green ginkgo nuts, but the technique of pan frying the ginkgo with oil to remove the membrane. This is a very good eat during autumn as a replacement of peanuts while we drink and talk.
It was a really lovely evening, of good food, good drinks and good conversations. I found my foodie buddy in Japan, and definitely I will return to this place for more seafood.
O-yama no Kappore オ山ノ活惚レ
東京都渋谷区猿楽町9-1 宮田ビル 2F
Tel : +81 03-6416-3985
Visited Nov 2023
@oyama_kappore #活惚れ #オ山ノ活惚レ #オ向イ上ル #ナチュラルワイン #代官山グルメ #居酒屋以上割烹未満 #自然派ワイン #日本酒 #クラフトビール #クラフトジン #焼きおにぎり
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