01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
The Pacific saury, simmered before being grilled, was said to be so tender that even the bones could be eaten, while the cooking brought out the richness of the fish. A diner who visited Okage for “A Taste of Autumn”, an event organised with a sake shop, singled out this saury habute-yaki and sashimi of dry-aged yellowtail as memorable dishes. Their account of enjoying them with sake suggests an evening built around seasonal fish and a carefully chosen drink.
At lunchtime, the “Soft Simmered Anago Rice Bowl with Sashimi Set” is presented as a house favourite. It comes with wasabi, a small side dish, pickles, red miso soup and dessert, making it an option for those who would like sashimi alongside anago. Another diner recalled ordering a set meal of grilled anago: the tender fish came with wasabi and a thickened sauce, and went well with rice. The meal also included small dishes such as mozuku seaweed, sea bream cured with kombu and bonito sashimi.
For dinner, diners can choose from chef’s-choice courses, which must be booked by the day before. The ¥5,500 short course is a lighter meal, centred on a starter, sashimi, a warm dish and a vinegared dish; it suits those who would like to add à-la-carte dishes or drinks. The ¥8,000 course includes dishes such as soup, grilled items and a warm dish. For a more leisurely meal, the ¥12,000 course also includes a main meal and dessert. The menus change with the season and available ingredients, and the restaurant states that it can accommodate allergies.
The à-la-carte menu includes tempura of simmered anago, deep-fried fugu, Okinawan mozuku seaweed dressed with vinegar, and the fish dish of the day, namerō. The namerō, a popular dish made with house-made miso, uses different fish from day to day. To finish, diners can choose plain rice or a rice set, or order the day’s rice cooked in a pot. The latter comes in two- or three-go portions and takes more than thirty minutes to cook. Around three to five kinds of sake are available at any given time to match the seasonal dishes. There is plenty to choose from, whether leaving the evening’s menu to the chef or selecting a few favourite dishes.
