J's Birthday at Miraku

Celebrated J's birthday way in advance at Miraku. We had a list of food preferences and the kitchen deftly accommodated us. I've put in requests like this for prior dinners, and the restaurant has always noted my preferences. (But the public toilets at this Nankin Row SUCKS, especially on in the nights. OMG.)

I literally booked this date a month in advance. Thank goodness we picked the earliest available night. We're just glad that this dinner could happen before they downed outdoor social gatherings to a maximum of two persons, and then banned dine-in. We hadn't met many people in the past year, and this year is the same. We've pretty much kept to our tight-knit social circle. Oof. As it is, many within this circle have gotten their two doses of COVID-19 vaccines; I'm eager to get mine soon. 

The man and I were early and while we waited for the friends, we were served a sake snack of herring roe (kazunoko, 数の子) with wakame and kombu. We had a bottle of sake first. The friends arrived with a gorgeous bottle of white Burgundy (a 2011 Domaine Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Cote de Beaune) to add to our dinner.

I had to be very judicious with my alcohol intake. I wasn't going to puke out good alcohol. I didn't want the alcohol to numb my tastebuds either. I wanted to taste my sushi! The sake was good but I wasn't gonna down it and mix it crazy with the white wine. The bottle of white Burgundy went superb with the fish. 

I was just sad that their supplies would have been ordered to arrive for the next few days and those would go to waste. They could do delivery, but I don't know how fast they could pivot, and how much costs they can recover. Fish and seafood are so fragile and spoil so fast. There's no way they can treat and cure to keep it for a month to be served as sushi. Haizzzz. 

Food was great. Dessert of fruits was always welcomed. Had all my favorite pieces of fish. There was a lovely warm concoction of blanched fish eggs in light gravy of ginger, chrysanthemum and radish. I had two pieces of the blue fish sushi (青い魚寿司). Mmmm. It was delicious. It's also known as a blue-backed fish, 'aozakana'. Yes, it's a shiny fish「光り物」. Wooohooo.