Sawaragi - Tokushima

It was a kai , but it was affordable and very delicious. The staff was good. I would like to go to the trip. I want to eat it.

Sawaragi is a Japanese Kaiseki restaurant you do not want to walk past on your next trip to Tokushima. This review looks at the location, the décor, the service and the offerings. We visited during the Awa Odori festival in 2022. When it comes to restaurant success it is often said the there are three primary factors, location, location and location. Sawaragi has the location. It is just a 2 minute walk from the main exit of the JR Tokushima Station. We were surprised that the shop was not crowded when we entered at 5PM. But it soon became full within 30 minutes. The building and its exterior is a typical Showa era style standalone structure. Upon entering, you find more Showa era influence. The are a few counter seats and a couple of tables for 4-6 people. On our visit we sat at one of the 4 seater tables near the kitchen. It was comfortable and convenient. The décor kept simple with wood paneling and a few Awa Odori posters. There are large Japanese Sake bottles lined up along the top of the counter and the kitchen opening. This gives the place an old Izakaya feeling which is very enjoyable. The staff welcomed us with just the right amount of volume and enthusiasm. I really do like it when you enter a shop and the welcoming is just right and doesn't feel forced, practiced or absurdly over the top. Sawaragi's is genuinely inviting and friendly. The service throughout the time we were there was friendly, helpful, polite, and efficient. I will not say speedy, but it wasn't slow either. It was, comfortable. About the pace I would expect for somewhere you go to enjoy a good meal, drink some great Sake and chat with your dinner companions. That's the pace. While the surroundings are good and the service is great, the reason you are here is for the food and drinks. And both will impress you. However, because we were watching the Awa Odori dance parade later that evening, we stayed away from drinking Sake and instead went with a beer. There's plenty of time after the festivities for sampling the local Sake brews. We start the order with the seasonal special of Ajidashi Egg Plant. The egg plant was soft and tender but didn't fall apart when picked up with chopsticks. The Dashi sauce was strong but not over powering. The two together complemented each other as was heaven in your mouth. This blissful experience was followed by a serving of mixed sashimi. There was a lot more than I thought there would be. It was a lot of fish, and the cuts where thick. Each piece 2 to 3 times thicker than I would normal expect. Next came a Kambachi fish in soup. Again we are surprised at the delicate flavors hidden within a full flavored clear broth. It's voodoo magic. I don't care and eat and drink it all. Then we get to the special of the week, the Awa Odori Nambantsuke. Or in other words Lightly Deep Fried Chicken. We dive in and it is soft, the chicken is tasty, and external is salty but bit overly. It's perfect. We think we've had enough until we spot Hamu No Zotsui or Rice Stew with Fish on the menu. We order one and share. It takes a while and we start to worry they may have forgotten the order. No, not to worry, they are making from scratch. Wow. We wait patiently. We should have ordered it earlier. Oh, well never mind, we have plenty of time and are in no hurry. And then it's here. Smooth, silky, soft, and delicate in simple and few flavors. The aroma of the fish swirling around. We finish it way before we should. This is one of those shops that Japanese people don't tell you about. It's everything you want a Japanese Kaiseki experience to be. It is a total Japanese experience, this includes Japanese only menus, Japanese language only and Japanese cultural expectations while dining. Enjoy.

Thank you for your understanding.

料理は新鮮で繊細で、とてもおいしいです

淡路島から来たけど、この場所は美味しい! 深刻な料理は最高です