Chaya Mario: An izakaya tasting menu to put all others to shame

In what I hope to establish as the "What's That?" way, a recent dinner in Hiroshima was a bevy of questionmarks. Using the Get Hiroshima! website, I set out from my hotel with little more than a name (Chaya Mario), a map (with poor detail), and a poorly transcribed set of kanji (thanks Google Translate!). As I neared my destination, nothing was fitting the bill. This kanji had too many strokes, that one had too many kanji! After several fitful trips up and down the street, I scouted a 7-11 (everywhere here) and decided to ask for directions. And what directions they gave me! One of the cashiers took me outside and led me the two and a half blocks to the restaurant. Auspicious.

I entered the place and sat down at the counter. It was rustic and sparsely populated, though it was a weeknight. I opened the menu to another raft of kanji. I asked the waiter for an English menu and he delightfully replied "No English menu". Excellent! I saw a set meal in the menu for the reasonable price of 1680 yen. I pounced.

And thus began a journey through seven courses that I shan't soon forget.

Perhaps the standout of the meal, this appetizer presented a trapezoid of tofu topped with roe and in a light, viscous broth. The tofu, oh my god, the tofu. It had a hint of peanut butter to it and was creamy in texture. The pop and extreme saltiness of the roe served as perfect contrast. At this point, I knew I was in for a treat.

The second course was some fish carpaccio, in a light sesame oil drizzle. Pickled plums and scallions rounded out the garnishes. Light and fresh, if a bit too heavy on the sesame flavor.

My first salad in Japan! This had some simple lettuces, chicken, and a vinaigrette. Light and refreshing.

The first stumble. This visually appealing course had an odd flavor to it that I'm not sure how to describe. Earthy and old, perhaps? I think the large cylinder was daikon, not sure at all what is in the sauce (which could have been tasty in another dish).

The chef picked himself right back up and delivered an amazing pair of pork balls. Contrary to other land protein I've had in Japan so far, these were rich with pork juices. They were accented by a rich dipping sauce and balanced with a light cabbage salad.

In the running with the first course for best dish was this seafood stew. Filled with clams and with stewed fish, the broth had a grainess to it reminicint of grits, albeit heavily diluted ones. After each bite of this I just wanted more, until the bowl was nearly licked clean.

The meal closed with an assortment of traditional meal accompaniments. Miso soup with thick cut carrots and onions. Rice with large peas (that didn't ruin the rice!). And more pickled plums. The miso soup and the rice were hearty versions of each and a great match to the rest of the food and the surroundings.

I washed it all down with a couple of pints of Kirin and that was that! The duo of friends running the place, one as waiter and the other as cook, were chuckling the whole time and seemed to enjoy the restaurant business. I'm not sure if they were grateful or amused when this gringo tried his hand at a compliment: gochiso-sama deshita (according to Lonely Planet, "it was a real feast"). And a real feast it was!