I think I have mentioned before that I enjoy watching the TV drama "Kodoku no Gurume" (TV Tokyo) starring Yutaka Matsushige. I always watch the New Year's Eve special, and when I have time, I watch the reruns over and over again. Each restaurant is unique, but there were a few that left a lasting impression. One that particularly caught my eye was "Sea Castle" in Yuigahama, Kamakura. Despite its name, I thought it was a cafe along the coast that surfers frequent, but it was actually an authentic German restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere. What's more, the madam played by Rino Katase seemed a bit grumpy, which was very German. When you think of Germany, you think of a dark image called the "Schwarzwald" (Black Forest), and it is well known that Goethe and Nietzsche both traveled to Italy in search of light. In other words, it was a restaurant with an atmosphere that was completely "out of place" along the coast.

In fact, the restaurant is run by a German family, and I had hoped to visit if I had the chance. However, I was told that it closed in November 2022. It was a restaurant with an amazing 65-year history. I have no connection with German cuisine, but when I was a graduate student, the professor who looked after me was a friendly chef from Germany called Keitel, who worked at the Keio Plaza Hotel and other hotels. He happened to open a restaurant called "Keitel" in Shinjuku (1986), so I had visited the restaurant several times. After Keitel passed away, his wife took over the restaurant, but it seems to have closed down.

I was feeling disappointed that I rarely come across a German restaurant along the coast, when I received some good news from Yuko Anada of Anada Gyoza, which is listed in the Michelin Tokyo. Anada was my supervisor for my graduation thesis at university, and we are still friends today. Anada moved to Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, a few years ago, and when we discussed visiting her, I asked her if there was a suitable restaurant to eat at. She told me that there was a Russian restaurant along Nobi Beach. It was called Firebird. Wow, it was a German restaurant along the coast, but it was also a Russian restaurant, and it was completely out of place. I couldn't help but go. I didn't have a chance, but I finally got the chance to go this spring break.

According to Anada, it has been around for quite some time. When I looked it up, I found that it did indeed open in 1995, so it's a well-established establishment that has been around for about 30 years. The name of the restaurant, "Firebird," is probably a reference to the ballet music "The Firebird" by Russian composer Stravinsky. It premiered in Paris in 1910, by a ballet company led by Russian director Diaghilev. While famous Russian restaurants in Tokyo are all named in katakana, such as the now-defunct "Volga" in Shiba, "Sungari" in Shinjuku, "Logosky" in Ginza, "Baikal" in Roppongi, and even "Manos," "Larousse," and "Strovaya" in Asakusa, the name "Firebird" certainly evokes Russia, but it still feels out of place.

Unfortunately it was a rainy day, but as I drove along the coast from Miura Kaigan Station to Kurihama, I could certainly see the restaurant. What surprised me was that facing the sea, the restaurant's name, "Firebird," was written in large red letters on the exterior wall. It had been exposed to the elements for many years and was slightly faded. The garage on the first floor was a parking lot for four cars, and I parked in the rightmost space, but what surprised me again was that there was a nameplate hanging on the pillar on the far right. Is this a residence? Well, given the location, it's only natural, but I imagine it's probably a family-run business like "Sea Castle."

Upon entering the restaurant, the tables were cleverly arranged in the style of an eel's sleeping platform so that you could see the sea, and a middle-aged man who seemed to be a chef in the kitchen greeted us cheerfully. I wondered if the lady serving us, who looked about the same age, was his wife. It's a long-established restaurant, after all. Maybe they've already taken over the management? Or so I thought, but then I saw the elderly chef in the kitchen. I also noticed that it was the head proprietress, who was having a lively conversation about the Imperial family with an elderly lady who seemed to be a regular customer. Then, a young woman wearing a name tag that read "trainee" was serving us.

The menu featured typical dishes served in Russian restaurants in Japan, such as borsch, pirozhki, and stroganoff. The specialty of the menu was the "pot-roasted stew," with ten different kinds of stew inside. What was unique was that there were pages and pages of combinations of these dishes as courses and sets, which made it all the more difficult to choose. I chose the "Special Course," which included all the main dishes. Borsch, salad, pirozhki, a small pot-roasted stew, a half-sized lamb steak, dessert, and Russian tea. I also wanted to try the "Beef Stroganoff," so I ordered it as a single dish and shared it with my companion. The "stuffed cabbage," which I'd previously featured in this series, was not on the menu.

My favorite Russian food is "piroshki", especially the ones at "Strovaya" in Asakusa. They are meaty and filled with minced meat with a hint of nutmeg. "Firebird"'s "piroshki" are not fried, but are made by putting the filling into a buttery dough and baking it. When you bite into them, the butter oozes out and combines with the filling inside, which is also delicious. However, my favorite was the "lamb steak". The lamb was well cooked, probably marinated in something, but it was softer than I expected and was also delicious. The soy sauce-based sauce with onion was exquisite. I think it was a variation of "Chaliapin steak". This dish was invented by the chef when the famous Russian bass singer Chaliapin, who had bad teeth, visited Japan and stayed at the Imperial Hotel. The beef was marinated in grated onion and softened, then pounded thinly into steak, and the onion was used as the sauce. An advanced version of "Minute Steak". In fact, there were beef steaks on the menu in addition to lamb. However, I made the right choice by choosing lamb.

As expected, the wine was Russian, although most of it was Georgian. Although it is now called Georgia, there was no wine from the former Soviet Union. Instead, there was a red Spanish organic wine listed as today's wine on the blackboard, so I took advantage and ordered it. It was from Navarra, a blend of Tempranillo and Merlot. At first, it was too cold and I couldn't taste it, but once it came back to room temperature it was quite good. It wasn't too heavy, and was just the right balance for the food at this restaurant.

I didn't eat there much, but the food was as good as any famous Russian restaurant in Tokyo. Why would such a restaurant be located on such a coastal street? There was a sign at the entrance saying that customers dressed for swimming were not allowed to enter. Indeed, there was no madam with an unapproachable aura like Katase Rino, and it was a homey family-run restaurant where the neighborhood could casually come for lunch.

The name "Firebird" seems to suggest the mysterious atmosphere created by the location, which could be called a "borderline" between a villa area and a residential area. Just as Anda's cooking is inseparable from the lifestyle of the person called Yuko Anda, this area of ​​Miura may form its own unique cultural sphere.

Next time I go to "Firebird", I'm sure I'll be able to choose my menu without any hesitation. I hope that day will come again. Thank you for the delicious meal.

This month's recommended wine: "Tuscany's finest, Brunello di Montalcino - Enjoy the variety of Sangiovese grapes"

"Brunello di Montalcino 2017 DOCG Brunello di Montalcino Fossacolle" 9,920 yen (excluding tax)

This time, we will be talking about Italian wine. Last time, we introduced "Gattinara", which is made from the Nebbiolo grapes in Piedmont, so this time we will introduce wine from Tuscany, another of the two major wine-producing regions in Italy. The main variety in Tuscany is Sangiovese, which is the main ingredient in "Chianti". Nebbiolo is the same in every region, just like Pinot Noir in Burgundy, but the situation is a little different for Sangiovese. Wine is made from its sub-variety in each region. And the pinnacle of this is Brunello, which Jancis Robinson writes is "a powerful clone of qualitative importance isolated from Sangiovese in Montalcino by Ferruccino Biondi Santi in the mid-19th century" (Wine Grape Guide, Wongs, 1999 ).

Other Sangiovese subvarieties include Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, made from the Prugnolo Gentile grape, and Morellino di Scanzano, made from the Morellino grape.

And "Brunello di Montalcino" is made from Brunello grapes, which is the most expensive wine made from Sangiovese grapes. "This wine has a powerful structure and is aged in barrels and bottles to become a wine with a rich and complex bouquet of deep ruby ​​to brick red with a warm and rich aroma" (Burton Anderson, "Italian Wine", Hayakawa Publishing, 2006 ).

Also, since Brunello di Montalcino is made for long aging and takes a long time to reach drinking age, the same Brunello grapes have been used to make the more affordable Rosso di Montalcino, which can be drunk earlier and is more affordable, since the 1980s . I have tried several types of Rosso di Montalcino, but they all seemed too simple and light in taste. In this case, I would recommend choosing Brunello di Montalcino, which makes the most of the characteristics of the grape variety.

So, the "Brunello di Montalcino" I chose this time is from Fossacolle, a small family-run winery that owns 2.5 hectares in the best location in Montalcino. Take this opportunity to try this masterpiece with a bold and heavy flavor that is reminiscent of the good old days.

Biography
Osamu Seki

Born in Tokyo in 1961. Currently a part-time lecturer at Meiji University and other institutions. Specializes in contemporary French thought and cultural theory. Director of the Reefer Wine Association.
His books include "An Introduction to Beautiful Men" (Natsume Shobo) and "My Neighbor is Arashi-kun" (Cyzo), and his translations include "How Should We Read Foucault?" by Oksara (Shinsensha) and "Mr. Pydrow, What Use Is a Gastronomic Critic?" by Pydrowski (Shinsensha).
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