Morimitsu's Sea Bream Rice and Yasubei (Hirome Market)

On our stop in Kochi, we visited their shopping district as well as their location of Daimaru.  We actually had a purpose there as Viv's only dressy sandals broke.  We were able to score something that was reasonably-priced and we made our way to the Hirome Market for some lunch.  We ended up at Morimitsu's Sea Bream Rice for Kochi's specialty, Katsuo no Tataki (or Seared Bonito).  There were many stalls in the market that served this dish, but in reality, we ended up at Morimitsu's because there was a table available.  You see, the certain tables are reserved for specific stalls only.

Naturally, we went straight for the Katsuo no Tataki in 2 forms.  The first was the Seared Bonito Rice Bowl and the second was the Seared Bonito Set Meal.  The beautiful bonito was lightly-seared and hence, it was still plenty rare in the middle.  Texturally, it was sort of buttery but definitely more meaty.  It was a bit smoky from its preparation while being lightly sweet.  I enjoyed how it wasn't fishy.  The side of soup was a clean-tasting sea bream and mountain yam.

To get some variety into our meal, we had the Sea Bream Sashimi Set Meal with the same accompaniments as the Seared Bonito.  With a beautiful sheen, the sea bream was fresh and naturally sweet.  It was a bit firm, yet still was easy to eat.  The side of cooked bonito was rather firm and chewy, but it was tasty with sweetened soy.  I liked the clean taste of the sea bream broth as it was lightly sweet and refreshing (even though it was a hot soup).

I went for a variation of the last set meal with the Torched Sea Bream on Rice.  If you can imagine, the texture on this was quite different where the slices of fish were almost buttery, yet still with a somewhat firm texture.  It was naturally sweet and had a fresh taste.  Nice char on the outside which was a bit smoky.  It was simply topped with nori and green onion, which added brightness and umami.  When mixed with the rice, it was a light meal.

Of course that wasn't enough food for me, so I had to get a Kochi specialty at the nearby Yusubei stall - Gyoza.  These were small little ones which were uniformly seared on the bottom.  Hence, they were crispy with a thin wrapper.  Inside, the meat and cabbage filling was almost airy and super light.  Really enjoyed these and we should've ordered more!  Gotta say that this was a fun experience, if not a bit chaotic.  It is part of the deal and we would do it again when in Kochi!

The Good:

- Fresh ingredients

- Reasonably-priced

- Nice people

The Bad:

- Finding a free table is nearly impossible, unless you stand by one and wait