Chawan Mushi @ Yossou, Hamamachi, Nagasaki

 

Chawan mushi is a something I always look forward to when I am ordering a sushi set. Usually used as a side dish or an entre to a multi course meal, it is a type of comfort food that I find very satisfying. however, it is always seen as a part of a meal. And not often it is seen as a main piece of a dining puzzle. Until now that is. 

Retro feels

Yossou is a restaurant located in the Kankodori area of Nagasaki city. Despite being surrounded with chic shops and fancy cafes, this place keeps an old school charm to it. Just waiting in line already shows how popular this place is. And since the main star is this steamed egg dish, ordering this seems like an obvious choice. 

What a combo

Chawan mushi directly translates to steamed tea cup. While the original version of it is true, seeing that a savoury eggy base is steamed in such a vessel, things are a bit different in Yossou. Based on their plastic food display outside it seems that they use a soup bowl that could fit at least 5 teacups fr their eggy custard. In fact, I would not be surprised if it can fit an entire medium sized gyudon here. And you can order it as it is or in a set meal. The most popular set meal is the one where the chawan mushi is accompanied with a bowl of  "steamed sushi" which I found intriguing. That set stood at 1540 yen. It should be noted that eggy bowl can come in an ala carte format for the price of 880 yen. 

A noteworthy close up

And it was an intriguing meal in the end. Japan is one of those places where the illustrations will be an exact representation of their wares. So I was pleasantly surprised at the size and volume of the eggy bowl and its rice-filled companion. However, volume is not the only thing that makes a meal outstanding. But luckily, everything else was done perfectly. The steamed egg custard was sweet and savoury yet had a light sweetness to it. 

Soft and delicate.

The silky texture went well with the chunks of fillings inside it. The variety of fillings was pretty good too, consisting of fish cake, gingko nuts, chicken, and even unagi. Yes, pieces of eel were tucked at the bottom. The dish was a bit hot thought, so it made for a slightly challenging experience. Still, that bowl was just delicious from beginning to end. 

Colourful!

The steamed sushi bowl was pretty good too. It was not as impressive as the chawan mushi, but it held on its own. Topped with shredded fried egg, sakura denpu fish flakes (桜田夫), and chunks of dried fish chunks, it held on pretty well. I did end up in mixing the steamed egg into this bowl and that made everything taste better. 

Crunch time!

It should be noted that there are other specialties on the menu as well. If you like some variety, there are some tempura options, sushi, and grilled treats to add some variety. We got ourselves a plate of fried prawns which consist of 5 breaded prawns which were very succulent and juicy. This stood at 1430, which was almost the same price as the set meal I had. But it was pretty good. Trust me on this one. 

Front of the house. Look out for those lanterns and you are at the right spot. 

This was a satisfying lunch which impressed from beginning to end. The food is good, the price tag fits the quality, and the decor is amazing. It felt like I stepped into a time capsule and was transported to medieval Japan. It seems like I am not the only one that likes this place as well. The concierge of my hotel and even local friends recommend this place. So if you are somehow in Nagasaki, this is considered a must go. And if this has caught your attention, then the address is as follows:

8-9 Hamamachi, Nagasaki, 850-0853