In addition, as a tourism ambassador, I will be introducing new food spots and specialties of Shimane under the title "Not just Shimane."
Ai Nishimura
Administrator of the blog "My Diary," which began in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history.
Author of Shimane's "Geography, Place Names, and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha), My Town is the "Number One in Japan" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Prefectures Explained in Neko Neko Japanese History (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha). Official blogger for Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user for Retty, and official platinum blogger for Excite.
Matsue, the capital of Shimane Prefecture, is the largest city in the prefecture with a population of 200,000, and the city center is packed with restaurants. In addition to traditional foods such as Shimane specialties, there are also many specialty shops and shops with creative ideas. This time, we will introduce three of these shops.
"Not just Izumo soba!" Curly curry with plenty of vegetables from Shimane Prefecture
Now, let's introduce the gourmet food of Matsue. There are many soba restaurants in the Izumo region, including Matsue and Izumo. "Izumo soba" is a style of soba where sweet soup is poured over black soba noodles that are ground with the skin, called hikigurumi. It is also characterized by being served in a unique round container called a warigo. It is counted as one of the three great soba in Japan, along with Togakushi and Morioka.
However, this time we chose food with "not just" as the keyword. The first "not just" gourmet is Curry Spice Curry, a popular curry restaurant in Matsue. On the day we visited, it was very popular and very busy. The wide variety of curries can be freely customized with a wide range of toppings, the amount of rice, and the spiciness. The curry roux uses about 20 types of spices. As no flour is used to thicken the curry, it is light and not heavy, while the rice is cooked to a firm consistency, which allows it to absorb the roux well.
This curry is original in every way. I ordered the summer vegetable curry made with vegetables from Shimane Prefecture and the fried chicken from the weekday set. Even one piece is big enough to be filling!
I ate curry at Curry Spice Curry, a curry restaurant that uses rice and vegetables from Shimane.
There is a long counter and table seating in the back, and it is sometimes crowded with customers ordering takeout.
This curry uses plenty of spices that are said to be medicinal. It is a watery curry that does not use flour.
This is the counter. There is a luggage rack at the foot of the counter, so the space is well utilized. There are pickled vegetables on the table.
It's not tidy, but it's not noisy either. It's a mysterious space. It's not a curry stand, and it's not a cafe. But it's not restaurant-like either, it's curried-like.
The curry uses about 20 kinds of spices. There are many toppings and meats (chicken, pork, beef, pork cartilage, minced meat, etc.). You can also specify the amount of rice, so even men can be satisfied.
Summer vegetable curry. You can enjoy the sourness of tomatoes, the bitterness of bitter melon, and the crunchy vegetables that aren't completely cooked.
Very popular fried chicken. The refreshing aroma of kaffir lime leaves will make you feel like you're in a tropical country. The big size of the pieces is also a big factor in their popularity.
Weekday lunch set. Comes with lassi and fried chicken. You can choose the number of fried chicken pieces you want, starting from one. The curry rice is small (there is a regular amount for the small size!)
The shop is located near Karakoro Workshop.
"Not just Japanese sweets!" Baked sweets at COCHICA
Matsue City, one of the three major Japanese sweets places in Japan along with Kyoto and Kanazawa, is home to three famous sweets: Wakakusa, Yamakawa, and Natane no Sato. These three sweets were made by Matsudaira Fumai, the seventh feudal lord of the Matsue domain, who studied the tea ceremony and established the Fumai style during the Edo period, and their flavors are still passed down today.
What we are introducing here is not just Japanese sweets, but also other gourmet foods. COCHICA is a shop run by two sisters that sells buttery, crispy tart cakes and cookies. There is an eat-in area inside the shop, and it also serves as a sales area, workshop, and cafe.
We had cafe au lait served in a Shussai-yaki bowl made in a kiln in Shimane Prefecture, and a tart made with figs, a specialty of Taki-cho, Izumo City. The freshly made, airy cream and juicy figs are a taste that you can never get from mass-produced products. The baked goods on display in the store make great souvenirs.
This is Kochika in Nishichamachi. It is located just inside Kitagaki, a famous croquette shop that is known to all locals. (Kitagaki's croquettes are delicious.)
The shop was renovated from a former cosmetics store and opened in 2016. It is a tart and baked goods store run by two sisters from Matsue City.
The interior of the store is simple and sophisticated, with a feminine and stylish feel.
There are baked goods on display in the store. I also bought some as souvenirs.
The pottery on display is from Shimane Prefecture. It's exciting to think that you can drink tea from it.
Fig tart and cafe au lait.
Takicho, Izumo City is famous for its figs, which are one of the products that change with the seasons.
If you look closely, you can see the words "flat style" written on the table. It is a Matsue company that is involved in the restoration of old houses and spatial production. In fact, Curly also uses the tables and chairs here. Young people are all working together to liven up the town.
You can spend your time leisurely, or if you don't have time, you can go shopping before heading home. The warm and friendly service is also the secret to its popularity. It's a cafe where you can feel the relaxed atmosphere of Matsue.
Opposite Kochika is Kashima Teahouse, a long-established tea shop that has been in business for 125 years. I was drawn in. Recently, they started a takeaway service called "Japanese Tea Stand" on weekends, and it's been getting a lot of attention. Apparently they also have something called Matcha Beer. They also collaborate with Kochika for limited events.
The aroma of a long-established store is overwhelming, so I highly recommend you to visit! The oldness has come full circle and now it's cool. Shimane tea makes a great souvenir to commemorate your visit to Matsue.
"Not just matcha!" Japanese black tea and shaved ice from black tea specialty store Pangensy
I think Matsue has a relatively large number of cafes. There is a wide variety, from simple coffee shops to stylish cafes, coffee specialty shops to Japanese tea cafes and Chinese tea cafes.
Among them, we will introduce Pungency, which is located very close to the Shimane Prefectural Products and Tourist Center and is easily accessible from Matsue Castle. It is a specialty tea shop that handles about 20 types of tea leaves from Japan and abroad that have been appraised and carefully selected by tea experts. It is a small shop with about three tables, but the rich aroma of the tea that comes out spreads across your nose! I was surprised... It was Benifuuki Japanese black tea from Yame, Fukuoka, and it had a well-balanced astringency, umami, and aroma. Especially the astringency. It is certainly astringent, but it cuts through smoothly. It doesn't last forever. This is what the shop name "Pungency" is all about.
And at this shop, I had the tea shaved ice, which has become explosively popular this year. It's simply ice with tea poured over it. However, it is made with an original tea syrup that has been thoroughly researched...! Be careful, if an amateur tries to imitate this, they will get burned (lol). It's rich, but not too bitter. The more you eat it, the deeper the tea's aroma and flavor becomes, overlapping. The coldness is accompanied by a soft, mellow aroma that lingers. Taking advantage of this popularity, they have announced that they will be offering the shaved ice for the rest of the year. It was a cafe that offered a great space and time, making you want to stop by every day during your stay.
Matsue has many long-established restaurants, but the younger generation is also helping to liven up the city through food. Matsue's cuisine is diverse, so I would like to introduce it in a different form someday.
Pangensy is a black tea specialty store that always has about 20 different kinds of black tea from all over the world.
It has a cute atmosphere, like an attic from a story featured in "World Masterpiece Theater."
A Japanese black tea from Yamecha in Fukuoka Prefecture. The variety is Benifuki. It has a strong, edgy flavor that completely overturns my concept of Japanese black tea.
A comparison of the tea leaves before and after brewing. They have opened nicely and the red color is clearly visible. The shape of the leaves is beautiful and the tea-making technique is top-notch.
This summer, black tea shaved ice has become a big hit. The original black tea syrup is rich but not at all bitter or astringent, and the mellow flavor lasts a long time.
The ice made with pure water from Hyogo Prefecture melts gently in your mouth. Even though it's just tea, you'll never tire of it. I have a feeling this will become a new Matsue specialty. You can enjoy it all year long, even this winter!
When you see the Matsue Castle souvenir shop next to the Otemae parking lot, you're almost there. Go up the stairs to the second floor.
Read the second part here
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
