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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.
Bar-hopping in Sendai! Beef tongue specialty restaurant "Kaku" and the locally popular oden restaurant "Kozo."
Sendai has amazing food! ...That may sound like a cliché, but as the only designated city in Tohoku, Sendai is a city that has everything from food to shopping, entertainment, and professional sports.
There are more than enough restaurants around the station, but even further away from the station there are small alleys and popular restaurants scattered around, making it hard for tourists to find one. How do you find a "beef tongue restaurant" among the many options?
In the midst of all this, the locals are a great source of encouragement. A friend with a keen sense of taste recommended the beef tongue tataki at "Kaku." It's the ultimate beef tongue served with ponzu sauce and spring onions. The restaurant has been around for 30 years, and the second generation owner is currently in the kitchen. In recent years, there has been an increase in beef tongue izakayas that serve beef tongue as one of their many dishes, so it's only natural that a restaurant that has been around for many years as a "beef tongue specialty restaurant" is one step above the rest. There is also wine from Akiu Winery here, which was very, very delicious...!
Having been recommended to go bar-hopping in Sendai, we next headed to Oden Kozo, a small restaurant with an easily missed entrance along a quiet road. Although it is in a place that only locals would find, the restaurant is extremely popular and crowded. We had oden with a light broth and sake from Fukushima, where the owner is from. The restaurant had a stylish atmosphere, with many young customers, and was bustling even late into the night.
Sendai is a treasure trove of gourmet food. We will visit restaurants recommended by locals.
To beef tongue cuisine kaku. A beef tongue specialty restaurant.
The appetizer is beef tongue and lightly flavored braised pork. It is paired with Akiu Winery's Muscat Bailey A rose wine.
Artistically thin tomato slices served with original dressing. The dressing on the vegetables shines golden.
Kaku's specialty is seared beef tongue. The chewy tongue is completely sinew-free and odorless. Enjoy with ponzu sauce and lots of green onions.
I've only ever eaten grilled beef tongue, but this is the true way to eat it. I feel like a new life with beef tongue has begun.
Of course, they also have grilled beef tongue. It's thick, and you can order Nanban miso (green chili peppers pickled in miso) as an extra.
Go through the small entrance and head to the back. Go bar-hopping at Oden Kozo.
The brightly colored counter is made of a single piece of wood, creating a stylish atmosphere.
A well-used oden pot.
I asked for a few servings. The light broth was delicious.
Potato salad made with oden. The oden broth is effective and it is slightly warm.
Colorful fried kamaboko made with summer vegetables.
The owner is from Fukushima, and they have a wide selection of Fukushima sake.
In search of the deliciousness of real zunda, visit the stately mochi specialty store "Murakamiya Mochiten."
"Zunda mochi" is a type of mochi that is often made at home in Sendai. Zunda tempts me everywhere in Sendai, whether it's as a souvenir, a sweet, or a drink. But I want to eat the real thing.
So we went to eat at Murakamiya Mochiten.
This is more of a mochi shop than a zunda specialty store, and they also sell a variety of Japanese sweets.
The "Sanshoku Mochi" has a vibrant zunda filling in the middle, with black sesame and walnuts on either side. The zunda here is crushed smoothly, leaving a slight graininess. The aroma of edamame (brown soybeans) really brings out the flavor of the ingredients.
Above all, the mochi is delicious. It's not the type that melts in your mouth, but rather has a firm texture. The sweetness of the mochi itself is not too strong, but is rather light, which makes it suitable for use in sweets. It is made using Miyakogane glutinous rice from Miyagi Prefecture.
They often sell out, so try to get there early.
Experience making Sendai's specialty, Zunda Mochi, at Murakamiya Mochi Shop.
A historic mochi shop with beautifully lined up Japanese sweets. The products are handmade in the back of the store, and you can hear the busy voices of the workers. You can also eat inside the store.
"Sanshoku Mochi" is a menu that allows you to eat three kinds of mochi, including zunda mochi. From the left, black sesame, zunda, and walnut.
The Zunda mochi is especially vibrant in color. Just bringing it close to your mouth brings out the delicious aroma of the beans. When you take a bite, the aroma wafts into the back of your nose.
This is walnut mochi. The sauce contains miso, giving it a salty taste. The mochi has a firm texture.
I finished my meal in no time, snacking on some pickles along the way. It was a beloved restaurant with customers coming in one after the other.
Sendai soul food "Hyotanage" sold out 4,000 bottles at one store in one day
Abe Kamabokoten Main Store (hereinafter referred to as Abekama) is located in the arcade "Clis Road" in the center of Sendai.
This shop is popular for its "sasa kamaboko" (bamboo shoots) and "cheese balls," and we came here to try their "hyoutan age" (age gourd fried food), a product that they invented as a result of a certain incident.
Abekama was the one that gave the name "Sasakamaboko" to this flat kamaboko. This product, which became the origin of gourd age, was first sold by the long-established Abekama at the "First Sendai Aoba Festival" in 1985. It became very popular and became a staple.
Hyotanage is a snack made by wrapping skewered kamaboko fish cake in sweet dough and deep frying it. It is named after the appearance of two round balls skewered on the surface, and is an easy-to-eat snack. It reminds me of the familiar taste of an American hot dog. Even though it was my first time eating it, I felt a sense of nostalgia.
Nowadays, the number of stores has increased and the number of bottles sold per day is much higher, but in one store, they once recorded sales of 4,000 bottles. The sauce made at the store is ketchup-based and comes in original (normal) and spicy types. The sauce has a sweet taste, so the spicy type is also popular.
It has been more than 30 years since Hyotan Age was first sold. For people in their early 30s, it is something they have always had, and it will likely become an even more popular Sendai specialty.
We arrived at the arcade "Chris Road".
Abe Kamabokoten Main Branch. It stands out with its modern Japanese-style exterior.
Various kinds of kamaboko are sold in the store. "Sasakamaboko," named by Abe Kamabokoten, is one of Sendai's three major delicacies.
The round fried gourds are lined up for sale at the counter outside. They are freshly fried.
The sauce is ketchup-based, and kamaboko fish cakes are hidden inside the slightly sweet batter.
The round shape is cute. They're also quite filling. They seem to sell well in the evenings, and are enjoyed not just as a snack but on a daily basis.
Inside the shop, there are bamboo decorations celebrating Sendai Tanabata. The shop staff will explain the products carefully and you can even try them. You can also have your items shipped from the shop, so it's a great place to stop by on your trip.
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
