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Tohoku is a great place for fresh food, whether from the fields, mountains, forests, or seas. Restaurants range from local sake shacks to upscale sushi bars and steak houses, and dress may be street-casual to office attire. Rarely will it be formal. Menus may not always be in English, but you can often find window displays full
Tohoku is a great place for fresh food, whether from the fields, mountains, forests, or seas. Restaurants range from local sake shacks to upscale sushi bars and steak houses, and dress may be street-casual to office attire. Rarely will it be formal. Menus may not always
Tohoku is a great place for fresh food, whether from the fields, mountains, forests, or seas. Restaurants range from loc
Tohoku is a great place for fresh food, whether from the fields, mountains, forests, or seas. Restaurants range from local sake shacks to upscale sushi bars and steak houses, and dress may be street-casual to office attire. Rarely will it be formal. Menus may not always be in English, but you can often find window displays full of plastic representations of the menu. Credit cards are fine in cities, but they are not always accepted in the countryside, so bring along enough cash. In many restaurants you'll take your shoes off at the entry and place them in a cubicle.
Hearty soba is made from plentiful northern buckwheat, and Azuma-ya is easily Morioka's most famous place to eat these healthful noodles. The second level is devoted to the courageous and hearty of appetite, where wanko soba courses—all you could possibly want to eat—are served. The ground floor is for a more casual (and less competitive) dining experience. If you don't want the eating challenge, order from their many other dishes. Keep in mind that they close for a two-hour break at 3 pm and stop taking orders before 7 pm. There is another location closer to the station that takes orders until 8 pm.
1--08--3 Nakanohashi Dori, Morioka, Iwate-ken, 020-0871, Japan
Housed in a converted warehouse in the Maruhachi Yatarazuke complex, the Komian Maruhachi restaurant serves traditional Yamagata dishes such as soba noodles and imoni potato hot pot, as well as unusual sushi made with pickles from theYatarazuke shop right next door. You can try them all in the "Three tastes of Yamagata" set (¥1,620). For a drink try Tachinomi-dokoro, the standing bar on the far side of the shop, offering all the pickles you can eat for ¥300.
2-1-5 Hatagomachi, Yamagata, Yamagata-ken, 990-0047, Japan
023-623–0310
Known For
Unique local pickles
A Three Tastes of Yamagata set (soba, potato hot pot, pickle sushi)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Restaurant closed 1st Wed. of month. Bar closed Sun. No lunch
This birthplace of Sendai's famous gyutan (grilled beef tongue) proudly serves excellent and inexpensive meals. It is a very casual environment but can get crowded with lines forming before opening.
4--4--13 Ichiban-cho, Sendai, Miyagi-ken, 980-0811, Japan
Acclaimed executive chef and owner Okuda Masayuki prepares Italian dishes that are totally original and unique and reflect the region. The style of Italian comes with a commitment to the freshest ingredients, including the produce, fish, and meat. The menu varies, but everything is reliably great. The aim here is to bring out all natural flavors and aromas of Shonai foods by using few condiments, to create a perfectly combined dish where delicate flavors are more important than heavy sauces or big portions. It's often a good idea to make reservations for dinner and that also lets you confirm that they are open since they do keep a have a sporadic schedule in winter.
83 Ichirizuka, Shimoyama-zoe, Tsuruoka, Yamagata-ken, 997-0341, Japan
0235-78–7230
Known For
Delicious and creative interpretations of seasonal dishes
Fearless, meat-loving gourmets should stop at this slightly hidden gem. The use of wood in the decor create a relaxed atmosphere where you can focus on the chef's presentations.
This good spot for cheap seafood and sake offers can't-beat lunch deals. Very casual, it's also a great place to sit at the counter and watch chefs at work.
3--1--24 Chuo, Sendai, Miyagi-ken, 980-0021, Japan
You're in a major seafood city, and if you want some of the best of what is available in these cold waters, this is the place to get it. Dinner is not cheap, but lunches are more reasonably priced. The restaurant offers excellent service and bright surroundings.
1--5--12 Tsutsumi Machi, Aomori-ken, 030-0812, Japan
Noodles can only be called Inaniwa Udon if they are produced in Inaniwa. Established in 1860, this noodle empire has many branches across the Tohoku region, but this one is for connoisseurs who want to sample regional foods and locally brewed sake. Make big slurps and enjoy.
2--6--1 Nakadori, Akita, Akita-ken, 010-0001, Japan
018-834–1720
Known For
A chewy type of noodle particular to Akita
Large lunch sets
Creative takes on local dishes
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed only when the Seibu Building is closed
What was once an early-20th-century warehouse is now a modern sushi restaurant. The fish here is fresh, and the price is right (and a clear price list is hung on the wall). The casual atmosphere makes it popular among business travelers. The fish served varies according to the season and availability.
1--10--11 Shinmachi, Aomori-ken, 030-0801, Japan
017-722–2639
Known For
Fresh seasonal fish
Interesting architecture
Lively atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed 2nd and 4th Sun. every month
Tasty, healthful, and authentic dishes from the region are Kikufuji's specialty. Excellent local varieties of sake are available. They can provide you with a menu with pictures, but it does not include everything, so you could also look around at other tables to see what you might fancy.
1 Sakamoto-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori-ken, 036-8016, Japan
0172-36–3300
Known For
Very fresh seafood
Local vegetable stews
Local sake
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Thurs. and two other days per month (call to check)
It would be hard to walk out of this restaurant hungry. The restaurant has mostly seating on tatami mats on the floor, but there are areas with tables. You might just be focused on the view over the water. It is on the 10th floor of the lofty ASPAM building.
1--1--40 Yasukata, Aomori, Aomori-ken, 030-0803, Japan
017-734–5353
Known For
Abalone and sea-urchin soup
Teishoku set meals at good prices
Sea views
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed when the ASPAM building is closed. Call ahead
The highlights here are good sushi, tempura, and donburi—bowls with cutlets, tempura, or chicken on top of rice. In this old-fashioned establishment where typical Japanese dishes are served, there is something on the menu to suit anyone's taste.
2-3-7 Nanokamachi, Yamagata, Yamagata-ken, 990-0042, Japan
Crowded with locals, Mitsu-ishi has a convivial atmosphere and dishes that appeal to everyone. If you're in the mood for drinks and some finger food, take a seat at the bar where you can watch the action. Look for the mood-lighted white building with boxy dark roof.
A short walk from JR Yamagata Station will put you in front of some fine and slightly chewy Yamagata soba noodles. Everything is good here, but in summer try the hiyashi-dori soba (with cold chicken). The eatery is in a traditional black-wood-and-white-stucco building south of the station.
1-1-75 Uwa-machi, Yamagata, Yamagata-ken, 990-2483, Japan
Reimen—a dish of clear noodles served cold with spicy kimchi, hard-boiled egg, watermelon, and a slice of beef—is a Korean delicacy that has become one of Morioka's signature dishes. It is served in a set with another Korean item such as bibimbap (rice in a hot stone bowl, topped with pickled vegetables, mincemeat, and egg) in this airy modern restaurant near Morioka Station. Evening meals feature meat barbecued at the table.
9--3 Morioka Ekimaedori, Morioka, Iwate-ken, 020-0034, Japan
Try it for yourself and you'll see why people come here from all over Honshu for a cup of the ringo no reisei supu (cold apple soup topped with crusted baked apple skins). The totally organic "miracle" apples that farmer Kimura raises and the dishes chef Yamazaki prepares keep attracting customers.
41 Oyakata Machi, Hirosaki, Aomori-ken, 036-8191, Japan
Sagoro will serve you a full dose of some outstanding Yonezawa and Yamagata beef. It will be difficult to forget the beef's impossible tenderness. Although most dishes are pricey in the evenings in this sophisticated, upscale setting, there are some bargains at lunch for under. (Reservations are strongly recommended in the evenings.)
1--6--10 Kasumicho, Yamagata, Yamagata-ken, 990-0039, Japan
023-631–3560
Known For
Delectable, locally sourced beef
Reasonably priced lunches
Local flavor
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. (unless the following Mon. is a holiday)
Yamagata is famous for soba, and Shojiya is the oldest soba restaurant in Yamagata. Go for lunch and then wander around the neighborhood. The immediate area is interesting, with restored irrigation channels where five dams were built in 1623 to control flooding, as well as kimono and tea shops, and the historic city hall building.
Nanokamachi 2--7--6, Yamagata, Yamagata-ken, 990-0042, Japan
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