3 Best Restaurants in Tohoku, Japan

Maruhachi Yatarazuke

$$ Fodor's choice
Housed in a converted warehouse in the Maruhachi Yatarazuke complex, the Komian Maruhachi restaurant serves traditional Yamagata dishes such as soba noodles and imoni potato hot pot, as well as unusual sushi made with pickles from theYatarazuke shop right next door. You can try them all in the "Three tastes of Yamagata" set (¥1,620). For a drink try Tachinomi-dokoro, the standing bar on the far side of the shop, offering all the pickles you can eat for ¥300.
Japanese Lunch Dinner Quick Bite $$ Fodor's Choice
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)
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Restaurant closed 1st Wed. of month. Bar closed Sun. No lunch

Mimasu Sushi and Bento

$$

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.

Japanese Lunch Dinner Quick Bite $$
2-3-7 Nanokamachi, Yamagata, Yamagata-ken, 990-0042, Japan
023-632–1252
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

Shojiya

$$

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.

Japanese Lunch Dinner Quick Bite $$
Nanokamachi 2--7--6, Yamagata, Yamagata-ken, 990-0042, Japan
023-673–9639
Known For
  • friendly atmosphere
  • Yamagata's famous chewy soba
  • cold soba and tempura

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