Keen On The Groumets In The Tohoku Region? The Best 10 Local Restaurants!

If you head to the northern part of Japan, there is the Tohoku region. In this area, a cool weather and rich nature have developed many local gourmets. With the concept of “food tour in 6 prefectures in the Tohoku region”, I will introduce the best 10 gourmets, including B-grade cuisine, with the restaurants!

Towada Bara Yaki

The local dish from Towada City, Aomori, “Towada Bara Yaki” is what you must try when going on a trip in the Tohoku region. The standard Bara Yaki is a dish that the beef, onions and the sweet and salty sauce are grilled altogether. A combination of beef and onions is the best!

If you want to try that Towada Bara Yaki, visit “Bara Yaki Public Restaurant Tsukasa”. Under the tent style roof, you can try a B-grade cuisine! Locally grown ingredients are used not only for Bara Yaki, but also for other menus. Come to Towada, Aomori if you are keen on going on a trip in the Tohoku region.

Emban Gyoza

When it comes to Gyoza, many of you might think of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka or Utsunomiya, Tochigi. However, you must try Gyoza in the Tohoku region too! “Emban Gyoza” in Fukushima, each Gyoza is put in a disk-shape (Emban).

For Emban Gyoza, “Gyoza Terui” is the most popular restaurant in Fukushima. Using a plenty of oil, the skins get so crispy that it makes the sound when you eat it. As Gyoza itself is quite small, it is easy to finish it up yourself. It also goes well with cold beers! Just try!

Fukuda Pan

One of the soul foods in Iwate, it is “Fukuda Pan (bread)”. It was originated at the long established bakery “Fukuda Pan” and it has just become the name of the local product. It is actually just a roll that has been loved in Japan. The building itself looks like a school, and tables are just like the ones at school that everyone in Japan is familiar.

Here, you can choose more than 2 toppings what to put in a roll! Surprisingly, there often are people lining up right in front of the bakery. You might need to get ready for that before visiting this place! The rolls can be sold at the supermarkets or convenience stores, so check it out if you think you don’t have enough time to queue up. Fukuda Pan, which has been popular for so long, is what you must try in Iwate!

Dondon Yaki

“Dondon Yaki” originally comes from Yamagata, and it tastes more like Okonomiyaki. As it is in a stick-shaped and easy to carry, you can eat it while enjoying a walk! So even when you are to busy to go on a sightseeing in Yamagata, you can still have some Dondon Yaki while you are moving around!

Located in Yamagata city of Yamagata, “Oyatsuyasan” is a restaurant specialising in Dondon Yaki. It is the only restaurant that has an eat-in space. Menu varies from the standard ones to the ones with cheese or eggs. Just try this beautiful dish once you are in Yamagata!

Yokote Yakisoba

When it comes to the local gourmet in Akita, it is “Yokote Yakisoba”! Yokote Yakisoba has its root in Yokote City of Akita, a town of Yakisoba. It is a little different from the regular Yakisoba as the noodles are quite thick and straight.

Yokote Yakisoba comes with pork, some cabbage, the special sauce, eggs, and pickled vegetables. The popular restaurant for Yokote Yakisoba “Kuidouraku” has been awarded for Yokote Yakisoba for 9 years in a row. Kuidouraku is where you can enjoy the real taste of Yokote Yakisoba! If you have a chance to visit Akita, try this dish!

Zunda Shake

The local gourmet in Sendai City of Miyagi is a rice cake with edamame – “Zunda Mochi”. Many of you might have received this gourmet as a souvenir or a gift. It is a rice cake that you can enjoy the natural taste of beans. “Zunda Shake”, as its name, is a shake of Zunda. This also has the real taste of beans. The flavour is not only light, but it is also healthy.

If you are looking to try Zunda Shake, “Zunda Saryo” is recommended! It is a chain cafe that has a few stores within the city of Sendai. As it has a chain store at the Sendai airport, why not try before going back home?

Cold Ramen

It says “Cold Ramen” – but it actually is not a chilled Chinese noodles! They are completely different. Chilled Chinese noodles doesn’t have the broth whereas the broth is cold for Cold Ramen.

“Sakaeya Honten” is a first restaurant to serve a bowl of Cold Ramen. The broth is quite nice with the chewy noodles. If you want some unique dining experience in the Tohoku region, try Sakaeya Honten!

Wankosoba

Have you ever heard of “Wanko Soba”? Wanko Soba is an unique local dish with a little bowl of Soba noodles. When you eat it, the waiter put the next bundle of noodles, and it keeps going on until you close the lid onto the bowl.

That Wankosoba was originated in Iwate. A long established restaurant “Azumaya” offers you a Wanko Soba. With the chants of “Hai, Jan Jan!”, it just keeps going on! Soba noodles taste amazing also. This is a must-try experience once you are in the Tohoku region!

Babahera Ice Cream / Babahera Soft Serve

In Akita, elderly women start selling the ice cream on the side of the road in summer. Covering their heads with scarfs under the beach umbrella, their jobs are to sell the ice creams to people. That ice cream is called “Babahera Ice Cream”. Some of them have an amazing skill to make the shape of roses with the ice cream.

Babahera Ice Cream is also sold by a company called “Shindoreika”. There are a lot of places,including the airport and shopping centres, that you can purchase the ice cream. At the roadside station “Therion”, you can get the limited “Babahera Soft Serve”. This is what you must try in Akita!

Miharu Gourmenchi

“Miharu Gourmenchi” is a new local gourmet from Miharu Town of Fukushima prefecture. By the way, do you like green peppers? Miharu Town is popular as the producer of green peppers. That is why Miharu Gourmenchi was born, with a lot of green peppers used as the ingredient.

Miharu Gourmenchi is a minced meat cutlet. As it is quite juicy, you don’t need any sauce – just go like that! Even if you don’t like green peppers that much, Miharu Gourmenchi is probably something you would like to try! If you are planning to go on a trip, you can visit “Toribun Butcher”!

Let’s Enjoy The Local Gourmets In The Tohoku Region

How was it? I have introduced the best local gourmets originated from the Tohoku region. From noodles to breads, sweets… there are a lot of genres. Which one did you find interesting the most? Each prefecture has a different culture and cuisine, so you can actually compare the difference and enjoy the gourmets in the Tohoku area!