7 Must-Eat Delicacies in Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka is easily accessible from Tokyo and Nagoya, and has plentiful resources to help its food culture grow. Getting to savor local delicacies while on holiday will no doubt make for great memories, so here is an introduction to some great Shizuoka foods and places to eat them that you will definitely love!
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1. Kurasawaya's Sakura Shrimp [Yui]
The specialty of Kurasawaya is sakura shrimp, a very precious ingredient that can only be caught in Suruga Bay. A wide variety of dishes on the menu contain this ingredient, including Sakura Shrimp Kamameshi (1,296 yen), Sakura Shrimp Sashimi (648 yen), Kamaage (648 yen), and so on. While it is possible to order a la carte, the Sakura Shrimp Course (4,536 yen) comes highly recommended as you can eat as much of this shrimp as you want!
The Kakiage (594 yen) is so crispy that most customers just can’t get enough of it! Made with thin batter, it is recommended that customers dip it in some salt before eating. As the restaurant is located on high ground right next to the sea, customers can enjoy looking out over Suruga Bay or the Izu Peninsula.
2. Mikawaya's Shizuoka Oden [Shizuoka]
The broth of the Shizuoka oden at Mikawaya is added to daily and slowly stewed to perfection. The unique dark color of the broth is testament to just how long it has been stewing for. It is a rich broth that contains the condensed flavors of soy sauce, beef tendon, pork giblets, and so on. The so-called representative of Shizuoka oden, Beef Tendon Oden (200 yen), is extremely popular, as is the Black Hanpen (120 yen), which uses not only fish meat, but also fish bones and skin. They go amazingly well with mustard!
There are lots of oden restaurants around Shizuoka Station. In particular, there are 70 oden restaurants lined up along Aoba Yokocho, a shopping alley where Mikawaya is located.
3. Donburi House's Raw Whitebait [Mochimune]
This restaurant uses prefabricated housing and a tent as its base. It is closed during bad weather, but when it is open, customers can fully enjoy the atmosphere of the port from there. The specialty of Mochimune Fishing Port is whitebait, and customers are able to eat raw whitebait freshly caught at the fishing port itself.
A mountain of delicious whitebait is piled on top of rice in the popular Raw Whitebait Rice Bowl (600 yen). Pour some soy sauce over the dish before eating for the ultimate experience. The whitebait are packed full of flavor, and customers are often surprised by just how many they can actually eat! This hearty dish comes with miso soup.
4. Sekibeya's Abekawa Mochi [Shizuoka]
Abekawa mochi is one of the classic dishes of Shizuoka. This mochi (pounded rice cake) is dusted with roasted soy bean flour and is characterized by its extreme softness. It could be said that Sekibeya is actually the birthplace of Abekawa mochi! The interior of this long-established restaurant contains old furniture and a raised tatami mat seating area.
Freshly made Abekawa Mochi (600 yen) can be eaten inside the restaurant. The mochi is hot, chewy, and soft, and is dusted with the exquisite combination of roasted soy bean flour and white sugar. As it is an unbaked confectionery, the sooner it is eaten the better.
5. Chojiya's Tororo Soup [Shizuoka]
If you want to try tororo (grated yam) soup in Shizuoka, then Chojiya is the place to visit! The specialty of this particular area is top-quality wild yam, which is grown naturally in the Yamanaka area. The tororo soup of Chojiya uses this very sticky yam in its rich soup along with bonito flake extract. Mariko (1,440 yen) is a set meal which consists of tororo soup, mugi-meshi (rice and barley), miso soup, seasonings, and pickles. Pour the tororo soup over the mugi-meshi before eating.
This restaurant is situated in a traditional Japanese-style house with a thatched roof. Inside, customers can enjoy a true Edo era (1603 – 1867) atmosphere. It almost feels as though one has travelled back in time! Any exhaustion from travelling will soon disappear after eating the delicious food here!
6. Fujinomiya Yakisoba Gakkai Antenna Shop's Fujinomiya Yakisoba [Fujinomiya]
Currently famous across Japan is Fujinomiya yakisoba, a local dish of Fujinomiya City in Shizuoka Prefecture. Different to traditional yakisoba, Fujinomiya yakisoba is characterized by its chewy and firm texture. Most customers who eat Fujinomiya yakisoba for the first time are pleasantly surprised.
The Fujinomiya Yakisoba (450 yen) of this restaurant contains traditional ingredients such as cabbage, pork, and green onions. It is covered in Worchester sauce for a fruity and refreshing flavor. It goes amazingly well with alcoholic drinks such as beer!
7. Ishimatsu Main Branch's Hamamatsu Gyoza [Enshu Komatsu]
The gyoza (dumplings) of Hamamatsu are luxuriously made with Shizuoka pork. Ishimatsu Main Branch specializes in Hamamatsu Gyoza (10 pieces for 600 yen), which come served freshly cooked on a plate. The Set Meal (380 yen) including rice, miso soup, and a salad, and the Miso Offal (580 yen) are popular items to eat alongside the gyoza.
It is recommended to have boiled bean sprouts with the gyoza. They are surprisingly lightly seasoned and very easy to eat.
This article has picked out the very best of Shizuoka cuisine for your enjoyment. Just looking at the photographs alone can make one's mouth water! Next time you visit Shizuoka Prefecture, keep these foods in mind and have a wonderful, delicious time!
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The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.
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