I really want to try the "Kiritanpo Nabe" made with Akita ingredients, but they don't serve it until November because they don't have the authentic Mitsuba. So, for now, I leave it to the master chef, who always surprises us with his dishes. This restaurant doesn't have a menu per se, and the dishes just come out on their own. The atmosphere is retro and feels like you've stepped into the countryside of Akita with folk music playing in the background. I start with a 633 Kirin beer and enjoy the "Mozuku vinegar" appetizer. Then, the must-have dish at this restaurant, the "Tonburi" (houttuynia cordata seeds) arrives. I mix it with quail eggs and wasabi before savoring it. The taste is unique and delightful. Next, a generous sashimi platter with tuna, yellowtail, sea urchin, scallop, and prawn is served. I switch to "Tengu Mai" sake and enjoy the freshness of the sashimi. The "Ajinamero" (miso-marinated horse mackerel) arrives, and it's delicious. As the night progresses, I indulge in tempura with conger eel and summer vegetables, followed by Inaniwa udon. The meal ends with "Iburigakko" pickles and more sake. The hospitality of the restaurant makes you feel at home, and the time flies by. I'll definitely come back for the Kiritanpo Nabe when they have Mitsuba in stock. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

Visited with a father and daughter who both love drinking. The father had checked out this place from a TV show about bar-hopping (from about 3 years ago) and was interested in it. The menu doesn't list specific dishes, instead they create a course based on Akita ingredients available that day, tailored to your budget. They served unique Akita ingredients like tonburi and a vegetable similar to fuki, which made eating there enjoyable. The drinks were also from Akita, with the recommended one being Yamamoto Midnight Blue. The owner even complimented the daughter on her ability to drink. We ended up having pickles and smoked fish as well, although I forgot to take photos. Lastly, we had Inaniwa udon to finish off the meal. The 2-person course with 5 drinks cost around ¥18,000. A great place to go with adults. Thank you for the meal!

During the Bon holiday, I checked out a restaurant I had been wanting to visit for lunch on a weekday but couldn't make it to, and headed to Oga Peninsula. I arrived at 11:45 and was able to enter smoothly with only 3 customers ahead of me. I ordered the "Oyaji's Omakase Don" (1,500 yen) and it arrived promptly. The tuna looked delicious just by looking at it, and as expected, it was incredibly tasty. The miso soup also had a rich shrimp flavor, making it the best. For 1,500 yen, this was a great deal. I envy those who work nearby! It was really delicious. If possible, I will definitely revisit at the right time. Thank you for the meal!

Today, I finally made it to Oga Peninsula, a place I've been curious about but couldn't visit. I ordered a fresh cut of maguro tuna right in front of me. The negi maguro donburi (which changes daily and costs 800 yen this time) was delicious! The maguro here is so good that I want to come back every week. And the fact that it's this good at this price is amazing...

I had the "Oyaji's Omakase Don" for 1500 yen. It had tuna, sea urchin, amberjack, sweet shrimp, scallop, and salmon roe on top of the rice. There is also red meat underneath that you can't see in the picture. The rice is not vinegared, but it was slightly warm and delicious. I need to confirm by phone, but they also serve grilled chicken skewers made with Hichin Chicken at night.

Located a little outside of Monzen-Nakacho, this authentic Akita cuisine restaurant is run by a senior from my university who hails from Akita. I usually visit at night, but I decided to stop by for lunch as the owner mentioned, "Lunch doesn't make much profit, but we offer it as a service for local salarymen, so come try it out!" Upon entering, I was greeted by the owner who manages the place alone, and was seated at the counter with lanterns hanging above (he mentioned they cost ¥30,000 for 3 years, quite expensive...). Before I could even place an order, a lunch set with a bowl and small dishes was brought to me. I could see the owner preparing the "chef's choice bowl" in front of me, skillfully stacking tuna, yellowtail, sweet shrimp, scallops, sea urchin, salmon roe, egg, and minced tuna. The finished product was handed to me with a hearty weight, and at only ¥1,200, the volume and quality of the ingredients made it a great deal. The owner's commitment to serving lunch as a service truly made sense. In the evenings, the restaurant offers authentic Akita cuisine with ingredients sourced from Akita, including the delicious "tonburi," "iburi gakko," and "kiritampo nabe" (during winter). This retro establishment, playing only Akita folk songs featured in Yoshida Rui's "Sakaba Horoki," provides a nostalgic and authentic Japanese izakaya experience. The slightly intimidating owner, who used to teach judo at the Metropolitan Police Department, is actually quite talkative and enjoys striking up conversations, especially with female customers, showcasing a warm and playful side. With dishes like spring vegetable tempura in spring and "korokoro nabe" made with whale meat in summer, the restaurant offers seasonal delights throughout the year. I will definitely be stopping by again soon. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

When it comes to Kanpachi, I usually think of sashimi or the Kandachi Expressway, but Kanpachi simmered in soy sauce was a first for me. When it comes to "kama" (collar), people usually associate it with tuna or salmon, but it seems that's not always the case. I'm not sure about the average price for lunch in Monzen, but 600 yen seems reasonable. The dish came with a fairly large piece of Kanpachi cooked in a classic style that went well with the rice. Honestly, I couldn't really tell the unique taste of Kanpachi, and even if it was called flounder simmered in soy sauce, I wouldn't have noticed the difference. The miso soup had big clams in it. This 600 yen meal was made without cutting any corners. The smoked herring, which I love, may look plain but it was a delightful surprise. It seems to be a dish from Akita. I see, it must be from the Oga Peninsula. I ended up having to take a portrait of the Kanpachi simmered in soy sauce with my smartphone because my camera battery died. Sorry about that. Kanpachi simmered in soy sauce set meal: 600 yen.

This is a restaurant serving Akita cuisine located in Botancho, a little off the beaten path from Monzen-Nakacho Station. I visited during lunchtime for the first time and decided to go with the recommended Tekka-don for 500 yen. The chef sliced the sashimi right in front of me and served it beautifully. The meal came with seaweed soup, simmered dish, and pickles, all for just one coin, which is truly unbelievable cost performance. The rice was cooked just right, and the tuna was fresh and delicious. I promised myself to try the luxurious Oyaji's special donburi next time.

I visited around 12:35 for lunch. There were about 5-6 groups of customers already there. The menu seemed to focus on seafood bowls. Today, I had the chef's choice bowl for 1,000 yen. It included tuna, sweet shrimp, squid, yellowtail, negitoro, ikura, and tamagoyaki. It was quite a good deal for 1,000 yen. The negitoro and ikura were particularly delicious. However, the downside was the smoking. There was no non-smoking section, let alone a smoke-free policy. It's tough to enjoy lunch with people smoking nearby. It's probably because there are fewer places where you can smoke nowadays, so smokers tend to gather at places where it's allowed. Overall, I enjoyed my meal today.

In Monzen-Nakacho, there is a restaurant on the Oga Peninsula where you can have lunch around a hearth. It would be delicious to grill fish here. The chef's choice rice bowl is 1,000 yen and the scallops are thick and delicious. The simmered zucchini is also tasty. The pickles are seasoned just right with salt. The marinated rice bowl is rich and only 700 yen.

About 25 years ago, I worked in Akita City, and at that time the economy was decent. I used to visit high-end restaurants without price tags about once a month, so I pride myself on knowing the authentic taste. In the past 10 years, I have been living in Tokyo, but sometimes I have a strong craving for kiritanpo hot pot and I go to an Akita local cuisine restaurant in Ginza. However, I found that the taste was just average for the price, and my satisfaction level was not very high. By chance, I visited a restaurant introduced by Yoshii Ruji on his bar wandering show, which is conveniently close to my home. I usually don't trust TV shows, but I decided to give it a try. The dinner course consisted of various seasonal dishes such as smoked gakko and sashimi, all of which were delicious, probably due to their high-quality ingredients. I was particularly surprised by the taste of the sea urchin, which was on par with high-end sushi restaurants. The finale was the kiritanpo hot pot, made with ingredients sourced from Akita, and it truly captured the authentic taste (comparable to a 9 out of 10 for high-end restaurants). The master of the restaurant is elderly but very unique, prioritizing communication with customers. It is a charming place that makes you want to visit again, and I confidently recommend it to anyone who wants to try Akita local cuisine. The only downside is the limited variety of Akita sake.

This is a restaurant that offers a variety of dishes based on the price. They also serve seasonal dishes. Just so you know, there is no menu available.

A restaurant where you can enjoy Akita cuisine. The Akita kiritanpo is delicious. They also serve sashimi, tonburi, and shirako which are in season now. For the finishing touch, they offer Inaniwa udon.

"Tuna minced bowl 600 Even though I'm not a fan of minced meat, I was able to enjoy it very much. I would like to try going for dinner too."

I went out for lunch after a long time.