"I never thought I could eat something like this in a place like this." That's what I thought when I tried the seafood hitsumabushi at this store in 'Lalaport Sakai'. While it's common to see seafood bowls in food courts, on this day in early May, I visited 'Tsukiji Sunemon' which offers a variety of seafood dishes including seafood bowls, sushi, and unadon. I decided to try their recommended seafood hitsumabushi, which was a limited edition dish inspired by the Matsusaka Fair that was happening at Lalaport Sakai at the time. The hitsumabushi included tuna, fatty tuna, white fish, eel, thick omelette, squid, flying fish roe, boiled whitebait, pickled radish, and Matsusaka red pickles (which have a unique salty, sour, and fragrant taste). I tried it first as it was, then mixed it with the plum paste provided, and finally poured over the dashi broth (which had a hint of fragrant Matsusaka tea). While I had tried eel hitsumabushi before, this was my first time trying a variety of seafood in hitsumabushi. I was impressed by the subtle change in texture and flavor when the warm broth was added, as well as the perfect harmony between the refreshing plum paste and the seafood. If you're looking to try something different and unique, I recommend giving this seafood hitsumabushi a try at this place."

I used to have a bad impression of the seafood bowl at the food court, but this one seemed to be made by a skilled chef. I had it with soy sauce for the first bowl, mixed with plum paste for the second bowl, and with dashi broth for the third bowl. The fish was of good quality and the taste was quite delicious. Thank you for the meal!

I am "Noronori," mainly exploring lunch spots around Sakai. The highlight at Rinku Premium Outlets in Sakai is the seafood hitsumabushi. There are three types: 980 yen, 1,380 yen, and 2,080 yen. I opted for the middle one. The colorful presentation was delightful. The first bowl is served as a seafood bowl, the second bowl is mixed with plum for a refreshing taste, and the third bowl is topped with hot broth. The broth was also delicious, with a hint of Kanto-style dashi. All three ways of eating were delicious. Thank you for the meal.

After the opening of Lalaport Sakai for 3 months, my husband and I decided to check if it was getting crowded. We arrived a little after 11 am to have an early lunch, and headed to the food court on the 3rd floor. Both of us agreed on trying the seafood hitsumabushi at this restaurant. We opted for the top rank, the Kaiho Hitsumabushi for 1380 yen. Unlike other restaurants, there was no line and when we looked at the small menu, we were asked to check the bigger menu inside the restaurant. The hitsumabushi came with 10 different toppings including tuna, white fish, conger eel, and egg, and you could enjoy it in three different ways. The first serving was warm sushi rice with wasabi and soy sauce, the second serving was mixed with pickled plum for a light flavor, and the third serving was enjoyed as a tea-infused soup. I felt that it would have been better if there were some pickles or simmered dishes as side dishes. While the toppings were tasty, they were not exceptionally good, just a normal delicious hitsumabushi.

Great seafood at the food court! Among the lineup of various stores, the seafood hitsumabushi caught my eye! Despite being allergic to amberjack, they removed it for me, which was impressive for a food court. The seafood was delicious, with a variety of flavors mixed in. It was fun to try different ways of eating it, but personally, I prefer seafood bowls, so next time, I'll make sure to get extra seafood bowl! ^_^

It's halfway eaten, but overall it's just average. It's not bad, but it's not particularly delicious either. There are flavors like bonito broth and plum paste, allowing you to enjoy different tastes. Nothing really stands out as amazing, but there were no disappointments either.

Seafood bowl, here it's called "Kaio Hitsumabushi" and it's aimed to look good (lol). This was mainly chosen by my dining partner. It's a bowl of warm white rice with seafood scattered on top. The first bowl is just as it is, the second bowl is...what was it again?? The third bowl comes with a small pot of dashi for Hitsumabushi, so you can enjoy it three ways. The dashi is a bit spicy, in the Kanto style. It's a crispy finish. The finely chopped seafood looks neat and beautiful. Thank you for the meal!

Large commercial facility, Lalaport Sakai, will open on November 8, 2022✨ A seafood bowl specialty store with its main store in Tsukiji, Tokyo, will have its first outlet in Kansai on the 3rd floor food court. The restaurant offers carefully selected ingredients by a chef with a 2-star Michelin background. Their specialty, "Kaishun Hitsumabushi," is a luxurious seafood bowl made with a variety of seasonal ingredients such as tuna and white fish. The first bowl is a seafood bowl, the second bowl is plum rice for a refreshing taste, and the third bowl is dashi tea soup. You can enjoy changing the taste to your liking, providing a satisfying experience✨ The impressive "Unatama-don" features sweet egg and eel piled on rice soaked in a special sauce, with a total weight of a whopping 1 kilogram✨ The flavorful and crispy eel adds to the substantial size of the dish♪ * If you can't finish it, you can take it home wrapped in plastic wrap. [Menu Ordered This Time] ◼ Kaishun Hitsumabushi 980 yen ◼ Unatama-don (large) 2,080 yen

I headed straight to the food court on the 3rd floor of Lalaport Sakai. It was around 4 pm and a bit early for dinner, so my husband and I decided to share a seafood bowl at this place since he hadn't eaten lunch yet. We ordered the "Eel and Seafood Hitsumabushi" for 1380 yen. The deluxe option was a bit over our budget! I was surprised at how expensive it was for a food court. The seafood hitsumabushi looked colorful and appetizing with tuna, salmon, white fish, eel, flying fish roe, and pickled radish. The pickled radish added a nice crunch. We enjoyed it with plum paste first and then poured the broth over it to make ochazuke. It was surprisingly refreshing and delicious. Even though it looked like a lot in the sushi tub, the amount of rice was just right.

The large commercial facility opened will be the last one this year on November 8th, "Lalaport Sakai." The introduction article will be officially released on the blog in advance in the form of a "Tabelog" pre-upload. In terms of food and beverage stores, there are no standout stores, especially on the 12th floor. However, there is an interesting store in the food court "Sakai Food Kitchen" on the 3rd floor. Lalaport Sakai's first to eat, Part 2, "Picturesque Cuisine," this store is also... "Tsukiji Sonuemon Lalaport Sakai Store" (Osaka, Sakai City) The name of the store comes from Mori Sonuemon, detailed below. I'll make a quick comment. The category is Kansai's first Michelin two-star chef's carefully selected ingredients. Enjoy the skills cultivated in the fish-eating culture of Tsukiji. From this store name and description, you might get the impression of "a long-established famous store with a main store in Tsukiji, Tokyo" opening its first store in Kansai. However, this is just a hint at Tsukiji. Additionally, there is a hint of Michelin... On November 21, 2020, "Tsukiji Sonuemon" opened. On November 1, 2021, Mint Kobe store opened. On April 25, 2022, Lalaport Shonan Hiratsuka store opened. The opening was very recent, so there is not much history. Moreover, the store is "ZIPANGU," whose parent company is "Risou Jitsugyo," in other words, the ramen restaurant "Doutonbori Kanza." Last year, the headquarters moved from Nara to Osaka. The subject is not so much "Tsukiji Sonuemon with its main store in Tsukiji, Tokyo" but rather "ZIPANGU with its headquarters in Osaka (Doutonbori Kanza)." The operation company of "Doutonbori Kanza" has opened a store in Tsukiji. Also, there is already a Mint Kobe store, so it is not the first in Kansai. If we limit it to "a store that serves seafood bowls in the food court," then we can say it is the first in Kansai. Leaving that aside, I ordered the Una-Tama Donburi for 2,080 yen. Una-Tama Donburi with this visual and weight of one kilogram... It's clearly reminiscent of the towering Eel-Tama Donburi at Izumo. As a bowl, it looks good, and most importantly, it has a satisfying eating experience. (Aside) Legend: Mori Sonuemon and the Incident at Honno-ji Temple. After surviving the Incident, Ieyasu Tokugawa, who was in Sakai, was able to escape to Okazaki with the help of Mori Sonuemon and the fishermen who provided a boat. This created a bond, and in 1590, when Ieyasu Tokugawa entered Kanto, 33 fishermen including Mori Sonuemon were called to Edo. At that time, Edo's fishing technology mainly focused on single-line fishing, with low catches per fishing. The cutting-edge fishing technology was in the Kansai region, so they were needed. The fishermen were given a permit to fish anywhere in Edo, and they received generous protection. They filled a tidal flat given as a residence by Ieyasu Tokugawa and named it after their hometown, "Tsukuda Island." This is still reflected in the current place name. They were ordered by Ieyasu Tokugawa to provide fish to Edo Castle as a tribute, with Shira-uwo (white fish) favored by Ieyasu Tokugawa. For other fish, they were free to sell. Sonuemon's second son, Kuzemon, opened a fish market, which is considered the origin of Nihonbashi Fish Market, and Nihonbashi flourished until it moved to Tsukiji Market after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923. Moreover, fish that were not for sale, such as small fish (miscellaneous fish), were sold as "Tsukudani." Originally, the fishermen of Tsukuda Village used to make boiled small fish and shellfish as a preserved food for fishing trips, and this became a product named Tsukudani in Edo, which was sold. Due to its high preservability and low price, Tsukudani was accepted by the common people of Edo. Furthermore, during the Sankin-kotai, when the samurai who stayed in Edo returned to their hometowns, Tsukudani became a famous souvenir from Edo, spreading to various regions nationwide.

It's spicy. I want to eat it with some broth poured over! Looks Instagrammable.

Una-don (eel rice bowl) is difficult for women to finish because of the large amount of rice. The top part of the rice is spicy due to the sauce, while the bottom part lacks sauce, making it unsatisfying. It might be better to mix the toppings with the rice first. However, even then, it may be too salty for people from Kansai region.

I ordered the Una-don (large) and it had a big impact in terms of appearance. However, the taste was like supermarket eel and there was too little sauce for the amount of rice.

I had the eel bowl last time, which was huge, and this time I tried the seafood hitsumabushi. Both were delicious. The eel bowl was so big that even sharing it between two people was enough. They even provided plastic wrap so I could take some rice balls home. The seafood hitsumabushi was also very tasty, but it might be a bit pricey. If I had to choose between paying 2000 yen again, I would go for the eel bowl next time. The staff was very friendly.

Three ways of eating is great.

Unadon was not good, not worth the price. Especially the rice was bad, left it uneaten.