Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Sendai City

We loved Sendai!  It is the capital of Miyagi prefecture and the largest capital in Tohoku region.  Sendai is very cosmopolitan, but not huge like Tokyo.  It is famous for gyutan (beef tongue) and lots of drinking establishments.  

We were shocked and saddened to hear that the city and surrounding area had suffered major damage from the earthquake on March 11, 2011.  What happened to Isshin?  What happened to Genji?  What happened to Aguraya?  We had wonderful sake and meals at these izakaya in Sendai, and we hope that the people we met there are safe.  

Isshin Kagenkan, specialized in Miyagi sake and atsukan (warm) sake.  A do-it-yourself sake warming device is found on each table.  


 Sendai's famous gyutan (grilled beef tongue) at Isshin Kagenkan.  Isshin was not  a gyutan speciality restaurant, but their thick-sliced gyutan was delicious. 
 
Cute and knowledgeable wait staff Tomomi-san at Isshin Kagenkan.

 
Genji, which opened in 1950 is a Showa era retro izakaya at Bunka-Yokocho.  After World War II, the area revived and thrived.

Okami-san at Genji.  Tsukedashi (small dish) comes with one drink order. There is a maximum of 4 drinks  (sometime more).  We first ordered a beer which came with a small plate of Tororo (mountain yam) with raw egg.  This first round cost 1000 yen.  The raw egg was so fresh and sweet that it tasted like vanilla custard when mixed with the tororo.  Second round was Aramasa Namazake paired with fresh homemade tofu.  Cost was1000 yen.  The tofu was so fresh and had great soy bean flavors. The beauty of this place was the drinks always come with food.

 Owner chef Sato-san at Ajitsukushi Aguraya, in Kokubucho-Dori.  The izakaya was recommended by Mr. Aoki of Kanetake Aoki sake shop which is just outside of Sendai city.  The Kokubucho-Dori is a famous entertainment street where you can find izakaya and bars to night clubs.  

 Food, sake, and shochu menu are posted at the ceiling of Aguraya.  They offer a wide range of sake and shochu.

 Drinking Onumaya Tokubetsu Junmai, local Miyagi sake.  Once pasteurized sake.

The entrance to Aguraya on the 3rd Floor of Abe Fort Building. 


Isshin Kagenkan
3-3-1  Kokubu-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-0803
022-261-9889


Genji
2-4-8 Ichiban-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 
022-222-8485


Ajizukushi Aguraya
Abe Fort Building 3F
2-1-10 Kokubu-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-0803
022-262-8684



1 comment:

Martin J Frid said...

Nice posts, thanks for supporting Japan at this extraordinary time. Sendai City will most likely be ok, but I worry about the small rural communities along the coast.