I visited Nakamura, a tempura restaurant located about a 4-minute walk from Yaizu Station. This establishment is run by a former apprentice of the renowned tempura restaurant Narumi. The ingredients used here are primarily sourced from the Sasae Maeda Fish Shop and local producers. Reservations are required either through omakase or by phone, and I... More
I visited Nakamura, a tempura restaurant located about a 4-minute walk from Yaizu Station. This establishment is run by a former apprentice of the renowned tempura restaurant Narumi. The ingredients used here are primarily sourced from the Sasae Maeda Fish Shop and local producers. Reservations are required either through omakase or by phone, and I was fortunate to be invited to join this time. We started at noon and left by 2:30 PM. The seating is at the counter, accommodating either pairs or solo diners. Being at the counter allows you to watch the chef prepare and fry the vegetables right in front of you, which is fascinating as you can see how long the ingredients are fried.Omakase Course (approximately JPY 25,000)- Corn puree- Hanadai (a type of fish)- Fresh tuna from Yaizu- Grated daikon- Mebaru (a type of rockfish)- Fresh shirasu (young sardines)- Young green bean sprouts- Shimizu's Orido eggplant- White sweetfish- Aori squid- Horse mackerel- Carrot- Seaweed tempura- Vinegared side dish for palate cleansing- Young corn- Ayu (sweetfish) from the Okitsu River- Kinmedai (golden eye snapper)- Mirai (sweet corn)- Sawara (Spanish mackerel)- Kuro-mutsu (black mutsu)- Sweet potato- Tempura rice tea- Shiratama zenzai (sweet red bean soup with rice dumplings)After trying the entire course, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety and how filling it was for lunch. The sashimi and corn puree were delicious, but the seafood was outstanding, leaving me in awe of the quality of the fish sourced from Sasae. The horse mackerel and sawara were particularly tasty. I even tried the fresh shirasu as tempura, and the ayu tempura was delightful given the season. The light batter allowed me to savor the natural flavors of the ingredients. I hope to visit the original Narumi someday. It was a luxurious and satisfying lunch, and I truly enjoyed it.It was a great meal! Less
