Shuhai (酒盃) Akita

⭐︎The cost performance of the Omakase Course is amazing!⭐︎6 types of appetizers:Flounder, Sea Bass, Snapper, and Octopus SashimiJunsai with Fugu VinegarOboro Tofu with SauceAnago, Fava Beans, Myoga, Asparagus TempuraHinai Chicken GrilledAgedashi TofuHinai Chicken SoupHandmade SobaI made a reservation a month in advance, and the place was fully booked. I was really looking forward to enjoying the appetizers and Japanese sake!With this amount of food, the course is an incredible value at just JPY 5000! It was also a fun experience to grill the Hinai chicken myself!The initial appetizers and the oboro tofu were incredibly delicious and paired perfectly with the sake! I received a recommendation from a certain sake brewery, and this izakaya did not disappoint! Less

I visited Shuhai, and the interior exudes a calm Japanese atmosphere, creating a cozy space filled with the warmth of wood. While it may not be flashy, it offers a relaxed environment to enjoy food and drinks, making it an ideal spot for both casual visits alone and special meals with loved ones.The dishes are centered around seasonal ingredients, with each item carefully prepared. The gentle seasoning respects the natural flavors of the ingredients, allowing the aroma of the dashi and the essence of the seasons to shine through. The freshness of the fish dishes is evident, and the grilled and simmered items are cooked to perfection, enhancing the appeal of each ingredient.As the name suggests, the pairing with drinks is exceptional. Savoring the Japanese sake alongside the food elevates the flavors even further. The timing of the dish presentations is pleasant, allowing for enjoyable conversations while spending a leisurely time until the end.The staff's service is attentive and friendly, providing clear explanations about the dishes and drinks, which left a positive impression. Their thoughtful attention to detail creates a welcoming atmosphere, making it easy to enjoy a meal even on your first visit.Shuhai is a charming establishment where you can enjoy delicious Japanese cuisine and carefully selected drinks in a tranquil setting. With the changing seasonal flavors and combinations with Japanese sake, it’s a place I look forward to visiting again. Less

Finally arrived at Shuhai, a long-awaited destination.I secured a reservation a month in advance.Entering the charming building, I stored my shoes in the designated area with my reservation name displayed.I was led to a private room where I began the feast with a friend.Starting with beer, I opted for the JPY 5000 sake and appetizer course.I was amazed by the quality of each dish.Is this price really okay?【Hassun】White marinated sardines, chicken liver, and delicious octopus.The balance of wild vegetables was exquisite.【Fugu with Junsai】【Sashimi】【Oboro Tofu】【Tempura of Anago and Wild Vegetables】【Hinai Chicken Grilled】The Hinai chicken was irresistible, perfect for eating raw.【Agedashi Tofu】【Chicken Soup】【Handmade Soba】This is what you expect from a soba shop, and it was of high quality.I finished with a splash of Akita sake.The soba broth was rich and delicious.The phrase "good balance" truly resonates in this place.While nothing was particularly shocking, the series of dishes at this price brought me to tears.It's a paradise for sake lovers.The staff's hospitality was also delightful.We drank about 7 go of Japanese sake between the two of us, and for this price, it was a steal. Less

RevisitAfter 7 years, I returned to this place, which reigns as the best izakaya in Japan【4.11】. The quality and pricing of this restaurant have set the benchmark for izakayas in Akita City. It seems that when you enter an izakaya in the Tohoku region and mention you’re from Akita, you’re met with visible disdain...Currently, there is only one course available for JPY 5000 (the JPY 4000 course has been discontinued). Here are the dishes that were served:1. Appetizer: Hassun White miso with wild celery, simmered herring, iwashi (sardine) with egg flower, Pounded bracken, chicken miso with nanban sauce, smoked white liver from Hinai chicken.2. Sashimi (Seafood) Flounder, rockfish, octopus, surf clam.3. Vinegared Dish Shio-sai fugu (pufferfish), water shield, topped with momiji oroshi (grated daikon).4. Soup-1 (Tofu Dish) Tofu, sweet shrimp, dashi sauce.5. Sashimi (Hinai Chicken) - Additional: JPY 1800 Sasami (chicken breast), liver, gizzard, rectum, heart, and egg yolk.6. Tempura Anago (conger eel), skinned oil, Sanai carrot (a traditional vegetable from the Yokote area), sweet pepper.7. Grilled (Hinai Chicken) Breast, neck, heart, rectum, outside skirt, liver.8. Soup-2 (Vegetable Dish) Turnip and nagaimo (Japanese yam) with buckwheat groats in sauce, topped with green beans.9. Soup-3 (Final Soup) Hinai chicken tsukune (meatball), shiitake mushroom, green onion, chicken dashi.10. Handmade Soba 100% buckwheat from the northern region, served with condiments (grated daikon juice, genuine wasabi from Niigata, salt).Three of us enjoyed the following sake, totaling 10 go + extras, with the bill coming to just over JPY 32,000. Yuki no Bisha, Bishu no Sekkei Chokai Mountain, Junmai Hidetsu, Junmai, Nakadori Kariho, Yamato Shizuku, Junmai Ginjo Yuki no Bijin, Junmai Yuki no Bisha, Yamahai Mansaku no Hana, Kame no O Shikomi, Junmai Ginjo Oohirayama, Kimoto.Here are my impressions of the meal: - The structure of the course was almost the same as 7 years ago, and I was astonished that the price remained unchanged... The discontinuation of the JPY 4000 course likely helped reduce ingredient procurement costs, leading to a relative increase in customer spending. I have great respect for this.- The Hinai chicken sashimi we ordered as an extra was excellent. In other places, it’s often served as tataki or low-temperature cooked, which can be disappointing, but here it was genuine sashimi, complete with the digestive tract as a bonus. The standout was the melt-in-your-mouth liver, which was by far the best I’ve ever had. This is a dish you can only enjoy by visiting the location. Since there was only one serving available, it’s advisable to order it when making a reservation.- On the other hand, while delicious, the grilled dishes were a bit gruesome. The rectum: the tube was quite realistic and pierced through with chopsticks... (see photo 11) The heart: when opened, the left and right atria and ventricles were realistically arranged. (No photo) Less

On the first night of my trip to Akita, I visited this restaurant based on a recommendation from a friend I met during my time in Tokyo. It was a bit challenging to go alone, so I made a reservation a month in advance.Since there were quite a few of us, we were given a private room where we enjoyed a variety of dishes. We started with a seasonal platter (including beef simmered in soy sauce, deep-fried river shrimp, warabi (bracken) salad, white sesame tofu with wild vegetables, smoked mackerel, and chicken meatballs), followed by sashimi, tofu with sauce, cold dish with fugu and junsai (I missed taking a photo of this), tempura, grilled Hinai chicken, and seasonal vegetable dishes (which I believe included bamboo shoots in sauce), finishing off with a soup and soba. Along the way, I was intrigued by the Hinai chicken oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl) and ordered that as well.As for drinks, I started with beer to quench my thirst, then moved on to Akita's local sake, ordering a total of six go (180ml each), including the original label of Ippakusui and Harukasumi, which had impressed me during my first visit to Akita. To finish, I ordered Aramasa, making it feel like I was fully immersed in Akita.Each sake dish was not just outstanding in one aspect; rather, they were all well-prepared and paired perfectly with the drinks.Although Aramasa was priced at JPY 1,700 per glass, which pushed the total over JPY 10,000, the overall cost performance was astonishingly good, as it would have been around JPY 10,000 per person otherwise. It truly felt like a wonderful way to kick off my trip to Akita.I hear they also welcome solo diners, so as I find myself spending more time in Tohoku, I’ll definitely keep this place in mind when I want to indulge in Akita’s warm hospitality. (However, since I usually plan my trips to Akita for the evening, it remains to be seen when I’ll get the chance to visit this restaurant.) Less