Double Your Travel Memories! 5 Must-Try Local Dishes to Enjoy Alongside the Sendai Tanabata Festival｜Sendai Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Guide-

Update-date: Jul 16 2024

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

Double Your Travel Memories! 5 Must-Try Local Dishes to Enjoy Alongside the Sendai Tanabata Festival｜Sendai

The "Sendai Tanabata Festival" will be held from August 6th to 8th. The overwhelming display of Tanabata decorations adorning the arcade in front of the station is truly magnificent, and can be described as the "largest in Japan." After fully enjoying this summer tradition, the correct course of the trip is to savor Sendai's gourmet cuisine. Here are five restaurants where you can enjoy the flavors that Miyagi is proud of, starting with beef tongue.

See full listings of restaurants found in and around Sendai and Miyagi.

1. Sendai [Miyagi's Local Cuisine Koshitsu × Okageya Sendai Honten]

All rooms are private! A wide variety of local dishes from Miyagi and Tohoku using local ingredients

A 5-minute walk from JR Sendai Station, [Miyagi's Local Cuisine Koshitsu× Okageya Sendai Honten] offers a taste of Tohoku's local dishes, including Miyagi, featuring fresh seafood directly from the port and, of course, beef tongue. The prefecture's representative specialty, 'Miyagi Prefecture Seri Nabe,' can be ordered as a single dish or as part of a course. This signature dish is highly satisfying, right down to the final rice porridge.

All seats, from couple seats for 2 people to seats for 4 or 8 people, are fully private rooms with doors. By connecting rooms, it is also possible to hold banquets for large groups. There are about 40 types of rich local sake from Miyagi. For an additional fee to the course, popular sake such as 'Hagi no Tsuru' and 'Souten Den' are also available for all-you-can-drink. Daytime drinking is also very welcome!

Miyagi Local Cuisine Koshitsu x Okageya Sendai Honten

Open: [Sunday,Saturday,Holidays] 11:30 am - 10:30 pm (last order 10:00 pm)[Weekday] 3:00 pm - 10:30 pm (last order 10:00 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,000 JPY
More Details Reservation

2. Sendai [Gyutan Sumiyaki Rikyu Sunmall Ichibancho-ten]

Thick but tender, the restaurant's special beef tongue. Enjoy the unique umami to the fullest.

Thick yet tender, the restaurant's special beef tongue is a must-try for savoring its unique flavor.

One of the 20 restaurants in the prefecture, [Gyutan Sumiyaki Rikyu Sunmall Ichibancho-ten], is a 10-minute walk from Sendai Station. The gyutan [beef tongue], which is considered difficult to handle, is all finished by hand. Furthermore, the thick but tender texture and rich flavor, brought out by the skills of experienced grill masters, are exquisite. The depth of the menu, with over 20 types of gyutan dishes, is also a secret to its popularity.

Double Your Travel Memories! 5 Must-Try Local Dishes to Enjoy with the Sendai Tanabata Festival｜Sendai

The first floor features spacious counter seats and box-type table seats. It is bustling with regular customers and travelers who enjoy the 'Gyutan Set Meal' casually. The tatami room, which can accommodate up to 30 people, is perfect for savoring a course meal with an all-you-can-drink option. With a kids' menu available, it is also reassuring for families. Guests can relax and enjoy their time in a warm atmosphere.

Gyutan Sumiyaki Rikyu Sun Mall Ichibancho-ten

Open: Lunch from 11:30-15:00 (last order at 14:30) / Dinner from 17:00-23:00 (last order at 22:30)*On December 31st, dinner will be from 17:00-21:00 (last order at 20:30).
Closed: Mondays
Average price: [Dinner] 2,000 JPY
Access: 10 minutes walk from JR Sendai Station
Address: 2-3-27 Ichiban-cho , Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi
More Details Reservation

3. Sendai [Sendai Bar MUSUBI]

The blessings of the countryside, mountains, and sea. Seasonal ingredients from Sendai showcased in creative dishes based on Japanese cuisine.

Bounty from the countryside, mountains, and sea. Seasonal ingredients from Sendai showcased in creative dishes based on Japanese cuisine.

Located a 5-minute walk from JR Sendai Station, at [Sendai Bar MUSUBI], guests can enjoy creative cuisine that blends Japanese and Western elements. The restaurant uses carefully selected ingredients from 'Toretate [freshly picked] Sendai,' which promotes the charm of Sendai's agricultural products. Diners can experience the delicious flavors of Sendai, including brand beef like Hidakami beef and fresh fish purchased at the Sendai Morning Market.

Double the Memories of Your Trip! 5 Must-Try Local Dishes to Enjoy Alongside the Sendai Tanabata Festival｜Sendai

Located on the 13th floor of the Daiwa Roynet Hotel Sendai West Exit, this restaurant offers an excellent location. Guests can enjoy a half-buffet lunch or à la carte and course dinners along with an outstanding panorama. For dates, the counter seats by the window are popular. It is also recommended to spend time at the bar with a view of the nightscape. Finish off with a parfait arranged with 'zunda [edamame paste]'.

Sendai Bar MUSUBI

Open: Breakfast 6:30 am - 10:00 am (L.O. 9:30 am) / Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm (L.O. 2:30 pm) / Dinner 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:30 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,800 JPY
Access: 5-minute walk from the West Exit of JR Sendai Station, 1-minute walk from West Exit 1 or South Exit 1 of the Subway Sendai Station
Address: 13F, Daiwa Roynet Hotel Sendai Nishiguchi, 3-7-25, Chuo, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi
More Details Reservation

4. Hirose-dori [Ebisu]

Adding a touch of spice to tradition. Encountering new local cuisine

[笑美酔 (Ebisu)], which offers a bold arrangement of Tohoku's local cuisine, is just a 5-minute walk from Hirose-dori Station or Aoba-dori Ichibancho Station on the subway. Among the highlights is the 'Sendai Napolitan,' which pairs Sendai's famous beef tongue with udon instead of pasta. The restaurant also features many specialties from Yamagata, where the owner spent his apprenticeship. It is a memorable restaurant.

Inside the restaurant, guests can find their own comfortable spot, whether it's at the counter, in a booth, or in a semi-private tatami room with a sunken kotatsu. After 10 PM, the unique system allows guests to enjoy karaoke. With a wide selection of local sake from the Tohoku region, sake-based cocktails, and carefully selected wines from around the world, guests can enjoy a light buzz before diving into karaoke time.

EBISU

Open: [Weekday,Saturday,Day Before Holidays] 6:00 pm - 3:00 am (last order 2:00 am)
Closed: Open on the day before public holidays/Open only on Sundays when making a reservation (reservation required 2 days in advance)
Average price: [Dinner] 5,000 JPY / [Lunch] 5,000 JPY
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5. Omachi Nishi Park [Sendai Beef Yakiniku Bari Bari Aoba Dori-ten]

Proudly offering hand-cut Sendai beef. Enjoy its charm thoroughly with yakiniku.

Just a 3-minute walk from the subway Omachi Nishi-Koen Station, at [Sendai Beef Yakiniku Bari Bari Aoba Dori-ten], guests can savor the taste of Miyagi's proud brand beef, Sendai Beef, in a yakiniku style. The menu is diverse, featuring not only classics like 'Kalbi' and 'Roast' but also specialties like the 'Sendai Beef Rare Steak Yukhoe Style' with its homemade sauce. Guests can also enjoy comparing it with other types of Wagyu.

Established in 1981, this restaurant was a pioneering presence in Sendai, being the first to introduce smokeless roasters. Inside, the restaurant offers table seating, booth seating, and fully private rooms with sofa seating or traditional Japanese-style sunken kotatsu seating that can accommodate groups from 4 to 20 people. Enjoy their meticulously hand-cut specialties in a relaxed and comfortable setting.

Sendai Beef Yakiniku Bari Bari Aoba Dori-ten

Open: [Weekday] Dinner 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm (last order 9:30 pm) / Lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm (last order 2:00 pm)[Sunday,Saturday,Holidays] Dinner 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm (last order 9:00 pm) / Lunch 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm (last order 2:00 pm)
Closed: Closed: Year-end and New Year holidays (January 1, 2024 - January 5, 2024)
Average price: [Dinner] 6,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,000 JPY
More Details Reservation

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.