CONTENTS
Fishcakes fried and grilled―this is what you should try next time you visit Sendai.
Trying Sendai Kamaboko
Kamaboko (蒲鉾) are Japanese fish cakes, and they're found all over the country, often gracing bowls of ramen in thin slices or even finding their way into sushi rolls in the form of fake crab. But in Miyagi Prefecture, kamaboko are a local specialty, the fishcakes becoming a dish all unto themselves.
Most frequently served grilled, these Miyagi kamaboko can be purchased pre-cooked, but this time I wanted to do it for myself! So I headed to Sendai to find Abe Kamaboko-ten, a restaurant specializing in kamaboko, where you can grill them to perfection all by yourself.
Located on a bustling Sendai shopping street, Abe Kamaboko-ten is about an eight-minute walk from Sendai Station, the city's major transportation hub. With the cheerful curtains hanging from the doorway and a decorated facade, it's easy to recognize.
Abe Kamaboko-ten (阿部蒲鉾店)
2-3-18 Central, Aoba Ward, Sendai, Miyagi
10:00 – 19:00
Official Website (jp)
Let’s Get Grilling
The tables with grills are found in the store's basement, and after paying for your kamaboko at the counter, staff will take you downstairs to start cooking. Each fishcake costs about 250 yen.
Another Sendai Kamaboko Treat: Hyotan-age
In addition to the standard sasa-kamaboko, there's another popular way to eat fishcakes in Sendai, called "hyotan-age" (ひょうたん揚げ). If you speak some Japanese, you might be confused, because hyotan is a kind of gourd or squash. But there's no hyotan in hyotan-age! The name comes from the shape of this tasty street food: hyotan-age is made by battering and deep-frying balls of kamaboko on a stick, and the figure-eight shape resembles the hyotan gourd.
Bring Kamaboko Home With You
Can You Really Bring Kamaboko All the Way Home?
That depends! As food products made with fish, different countries have different regulations for importing kamaboko, and additionally, the fishcakes need to be kept chilled so they don't spoil! But it turns out that there are no rules against bringing them into Taiwan, and since it's a fairly short trip, you can actually put the kamaboko into a small cooler with ice packs to bring back. If you're heading somewhere not too far away, they make a fun souvenir to share with people back home! If you are traveling to somewhere farther away, like the US, you might want to find a non-perishable souvenir instead.
*If you have any doubts or questions about the legality of importing kamaboko, I recommend you proactively ask at the customs office to be safe.
For more kamaboko pictures to whet your appetite, follow Abe Kamaboko-ten's official instagram, below! and for more info and updates from Japan, don't forget to follow Japankuru on twitter, instagram, and facebook!
Details
NAME:Abe Kamaboko-ten (阿部蒲鉾店)
ACCESS:Sendai Station (仙台駅)
PROFILE
【A Taiwanese girl living in Sendai:The Tohoku Girl】 I like Kotaro Isaka's novels so I ended up in Sendai. Let me introduce you to the beauty of Tohoku! ♡ Facebook: https://facebook.com/tohokugirl Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tohoku_girl_official/
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