Sendai Street Food – Delicious Kamaboko Fishcake Delicacies in Miyagi Prefecture
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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.
The specialty kamaboko in Miyagi are called sasa-kamaboko (笹かまぼこ), which means bamboo fishcakes, and each kamaboko is shaped like a bamboo leaf. I bought two, and tried my hand at grilling them myself.
Getting them browned just the right amount was kind of a challenge―I wanted them toasty, but not burnt! When I asked a staff member, they said that the kamaboko on the right (above) is perfectly cooked, according to tradition. But it seems like you're free to cook them as much or as little as you want! The fish is already cooked when it's made into a cake, so eating them even before they're grilled isn't a problem. Feel free to grill them to perfection, however much that is.
Toasty-brown and ready to eat! If you've never had kamaboko, they're made with very mild white fish, giving them a simple savory flavor, and have a firm, smooth texture. They're pretty easy to enjoy, even if you're not much of a fish person, a bit like frozen fish sticks overseas. Toasting them yourself just adds to the fun!
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.
It's pretty uncommon to see people eating while they walk down the street in Japan, in most cases, but some street food is so delicious it remains popular! You can get your hyotan-age from a window in the Abe Kamaboko-ten storefront, about 240 yen per stick.
With cute spirals of ketchup, hyotan-age is pretty cute, making it ripe for insta-bae photos and general bragging on social media.
Bring Kamaboko Home With You
I went to Abe Kamaboko-ten to grill my own kamaboko on the premises, but on the ground floor they sell a wide variety of kamaboko products in all shapes and sizes.
You can take the packaged kamaboko home, or you can eat it right at the shop. They'll even give you a cup of tea!
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)
【A Taiwanese Girl Living in Senda: The Tohoku Girl】 I like Kotaro Isaka's novels so I ended up in Sendai. Let me introduce you to the beauty of Tohoku! ♡
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HIROSHIMA
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Hiroshima Prefecture has everything, from world heritage sites to beautiful nature and delicious local cuisine, and it's either an hour and a half from Tokyo by plane, or four hours by train. Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island and the Atomic Bomb Dome, two Hiroshima UNESCO sites, are famous around the world, but in Japan it's also famous for food. Seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, especially oysters, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and Setouchi lemons are all popular, and the natural scenery alone is worth seeing.
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SHIKOKU
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On the other side of the Seto Inland Sea opposite Japan’s main island, Shikoku (四国) is a region made up of four prefectures: Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, and Tokushima. The area is famous for its udon (in Kagawa), and the beautiful Dogo Onsen hot springs (in Ehime).
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KAGAWA
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Kagawa Prefecture is on the northern part of the island of Shikoku, facing Japan's main island and the Seto Inland Sea. It's known for being the smallest prefecture in Japan, by area, but at the same time Kagawa is called the "Udon Prefecture" thanks to its famous sanuki udon. Aside from Kotohiragu Shrine and Ritsurin Garden, the prefecture's small islands are popular, and Kagawa is full of unique destinations, like Angel Road. They say that if you lay eyes on Zenigata Sunae, a huge Kagawa sand painting, you'll never have money troubles ever again.
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KYUSHU
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Located in the most southwestern part of Japan, Kyushu (九州) is an island of 7 prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. The island's unique culture has been influenced by Chinese and Dutch trade, along with missionaries coming in through Nagasaki's port. Modern-day travelers love the lush natural scenery and fresh food, plus the natural hot springs found all throughout the area (thanks to volcanic activity)!
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FUKUOKA
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Fukuoka Prefecture has the highest population on the southern island of Kyushu, with two major cities: Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. Thanks to growing transportation networks, Fukuoka is more accessible than ever, and so are the many local attractions. On top of historical spots like Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, travelers shouldn't miss Fukuoka's food scene, with motsu nabe (offal hotpot), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and famous Hakata ramen―best eaten from a food stall in the Nakasu area of Hakata. Plus, it's full of all sorts of destinations for travelers, like trendy shopping centers, and the beautiful nature of Itoshima and Yanagawa.
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KAGOSHIMA
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Kagoshima Prefecture played a major role in Japan's modernization as a backdrop for famous historical figures like samurais Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, who pushed Japan out of the Edo era and into the Meiji. Because of that, Sengan-en Garden is just one of many historical destinations, and when it comes to attractions Kagoshima has plenty: the active volcano of Sakurajima, popular hot springs Ibusuki Onsen and Kirishima Onsen, World Heritage Site Yakushima Island, even what Japan calls the "island closest to heaven," Amami Oshima. Kagoshima might be found on the very southernmost tip of the southern island of Kyushu, but there's plenty to see.
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OKINAWA
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The island chain of Okinawa (沖縄) makes up the southernmost tip of Japan, which is why it's also the most tropical area in the country. Thanks to a history of independence and totally distinct political and cultural events, Okinawa has a unique culture, and remnants of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still visible all over the islands. Food, language, traditional dress, it's all a little different! It's also said to be the birthplace of karate.
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