Mammarumaru — Restaurant in Kanazawa

Amazing Home made meal! Everything here is made like Home style Japanese cuisine- all cooked by the mum, with the son as the waiter, and full of locals. Delicious. An absolute must to anyone in Kanazawa and who can find this place (its the second of the two doors coming from the east direction). Our ryokan host made a booking for us, and when we were struggling to find it (name is only in Japanese) the lovely owner and chef actually came to the street to grab us! No one speaks much English, and the menu has no pictures, but that just adds to the authenticity! We told them that we didn’t eat pork, and then we just went with the chefs recommendation menu. It was superb. A large plate of sashimi salad (white fish and yellow tail), grilled yellow tail with radish, beef with vegetables stir fried in soy sauce, deep fried oysters with a spicy mayonnaise based sauce, pickles, beer and sake, and tea; all up 6,700 Yen for two people. Everything was delicious, ingredients all fresh from the market, and made with care. Everyone was lovely, superb service and we got about 100 arigatos afterwards! One of my favourite meals out of many in Japan, I’d come back anytime and would highly recommend...

What an experience! We found this place on Maps with excellent critics and decided to give it a try.

As other reviews stated, she doesn't speak English and the menus are all in Japanese, HOWEVER! Google Translate is your friend so don't be discouraged from trying, if you want to understand what you're ordering.

Otherwise the usual "Kore, kore to are, are, onegaishimasu" (this, this and that, that, please) will absolutely work. And if you're starting off with your Japanese, don't hesitate to try it. You might make a new friend.

Now to the actual review part! We ended up ordering around 12 different dishes total, trying a little less than about half her menu. Everything was super delicious. And I mean every single thing. From the rice, grilled fish, wasabi leaves, sashimi, asparagus tempura, to the choices of drinks and beers (go with Kirin!), everything was a hit.

Do note that the dishes are all prepared freshly, so enjoy your drinks while waiting for your food. In the owners words: good thing take time. Wise words!

I'll definitely be back, for her food, the relaxed atmosphere and the warm welcome she gave us.

Please note that...

Wow... what an incredible experience. I walked into Mammarumaru last Thursday and was super lucky to score a table. My food was absolutely delicious, but even if it wasn't I would still come back because the owner of the restaurant (who does everything including serving, cooking, and making pleasant conversation with the restaurant patrons) is the sweetest! The menu was all written in Japanese so I had to use a translation app to figure out what I was ordering, but I absolutely loved what I had. My eggplant dish (I believe it was Zhazhang eggplant or something to that effect) was incredible-- the sauce was perfectly flavored and the meat was tender and delicious. The crab croquette I ordered was also delicious and perfectly prepared, and the sashimi set (which included high quality cuts of yellowtail and salmon) was to die for. Seriously, this place was such a fantastic experience and I'm so lucky that I randomly found myself here in between drinking beers at Budokan down the street. What a lovely place... I cannot wait to come back! But if you do visit, please note that it is...