Japanese restaurant Kanae Saikichi — Restaurant in Kesennuma

A highly recommend restaurant near the pier/Naiwan area. The actual location is a little tricky to get to. If you're going on foot, I recommend taking the elevator that takes you to the parking lot of the Kesennuma Plaza Hotel. From there there's a little path through the bushes in the opposite direction that takes you to the entrance of the restaurant. As expected of a fishing town, the restaurant focuses on seasonal dishes based around fish. The menu itself is quite small: the mainstays are usually the 煮魚 (nizakana; simmered fish) and 海鮮丼 (kaisendon; fish bowl). I usually get the nizakana because it comes with a small bowl of sashimi on the side and the way they cook the fish by simmering it in a sweet soy sauce glaze is super delicious. The interior of the restaurant is really fancy and...

Kanae Saikichi is a famous local restaurant run by the Saito Family. It is is located on a hilltop, and if you came here for lunch, I'd imagine you'd have a spectacular view of Kesennuma Port. We were here for dinner, and were served a variety of Saikichi's version of local specialties. We ordered the 5000 yen course, which started with light appetizers and then proceeded into the main course, grilled swordfish, which is called "harmonica" for its shape. The owner and her staff carefully explained what goes into the preparation of each dish, and it's abundantly clear how much thought and dedication the family puts into their craft.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a better option for fine dining in Kesennuma!

Reservations are required, so do...

Ordered the sashimi bowl set, broiled fish set, green tea, orange juice and grape juice. Everything is delicious and the restaurant is really hospitable. Will always come here if...