Yokaro — Restaurant in Nagahama

(Trip was made back then on 28 Nov 2019, 2 years before the Covid-19 Pandemic hit)

Once we’re in Nagahama, we had to try Yaki Saba (slow-cooked mackerel on a bed of women noodles), the city’s most famous and iconic dish.

It is said that nobody does it better than Yokarou, an establishment operating from an old traditional wooden house, with beautiful traditional Japanese interiors.

Initially we thought that it’s just some simple plain noodles with mackerel stewed in soy sauce, but we thought wrong.

The mackerel was stewed in their homemade sauce for an extended period, soaking in the flavour and turning the bones brittle, so brittle that you can even eat the bones entirely. The mackerel also imparts its flavour into the sauce, which is used to cook the somen noodle. The somen acts as a vessel, holding all the goodness within.

If there ever was a perfect dish, this would probably be it in my books. When taking a bite of the noodle, I wasn’t eating the noodles, I was tasting the essence of the mackerel. It has such complex depth of flavour and was so flavourful (mild fragrance of the mackerel, mild sweetness from the soy sauce, hint of char from the grilled mackerel) that I craved for more. The mackerel was also delicious, taking on the same complex flavours from being stewed in the sauce, and the bones literally disintegrated in my mouth.

The staff recommended to sprinkle a little of their homemade spice and eat it with the noodle. Oh my god, the spice was like icing on the cake, it complimented the dish so well, providing further depth of flavour and a new tasting experience.

I’m amazed that they’re able to elevate such a common simple ingredient and turn it into something so elegant and refined.

This was hands down, the best and most memorable meal we had on the entire trip. If it wasn’t for the Covid-19 pandemic and travelling was possible, I would immediately fly back to Japan just to...

When we visited, there was almost ten people lined up already, but the line moved fast.

The interior of the restaurant was mind blowing. They decorated the restaurant with many traditional decorations and painted the paper wall with many yokai. They also have a small garden in the middle of the first floor, that makes the first floor so beautiful. But we seated on the second floor. Luckily, we got to see the tree with blooming flowers.

Staffs were all very friendly and welcoming. No english menu, but pretty sure they will help you someway.

I ordered their special set that consisted of their warm soumen with braised mackerel, grilled mackerel sushi (?), seaweed soup, and sweetly glazed peanuts with small shrimps. Soumen texture was very soft. I hardly chewed them. The mackerel was pretty firm as it seems to be braised for a long time that I could ate its spine! The overall taste was rather mild, similar to a mix of dashi broth and shoyu perhaps. Seaweed soup got a cute little shark-shaped fish ball lol. The peanuts dish was my favorite. I love the excellent firmness of the peanuts and the combination of sweet and shrimpy flavor.

The grilled mackerel nigiri was so good! Unlike the braised one, I could tasted the unique taste of mackerel. The combination with shisho (?) was lovely.

For dessert I ordered their warm zensai. It was pretty different to oshiruko. I love their the texture of their mochi. It was also served with a dish of seaweed with a sharp mix of salty and shoyu taste. It was a nice contrast with the zensai.

I also ordered their iced coffee. To my surprise, it was good. I expected the standard iced coffee in many Japanese coffee shops, but it tasted like a proper drip coffee.

I would come again if I visit Nagahama...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at a traditional Japanese timber restaurant that left me utterly impressed. From the moment I stepped in, the warm, rustic ambiance of the wooden interior transported me straight to Japan’s timeless countryside.

The highlight, of course, was the food. The fish, sourced locally, was as fresh as it gets. Every dish was prepared with meticulous attention to detail, cooked in an old Japanese style that brought out the natural flavors perfectly. The delicate seasoning and traditional techniques elevated each bite to sheer perfection.

What truly amazed me was the balance between quality and price. This five-star meal came at such a reasonable cost that it felt like an absolute steal.

If you’re looking for an authentic Japanese dining experience with exceptional food and affordability, this restaurant is a must-visit. I’ll definitely be...