Okesho sengyo & Dining room Kaichuen — Restaurant in Toyooka

While walking from the train station to the canal, you'll pass right by this hard to miss seafood market/restaurant. Specializing in snow crabs, the dozens of live crabs on display will sure to catch your eye!

The restaurant is on the second floor. Prices ranged from 8,000 JPY to over 15,000 JPY and are clearly listed for each crab. You pick a crab and the restaurant upstairs will cook it for you.

You have options in how the crab can be prepared. We chose sashimi, grilled and in soup. The staff member at the market went with us upstairs to advise the chef what parts of the crab to be prepared in what way.

The sashimi was great and the freshest I've ever had as the crab was alive less than an hour prior. The soup was my second favorite which is cooked at your table with some fresh veggies.

Does have a small section with traditional japanese tables where you sit on the floor. However, we sat at the modern tables.

No reservations needed and they accept credit card. Very friendly and attentive staff.

A very enjoyable meal and a must when...

One of the only large eateries in Kinosaki (for now). Located upstairs from a seafood wet market, so you know you’ve got to have higher expectations. On top of that, Kinosaki is known for its crab. Unfortunately I visited during the summer while crab season is winter, however the crab served was still special.

We ordered the crab and egg don, the sea food chirashi bowl, along with the grilled crab. All very satisfactory, and the crab definitely a notch above other Kansai eateries. The other seafood was decent, certainly of the quality you hope to find in a town situated outside the cheap seafood you’d get in a bigger city.

The portions were I’d say of the generous amount and staff quite attentive.

It overlooks the main street from the train station so get a table against the windows and people...

Now perhaps my opinion colored too much by fact it was second day of crab season, but to express it simply and without resorting to hyperbole: it was the best meal I have ever eaten (and I am not a stranger to Michelin 3 star restaurants). Ambience a bit deceptive, as this a restaurant that’s a part of and directly over local fish market store, so room not fashionably appointed, simple, perhaps some would say extraordinarily ordinary.... but such a feast! Went whole hog with the $100 per person crab course, was sooooooo good. I will travel here from Kyoto anytime I come to japan to get this right out of the Sea of Japan...