, da jeg dyppede og omrørte en tynd skive oksekød i gryden, begyndte jeg at indse, hvor virkelig undervurderet Tottoris madscene er. En sådan opvågning kunne ikke være kommet i en bedre indstilling. Vi sad på gulvet omkring en varm gryde på den allerførste shabu-shabu-restaurant i Japan. Mellem mundfulde delte vores nye ven Kodani mere information om historien om denne ikoniske skål, hvordan den blev bragt til Japan af en Tottori -lokal, og hvordan den spredte sig til Kansai -regionen i nærheden og til sidst fejede nationen.
Når vi tænker på japansk mad, er Osaka sandsynligvis den første destination, der dukker op i vores hoveder. Osaka kaldes typisk Japans fødevarekapital. Men Tottori er klar til at snappe den paryk, da lokale turistembedsmænd begynder at fokusere rampelyset på, hvad præfekturet kan bringe til spisebordet.
Mange af de mest berømte kulinariske godbidder i Japan har deres rødder i Tottori. Det er her ideen om Shabu-Shabu blev født, hvor de smageste krabber og rejer bliver fanget, og hvor pærer fra det 20. århundrede høstes. Det er også hjemsted for Gyukotsu Ramen, en sjælden type, der bruger kvægben til dens bouillon (og det er den bedste ramen, vi nogensinde har haft)! Tottori producerer også topkvalitetsmelt-i-din-mund, men økonomisk Wagyu-oksekød, Tottori-oksekødet, som antages at være forløberen for andre meget ærbødige, men sindssyge dyre Kobe-oksekød, Matsusaka-oksekød og OMI-oksekød.
Og alt hvad jeg kan gøre er at være enig. Jeg har været i 21 præfekturer i Japan indtil videre, men jeg kan ikke tænke på nogen destination, der gav mig en mere lækker tid, end jeg havde i Tottori. Fra Tottori City til Kurayoshi til Daisen til Yonago til Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture tilbyder en uforglemmelig gastronomisk oplevelse til en meget budgetvenlig sats. Alle Tottori -behov er strålende markedsføring, og det kan alvorligt give Osaka et seriøst løb for titlen “Food Capital”.
Hvis din destination er Yonago, Daisen eller Sakaiminato, har vi et separat indlæg til det. Læs: Hvor skal man spise i West Tottori.
Men hvis du nogensinde befinder dig i Tottori City og Kurayoshi City, er her og hvor du skal spise!
Hvad er dækket i denne vejledning?
Hamashita Seafood Shop & Restaurant
Sasa Sushi
Sumibi no Jujuan (Charcoal Grill Restaurant)
Turudaya Coffee (Tsuruta-ya)
Takumi Kappoten Shabu-Shabu
Beniya Cafe
Coco Garden på Oenosato Natural Farm
Hachibee Gyukotsu ramen
Takauna ramen
Kurayoshis roamingkat
Flere tip til YouTube ⬇ Relaterede indlæg:
Hamashita Seafood Shop & Restaurant
Specialitet: Matsuba Crab
Åbninger Åbn: 8:30 til 04:00
Tottori er berømt for en masse meget efterspurgte skaldyr inklusive mosa-rejer (Mosa-Ebi), Iwagaki-østers, hvid blæksprutte og Matsuba-krabben. Matsuba -krabben (mandlig sne krabbe) er Tottoris mest værdsatte vinter mad. Det kan have slanke ben, men de er kendt for at pakke blødt saftigt kød, der har en unik naturlig sødme.
Tottoris placering og vandkvalitet gør det til et optimalt miljø for krabber. Derfor er Tottori den øverste leverandør af krabber i Japan og fanger mere end nogen anden præfektur og endda tre gange mere end Hokkaido, som også er kendt for deres krabber. Selvom Tottori sender deres dusør til andre præfekturer, kommer mange foodies fra hele Japan hen for at få en smag af den friskeste fangst. I Tottori City, stedet at gå Os Karo Port, den næststørste fiskeport og marked i Tottori -præfekturet. Men at stå ved siden af Karo Port er Hamashita Fishery & Restaurant.
Hamashita Seafood Shop & Restaurant har et lille indendørs “marked”, hvor du kan vælge de krabber, du ønsker, og de vil forberede den til dig på stedet. De har en spiseplads, hvor du kan nyde at narre på disse krabber. De fleste spisesteder vil have, at deres krabber koges, men hvis du vil have en forsmag på, hvad der gør Matsuba-krabben til en af de mest efterspurgte i Japan, skal du have den Sashimi-stil. Selv uden krydderier har Matsuba -krabben en dejlig sødme.
Krabbesæson i Tottori er fra november til marts.
Priser:
Krabber: ¥ 2000 op, afhængigt af hvad du handler
Crab Bowl: ¥ 980
Assorteret Sashimi: ¥ 980
Uni (Sea Urchin) på ris: ¥ 1880
Sådan kommer du dertil: På Tottori Station skal du tage Karo-Yuki Hinomaru-bussen og tænde på Karo Kaigan eller Kanikkokan Mae. Det er en kort gåtur derfra.
Sasa Sushi
Specialitet: Sushi
Adresse: 104, Suehiroonsen-Cho, Tottori City
Åbner timer: 17:00 til 12:00
Som kystby har Tottori en konstant forsyning af skaldyr, der garanterer friskheden af ingredienserne, der serveres på byens sushirestauranter. En af dem er Sasa Sushi.
Sasa Sushi er ikke en budgetindstilling. Det er på den mere fornemme ende af spektret, men hvert stykke er det værd. Hver risbold er håndformet, toppet med havfriske toppings, mens du bestiller, og serveres på en omhyggeligt valgt Kurayoshi Ware. Toppings ændres afhængigt af tilgængeligheden af ingredienser, men hvis din timing er rigtig, kan du forvente uni (hav urchin), fedttun (Otoro), Bonito, Matsuba Crab og Mosa-Ebi. De to sidste er Tottori -delikatesser. Gå ikke glip af den rejer-flavored Tamago også!
Denne 40-årige sushi Bar only has 8 seats, allowing the chef to devote enough time perfecting each piece. reservation is required.
Priser:
10-piece sushi set: ¥4,300
Beer: ¥600
Nearest Station: Tottori Station.
How to get there: Sasa Sushi is only a 7-minute walk from Tottori Station.
Sumibi no Jujuan (Charcoal Grill Restaurant)
Specialty: Tottori Beef
Address: 751, Suehiroonsen-cho, Tottori City
Hours open: 5pm-11pm
Japanese wagyu is one of the most celebrated beefs in the world. In particular, Kobe beef, Matsusaka beef, and Ohmi beef are all globally revered. A piece of any of these melt-in-your-mouth meat wonders will send you to gastronomic heaven and back. but they come with a price, a very high one. Fortunately, there are other less famous but still extremely delicious types.
There are four breeds of wagyu in Japan, the most common of which, making up almost 90%, is the Japanese black cattle (Kuroge wagyu). This wagyu has four strains, named after a place in Japan that produces it: Tajima, Shimane, Okayama, and Tottori. Kobe beef, Matsusaka beef, and Ohmi beef all come from Tajima strain. The Tottori pedigree is a different strain but just as worthy.
In Tottori, one of the places to go for Tottori beef is Sumibi no Jujuan, a yakiniku-type restaurant that features charcoal grills. It has a diverse menu that also boasts matsuba crabs, but most patrons come here for Tottori beef. just like Kobe beef, it is characterized by its tender texture and, although not as intense, beautifully marbled appearance. It’s fatty, almost buttery, and the juice burst in your mouth like an explosion of flavor. the best part, it is way, way cheaper than the Kobe variety.
Priser:
Tottori wagyu sirloin steak set meal (with appetizer, salad, rice, dessert, grilled vegetables): ¥10,000
Tottoti beef sukiyaki set meal (with appetizer, noodle, dessert): ¥4800
Jujuan set (with beef & vegetables for grilling): ¥6480/person (minimum 2 pax)
Nearest Station: Tottori Station.
How to get there: Sumibi no Jujuan is just two blocks away from Tottori Station. You can reach it on foot in only 5 minutes.
Turudaya Coffee (Tsuruta-ya)
Address: 21, Shokuninmachi, Tottori City
Hours open: I wasn’t able to get its full operating days and hours, but it closes at 9:30pm.
Another place to score low-cost Tottori wagyu is Turudaya Coffee. This cafe used to be Marufuku Coffee Shop, which was extremely popular among locals and had loyal patrons but for some reason closed down. The Marufuku signage was still up above the bar during our visit.
It is now Turudaya Coffee, a cafe that also serves heavier dinners including a plate of Tottori beef steak for only ¥3000. If you’re on a budget and you want to just have a taste of Tottori beef, this is a good place to start.
Priser:
Tottori beef steak: ¥3000
Chicken steak: ¥1000
Pork steak: ¥1300
Nearest Station: Tottori Station.
Takumi Kappoten Shabu-Shabu
Specialty: Tottori Beef shabu-shabu
Address: 652, Sakaemachi, Tottori City
Hours open: 11:30am-2pm, 5pm-9pm
Closed: every 3rd Monday of the month
Most people think that shabu-shabu was invented in Osaka. In truth, Osaka can only take credit in giving it its name and maybe its popularity. but its origins can be traced back to Tottori, and if you dig deeper, to China. In 1938, a Tottori otolaryngologist (ENT surgeon) named Shoya Yoshida traveled to China as an army doctor. There he was able to try a dish called shuàn yángròu or instant-boiled mutton. It uses a hot pot with a chimney, where thin slices of mutton are “rinsed” in hot water before being dipped in sauce.
When he returned to Japan, he changed the main protein from mutton to beef because of availability issues. He then shared the recipe to restaurants in Kyoto and Osaka, and it was in the latter that it got its name shabu-shabu, an onomatopoeic term referring to the sound that it makes.
In 1962, Yoshida opened his own restaurant called Takumi Kappo in his hometown Tottori. It remains standing to this day. Takumi Kappoten uses local ingredients including thin slices of Tottori beef that are dipped in gyusuji soup and eaten with sesame sauce. A plateful of vegetables and mushrooms also come with an order.
Price: ¥3990 up.
Nearest Station: Tottori Station.
How to get there: Takumi Kappo is just 2 blocks away (5-minute walk) from Tottori Station.
Beniya Cafe
Specialty: Japanese curry rice
Address: 151 Suehironsencho, Tottori City
Hours open: Thursday-Tuesday 8am-7pm
Closed: Wednesday
It was the British that brought curry to Japan from India during the Meiji era in the late 19th century. since then, the Japanese have taken liberties with the ingredients. Their version of curry is made from less spices and has a more subtle taste, but the umami flavor is still there. It’s usually served on top of rice. Today, it is one of the most popular dishes in the country.
Tottori beats all the other prefectures when it comes to consumption of curry. It’s evident in the number of curry places in the area, one of which is Beniya.
Beniya is a small cafe that is well-known for its chicken cutlet curry. I’m not a fan of curry in general so I wasn’t really that excited about this lunch stop. The unusually dark roux was not helping, either. Reluctantly, I had a taste of it and it was surprisingly delightful. The curry itself is bursting with flavor but not too overpowering, and complements the crispy chicken.
Pris:
Curry rice: ¥600
Chicken katsu curry: ¥800
Croquette curry: ¥700
Nearest Station: Tottori Station.
How to get there: From Tottori Station, you can just walk. It’s situated just 3 blocks away.
Coco Garden på Oenosato Natural Farm
Specialty: fluffy Pancakes
Address: 877 Hashimoto, Ohenosato Shizen Bokujou, Yazu-cho, Yazu-gun
Hours open: daily 10am-6pm
Oenosato natural farm is famous in Tottori for their all-natural ways of poultry farming, especially their free range chickens. located at the foot of the mountains of Yazu, it can be reached after a 40-minute train and bus journey from Tottori Station. Yet, customers go out of their way to enjoy what they have to offer.
Here you’ll find Oenosato Village, a complex of small restaurants and stores serving dishes made from natural ingredients. but we came here for breakfast at Coco Garden, a cafe next to Oenosato Village. We had a wonderful first impression of the place. Every corner was Instagram-worthy. Every pastry on display was eye-catching. but its crowd-magnet is its fluffy pancakes. Their pancakes are made from free-range eggs that the farm is proud of. It is the most unforgettable pancake I’ve had in my life.
Nearest Station: JR Koge Station.
How to get there: From Tottori Station, take the JR Imbi Line or Wakasa railway to Koge Station. Fare: ¥240. travel time: 14-18 minutes. From Koge Station, board the San-san Bus bound for Oe and alight at Oenosato Shizen Bokujo-mae. travel time: 15 minutes.
Hachibee Gyukotsu ramen
Specialty: Gyukotsu Ramen
Address: 1-101 Fukubacho, Kurayoshi City
Hours open: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 1130am-2:30pm, 6pm-08:30pm;
Friday, Saturday, Holidays, 1130am-2:30pm, 6pm-10pm
Closed: Tuesdays
Almost every prefecture puts their own twist to the quintessential Japanese comfort food, ramen. two of the most popular are Fukuoka’s tonkotsu ramen (Hakata ramen) and Hokkaido’s miso ramen. even small cities have their own version. some of the most unforgettable for me are Onomichi’s fatty shoyu ramen and Kumamoto’s rich garlic-overloaded ramen. but if you ask me to rank all the types of ramens that I have slurped, I’m pretty sure that Tottori’s gyukotsu ramen sits comfortably on top of the list.
While the rest of the world is in love with tonkotsu ramen, whose broth is made from pork bones, Tottori uses cattle bones in their gyukotsu ramen. I’ve been to 21 prefectures so far and only Tottori uses this ingredient as base for their broth. It’s rare, yes, but not exactly surprising, given the prefecture’s affinity with beef.
Hachibee is one of the few ramen spots in the world that serve this type of ramen. It is also our guide’s favorite ramen place. He had been raving about it since our first day in Tottori. located in Kurayoshi City, Hachibee isn’t well-known among tourists but is popular among locals. It was pretty packed when we arrived, but thankfully a table became open immediately.
Hachibee’s gyukotsu ramen captivates instantly. We were sold even before we could even take a look at it. The aroma coming from the hot soup filled the air. and when it was finally on our table, we just had to take photos. It looked pretty with thick cuts of pork neatly and beautifully arranged on top of the noodles and bamboo shoots. and the taste was heavenly. The beef bone flavor is undeniable but gentle, not overpowering but blending well with white shoyu. Although I still prefer Takauna’s broth (another ramen shop in neighboring Kotoura), the big chunks of pork