December itinerary in Japan Day 1 (Aomori Day 1 Meal edition)
(Saturday, December 11th)
Table of contents
1. Kirakutei
As a late breakfast, I had “Misawa Hokki Don” at “Kirakutei” in Misawa City. The definition of “Misawa Hokki Don” is “uses Misawa Sakhalin surf clams (fished during the period from December 1st to March 31st when the ban on fishing is lifted)”, which is a local gourmet in Misawa City. I visited Misawa in November 2020, but I couldn’t eat it because it was before the ban on Sakhalin surf clam fishing was lifted. I really wanted to eat “Misawa Hokki Don” this time, so I’m glad I could.
“Kirakutei” opened at 11 o’clock and I entered the store first. After that, more and more customers entered the store, and it was almost full after 11:10. It is a popular store. “Kirakutei” is in front of Misawa Station.
“Misawa Hokki Don” (Yen 1,250) of “Kirakutei” is a two-color bowl of raw and boiled Sakhalin surf clams. The raw Sakhalin surf clams have a wonderful texture and sweetness, and the boiled Sakhalin surf clams are the most delicious “Misawa Hokki Don” with the perfect balance between the “tororo” that was hung on the rice.
It was the most delicious “Misawa Hokki Don”, but it was not as good as the sashimi of Sakhalin surf clams that I ate at Tomakomai in October 2021. The sashimi of Sakhalin surf clams that I ate in Tomakomai, Hokkaido is thick and big, and the sweetness is the best, and I can’t forget it even now.
The Sakhalin surf clam is “PRIDE FISH” selected by Japan Fisheries Co-operative in both Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido. On the homepage of Japan Fisheries Co-operative, the season for Sakhalin surf clams in Aomori Prefecture is from January to March, so it may have been a little earlier in December. By the way, the season of Sakhalin surf clams in Tomakomai is from July to November. It is strange that the seasons of Aomori prefecture and Hokkaido, which are geographically close to each other, are different from winter and summer.
2. Ajino Sapporo Onishi
After arriving in Aomori City, I had “Miso Curry Milk Ramen” (Yen 880), which is a local gourmet in Aomori City, at the popular ramen shop “Aji no Sapporo Onishi“.
Fumio Onishi, the owner of “Aji no Sapporo Onishi,” is the first disciple of Kiyoshi Sato, who has already died. Kiyoshi Sato ran a popular ramen shop in Sapporo Susukino Ramen Yokocho. After that, he moved to Aomori City and opened “Aji no Sapporo” in order to spread Sapporo Miso Ramen to Aomori. After that, he first developed “Miso Curry Milk Ramen”.
“Aji no Sapporo Onishi” is a very popular restaurant. When I went past 13:00, I lined up for 10 minutes. However, the waitress asked me for the order in advance, so when I sat down, the ramen came out within 5 minutes.
“Miso curry milk ramen” was very delicious. Probably because it contains milk, it has a very mild taste and is easy to eat, so I ate it all at once. Personally, I thought it would be okay to make the taste of curry and miso stand out a little more, but then I should order the “miso curry ramen” on the menu.
3. Galetteria Da Sasino
After returning to Aomori Station from the Aomori Museum of Art, I had a tasting of apple ciders from Aomori Prefecture (Yen 900) at “Galetteria Da Sasino” on the 2nd floor of “A-FACTORY”, which is right next to Aomori Station. Ciders are produced in “A-FACTORY”.
Aomori Prefecture has the largest share of apple production in Japan with an overwhelming 60% share. Therefore, Aomori Prefecture is also focusing on the production of ciders.
The problem with tasting is that the amount is too small. There are 8 types of ciders that can be sampled, but if you try to sample all 8 types for Yen 900, you can only make 20 ml of each type. Sure, it’s a “tasting”, but 20ml is just enough to lick it. Instead of greedily tasting all 8 types, it’s better to have 2-3 types of tasting, or pay Yen 1,800 to taste all 8 types of 40ml.
4. Izakaya Osanai
I had dinner at “Izakaya Osanai”. “Izakaya Osanai” is a izakaya with a restaurant (set meal restaurant) centered on seafood on the first floor and an izakaya on the second floor. Cooking is done in the kitchen of the restaurant on the first floor. Since the first floor is a restaurant, it was the best izakaya with delicious food and low prices. It was crowded with many customers including local customers. Aomori’s local sake was also abundant.
I ordered “Izakaya Onai” for flounder sashimi (Yen 450), scallop sashimi (Yen 800), boiled soft roe of codfish (Yen 300), abalone sashimi (Yen 500), and Japanese flying squid sashimi (Yen 270). ), Mozuku (seaweed of the family Spermatochnaceae) vinegar (Yen 270), Sakhalin surf clam and Mekabu (root of the wakame seaweed) (Yen 270), Herring Kirikomi (Yen 310 ), and Jappa soup (Yen 470).
Japan Fisheries Co-operative has selected “Aomori Flounder” (season: September-December) for “PRIDE FISH” in autumn in Aomori Prefecture. The natural flounder sashimi I ate on that day was also sweet and delicious. I can’t believe that such delicious natural flounder sashimi costs only Yen 450. It is about half the normal price.
In the middle of Aomori Prefecture, there is Mutsu Bay, which is a huge inner bay, and the scallop aquaculture industry is thriving. Due to the existence of Mutsu Bay, Aomori Prefecture has the highest production of aquaculture scallops in Japan. The scallop sashimi I ordered at “Izakaya Osanai” was also thick, very sweet and elegant.
Herring Kirikomi is a local dish of Hokkaido and Tohoku region where herring is chopped and fermented. In addition to herring, salmon and flatfish may be used. I had a herring Kirikomi in Hakodate in September 2021 and it was quite salty. However, I was impressed by how delicious the herring Kirikomi I ate at “Izakaya Osanai” were because of the exquisite saltiness. I can’t believe this is only Yen 310.
Jappa soup is also a local dish of the Tsugaru region such as Aomori city. “Jappa” is a Tsugaru dialect meaning “rough”, and is a dish of seafood such as chopped cod and vegetables simmered together. It was a delicious Jappa soup that was very simple and warm.
I also ate abalone sashimi (Yen 500 yen) and Japanese flying squid sashimi (Yen 270) while grinning at a large amount and deliciousness that I could not imagine due to the low price. My greatest pleasure is to discover such a wonderful izakaya while traveling.
It is important to note that “Izakaya Osanai” closes as early as 20:00 (opens at 16:00).
5. BAR ENTER
After being very satisfied with “Izakaya Osanai”, I drank a few cocktails at “BAR ENTER”. The bar was lively and seemed to be thriving with locals.
Note: The departure / arrival times, fares, admission fees, meal fees, etc. of transportation listed in the text are as of the time of writing the BLOG. Please check for yourself when you go on a trip as it may change in the future.