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What to eat in Sendai

Written by hand, not generated. Dishes, markets, timing and prices for Sendai.

Eating in Sendai: a local guide

The largest city in the Tohoku region, defined by grilled beef tongue and by zunda, a paste of mashed young soybeans. Oysters come in from nearby Matsushima Bay, and with rice country next door, set meals here are built around the rice.

What people eat here

  • Gyutan (beef tongue)

    Thick-cut tongue grilled over charcoal, served as a set with barley rice and oxtail soup.

  • Zunda mochi

    Boiled young soybeans mashed with sugar and spooned over rice cake. The colour is a vivid green.

  • Harakomeshi

    Rice cooked in salmon simmering liquid, topped with salmon and its roe. An autumn dish.

  • Sasa kamaboko

    Ground fish paste grilled in the shape of a bamboo leaf, sometimes toasted and eaten on the spot.

  • Oysters Matsushima

    Farmed in Matsushima Bay, served grilled, fried or steamed in winter.

Where the food is

Gyutan street, Sendai Station

Beef tongue specialists gathered inside the station building.

Kokubuncho

The largest evening dining and drinking quarter in Tohoku.

The morning market

A downtown market selling prepared dishes and seafood.

Matsushima

A bay-side sightseeing town serving oysters and conger eel.

Ichibancho Arcade

The downtown covered shopping street, lined with restaurants and cafes.

When to go

  • Oysters are in season from November to February.
  • The city is very crowded during the Tanabata festival in early August.
  • Beef tongue restaurants queue at lunch; arriving in the 11:00 hour is easier.

Worth knowing

  • Beef tongue comes as a set with rice, soup and pickles, so the set is the normal order rather than the dish alone.
  • Zunda is sold year round, but it smells best when made in soybean season.
  • At Matsushima, plan meals around the sightseeing boat timetable.
  • Winter here is more wind than snow, and it feels colder than the reading.

What it costs — A beef tongue set runs JPY 2,000-3,000, zunda mochi JPY 500-800, and harakomeshi JPY 1,500-2,500.

See Sendai restaurant picks Open the food map
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What to Eat in Sendai — Local Food Guide | TastyLog