Ishinomaki is famous for its fishing industry, but it also has a thriving agriculture sector, and there are restaurants everywhere that serve dishes made with local ingredients. Of course, the food is delicious, but knowing the appeal of the ingredients and the owner's dedication makes you appreciate the restaurant even more. The fact that Ishinomaki has so many wonderful restaurants, both in terms of food and people, is one of its charms.
This column will introduce 10 recommended lunch spots around Ishinomaki Station. We will introduce a wide variety of restaurants, so you're sure to find one that suits your taste.
"Ishinomaki Genki Ichiba" is a marketplace showcasing the charms of Ishinomaki, including local ingredients and specialty products. On the second floor is a restaurant called "Genki Shokudo," which is bustling with locals and tourists alike, regardless of whether it's a weekday or weekend.
The menu features only seafood dishes unique to a fishing town, such as the Genki Donburi (a rice bowl overflowing with seafood), mackerel broth ramen, oyster cream pasta, and roast whale donburi. You can also enjoy Ishinomaki's local B-grade gourmet dish, Ishinomaki yakisoba.
The ramen I ordered this time was "Ara-men," made with broth from fish bones. The soup is packed with the delicious flavor of seafood, and the vegetable tempura that comes with the set is wonderfully crispy. Genki Shokudo offers not only seafood dishes but also katsu curry and char siu ramen, so even those who don't like fish or those with small children can enjoy it. No matter what mood you're in, it's sure to satisfy your hunger. By the way, you can reduce the portion size of the rice dishes, so even those with small appetites can rest assured.
You can see the old Kitakami River from the terrace seating at Genki Shokudo. On a nice day, be sure to try out the terrace seating!
Location: 2-11-11 Chuo, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0822
Umifune is located about a 10-minute walk from Ishinomaki Station and about a 3-minute walk from Ishinomaki Genki Ichiba. It's an izakaya (Japanese pub) that mainly serves seafood dishes and is open for lunch. I also went there for lunch.
Lunch mainly consists of set meals, including fish dishes such as grilled mackerel and meat dishes such as beef tendon stew. The fried chicken set meal I ordered this time included crispy fried chicken, miso soup, and a small side dish. It was enough to satisfy the hunger of an adult male.
Looking at the evening menu, there are so many tempting items, like whale bacon and grilled conger eel. You could try it for lunch first, and then bring a friend for drinks afterward – that's one way to enjoy it!
Location: 2-1-23 Chuo, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0822
Located very close to Ishinomaki Station, on a corner of Tachimachi Street, Ishinomaki's main street, "Sumibiyaki Sumisen" is also an izakaya (Japanese pub) that serves lunch, just like Umifune.
The lunch menu is extremely simple, offering only four options: today's grilled fish set meal (650 yen), fried chicken set meal (500 yen), chicken salt ramen (600 yen), and a chef's special lunch. It's great to be able to have lunch for around 600 yen.
I ordered the fried chicken set meal for 500 yen. The portion size was surprisingly large for a one-coin meal, making it a recommended place when you're really hungry.
Location: 2F, Fukuya Building, 2-7-8 Tachicho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0824
Ishinomaki Tempura Nagomi is a tempura specialty restaurant located across the parking lot from Aeon Ishinomaki Ekimae store. There is a passageway next to a spice ramen shop called Shenron, and the restaurant, with its warm, wood-paneled interior, is located on the second floor, accessed by stairs.
During lunchtime, the menu mainly consists of rice bowls such as shrimp tempura rice bowls and vegetable tempura rice bowls, as well as set meals such as the seasonal tempura lunch set, all priced around 1,000 yen. My personal favorite is the chicken tempura rice bowl, and I ordered my usual this time as well.
The charm of "Ishinomaki Tempura Nagomi" lies in the fact that you can eat freshly fried tempura. They fry it in the restaurant after you order, and the combination of hot, crispy tempura and white rice is outstanding.
This restaurant also serves alcohol in the evenings. It's a tempura restaurant that's highly recommended for evening visits as well, where you can enjoy freshly fried tempura one piece at a time while sipping on a drink.
Location: 2F Ohashi Building, 3-6 Chusenba, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0826
Trattoria del centro nuovo is a stylish Italian restaurant that's a different genre from the places I've introduced so far. Pasta is the main item on the menu during lunchtime, but you can also enjoy sandwiches and curry. You can enjoy creative Italian cuisine prepared by a female chef who trained in Italy.
Even within the Aito-Pia Street area, which is home to many restaurants, 'Trattoria del centro nuovo' stands out as particularly stylish. Both the exterior and interior are visually appealing, and the warmth of the wood creates a calming atmosphere.
Del Centro is a popular spot for women, from stylish local ladies in Ishinomaki to mothers with children and busy office ladies. Their visually appealing, creative Italian cuisine makes it a perfect place for a girls' night out.
The pasta sets, which use seasonal ingredients, change with the seasons, making you want to visit again and again. The one I had in winter was "Spaghetti Peperoncino with Whelk and Bottarga." Being able to eat different kinds of pasta depending on the season is one of its charms.
They are open for dinner, and also hold an irregular morning market exclusively for takeout menus. The morning market items sell out in just a few hours, so be sure to check the chef's Instagram. When you're craving pasta, we hope you'll think of Trattoria del centro nuovo first.
Location: 2-7-10 Chuo, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0822
Cafe Ren has a warm and inviting atmosphere that's immediately apparent. This cafe, housed in a renovated old house, offers both lunch and sweets. This time, I visited during lunchtime.
Cafe Ren, whose concept is "a shop for everyday meals and bread made by a pastry chef from a farming family," offers a weekly changing menu of healthy lunch options. I had the "Hamburg Steak with Onion and Black Vinegar Sauce" lunch plate. The dish was gentle yet flavorful, and the taste lingered long after I finished eating. The lunch plate costs 825 yen if you choose one main dish, or you can choose two main dishes for 1,265 yen plus one more. It's a great deal to be able to enjoy such healthy food for around 1,000 yen.
The chalk art decorating both the interior and exterior of the cafe is another of its charms. In particular, the beautiful chalk art at the entrance of the shop is sure to catch your eye, so anyone who has read this article will immediately recognize it as Cafe Ren!
Location: 2-7-26 Tachicho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0824
Located at the foot of Mt. Hiyoriyama, just a 3-minute walk from Ishinomaki Genki Ichiba, 'bi cafe Natsume' offers authentic medicinal cuisine. This is great news for those who are conscious of their health and beauty.
From the outside, it looks like a regular house, but when you open the door and go up to the second floor, you'll find a bright and inviting shop. Sunlight streams in through the windows, making the interior very bright, and the window seats are warm even in winter.
In essence, medicinal cuisine is "preventive food that restores the body's balance and boosts immunity to prevent illness," and 'bi cafe Natsume' also offers medicinal cuisine that adheres to this principle. The menu includes a medicinal hot pot set, a medicinal curry set, and a set that includes both hot pot and curry, and this time I ordered the most popular medicinal hot pot set.
The menu is packed with nutrients, ranging from medicinal dishes like herbal beef and herbal rice to mushroom platters and seasonal vegetables. Eating the ingredients warmed in the red mala soup and white broth will revitalize both your mind and body. By the way, if you ask the staff, they will make the mala soup less spicy, so even those who don't like spicy food can enjoy it.
Location: 1-3-21 Kadowaki-cho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0024
The restaurant we're introducing here, "Natural Food Restaurant," offers meals carefully designed by its owner, a registered dietitian, to help many people become healthier. They are committed to using locally sourced ingredients and minimizing the use of additives and pesticides, allowing you to enjoy delicious and wholesome food.
Both the exterior and interior resemble a long-established traditional Japanese restaurant, and you feel at ease the moment you step inside. The restaurant itself is located in the heart of Ishinomaki city, right next to the multi-story parking garage of Ishinomaki Genki Ichiba, but it's so peaceful that you forget you're in the city center.
The menu features dishes like stir-fried deep-fried tofu and maitake mushrooms, and grilled cod marinated in sake lees—all dishes whose names alone convey their deliciousness. The ginger-fried pork shoulder I ordered this time had a gentle flavor that soothed my soul even more. I highly recommend trying their one soup and three side dishes, which are prepared with care.
Location: 2-7-31 Chuo, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0822
This is the only soba restaurant featured in our list of 10 restaurants. Among the many soba restaurants in Ishinomaki City, we will be introducing "Soba-dokoro Moriya" this time.
Stepping inside through the traditional Japanese-style entrance, you'll find yourself in an interior that feels just like your grandmother's house. This is a homey soba restaurant that has been run by a family for many years, with the owners still wearing traditional Japanese aprons.
They offer a variety of soba and udon dishes, from classic kake soba and udon to popular curry soba and udon. The meat soba I had was just right in terms of flavor. It's a great place to grab a quick bite and get ready to tackle your afternoon work.
Incidentally, Moriya Soba Restaurant also offers delivery soba to local residents. I was able to witness them making deliveries on their motorcycles during my visit, which was quite an emotional experience for me, a writer born in the Heisei era.
Location: 2-1-13 Chuo, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0822
Finally, I'd like to introduce "CAPTAIN KANGAROO Ishinomaki," which serves enormous hamburgers.
It's a little far from Ishinomaki Station, but you can get there in about 10 minutes by car or 30 minutes by bicycle. Unlike the nine shops introduced so far, this is an American-style shop that you'll easily spot from a distance.
The shop was bustling with energy, and the staff's enthusiasm instantly brightened my mood. They also engage in lively communication with customers, so some people might frequent the shop specifically for that.
The hamburgers served at this American-style restaurant are American-sized. I ordered their most popular item, the "Sparky Burger." It's so big that for a moment you might wonder, "How am I supposed to eat this...?" But taking a big bite is part of the fun. The patty is juicy, the bun is chewy, and the fried onions and bacon inside are crispy—it's an addictive taste. Once you go, you're sure to become a repeat customer!
Location: 3-1-1 Maruido, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0865
So, what did you think? Besides the 10 restaurants featured in this article, there are still many more lunch spots and bars I'd like to introduce. Ishinomaki is truly a region rich in food. I believe you'll understand what I mean when you walk around the town.
The Japanese word for food is written with characters that mean "to make people better," and indeed, when food is abundant, life becomes richer. I hope you will experience this abundance by visiting restaurants in Ishinomaki, a city where both fishing and agriculture are thriving.
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