Restaurants in Northern Honshū
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Takino
An atmospheric, split-level restaurant where wappa meshi is served in sublime, subtly balanced combinations. Try the finely shredded crab (kani) or salmon (sake) versions. From the main post office, facing south, turn left onto Nanokomachi-dōri, at the first light turn right (south); go left at the second alleyway, and it's on the right. Ask the obliging staff at the information desk to mark up a map with the exact location.
You'll know you've arrived when you see the large penis (plastered with various bills) in the entranceway. No English menu.
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Mitsutaya
At this atmospheric former bean-paste mill, dating from 1869, the speciality is eight varieties of dengaku; these are bamboo skewers with deep-fried tofu and vegetables such as taro basted in sweet miso paste and baked over charcoal. Herring (nishin) is also superb. Facing west from the main post office, walk down Nanokomachi-dōri, then take the second left; it's just near the intersection with Nanokomachi-dōri. No English, but a picture menu makes ordering easy.
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Namaskar
The menu, with its spice-level warnings, has the usual suspects: tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, tandoori king prawns, prawn masala. It's all good stuff, though, and the portions are generous. Beware: the large video screen showing continuous, loud music videos is highly distracting.
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Yabuya Honten
A much-loved soba (buckwheat noodles) specialist, Yabuya Honten has been around since 1847 - more than enough time to perfect its craft. The kamo-zaru soba variation, served with duck, is terrific.
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Aji Tasuke
Try gyūtan cooked over charcoal, or the set menu (teishoku) featuring the famous dish accompanied by oxtail soup and rice with boiled barley. It's right next to the small torii shrine gate.
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Umai Sushikan
This popular restaurant, spotlessly clean and featuring lots of natural wood and friendly smiles, is known for the freshness of its dishes.
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Umami Tasuke
Serves excellent gyūtan in salted (shioyaki) and fatty variants.
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Sakaeya Honten
A tasty Yamagata speciality is hiyashi rāmen (chilled soup noodles), and it is served up in huge doses here. Facing east from the AZ store, take the first side street to your right.
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Restaurant Yamazaki
Given its rich history and well-developed culture, Hirosaki gravitates towards the refined, especially on the dinner menu. At Restaurant Yamazaki, classic French cuisine with a subtle Japanese twist is served in a variety of tasting courses that change with the seasons. Don't let the location near the bowling alley fool you – the humble entrance (look for the green banners) opens up to a formal continental dining room set with bone china and crystal stemware.
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Otafuku
Specialising in kiritanpo-nabe, this restaurant is in a traditional black and beige wooden building on the western banks of the Kawabata-gawa.
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Manchan
A lovely little cafe that is reportedly one of the oldest in the region, Manchan is the perfect spot for an afternoon tea and a flaky pastry (there's no English menu, but you can easily choose what you want from the display case). The cafe is across the street from the Nakasan department store – look for the bifurcated cello standing guard.
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Kosendō
The town's most historically significant lunch spot is this wooden schoolhouse. The speciality is the inaniwa-udon (udon noodles in a mushroom soup; ¥850).
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Jintako
Housed in an unassuming beige building (look for the wooden sign) on the waterfront, this restaurant serves formal seafood dinners set to the tune of the tsugaru jamisen, a version of the traditional three-stringed shamisen (guitar). Reservations are necessary – if you don't speak Japanese, ask the staff at tourist information to call for you.
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Honchō Ichiba
If you want a feast for both the eyes and the stomach, check out this energetic produce and seafood market that occupies several pedestrian arcades.
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Daiichi-kaikan Kawabataten
Complementing Otafuku is this unassuming spot tucked away on the 3rd floor of a nondescript white building just a few blocks south. The house speciality is shottsuru-nabe (¥2520), a hotpot made with hatahata, green onions and fresh tofu.
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Aomori-ichiba
The best place in Aomori to grab a snack is at this fish and produce market near the station. Aomori is famous for a number of local and regional speciality items including scallops, codfish, apples, pickled vegetables and many, many others. You can easily spend an hour perusing all of the food stalls, stopping here and there to sample the bounty from sea and land.
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Akita Kakunodate Nishinomiyage
Although it's generally packed with tourists, there's lots of room to spare at this massive warehouse, built by the Nishinomiya family almost a century ago. The food is average, best described as Japanese comfort (tempura, noodles), but dining at long tables under hulking wooden beams, surrounded by authentic period pieces is part of the experience.
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