Embedded Files
Some mountains close to Sendai, as seen from the Shinkansen track.
Places around Sendai
Our last month in Sendai wasn't super interesting if I'm being honest. But as we're leaving, I want to take some time to remember the restaurants and other places we visited while in Sendai. It's a pretty dry post, mainly for me to look back on. But we did go strawberry picking!
Strawberries! 🍓
We missed strawberry season back home, and ever since I went grape picking with school I wanted to pick strawberries. Their season is from December to March here, since they are grown in greenhouses, although pick-your-own tends to start in January, because all the December strawberries get harvested for Christmas cakes and New Years treats.
Also unlike in Canada where you bring a basket, pick by weight, and don't eat at the fields, here they do the opposite. You pay to enter the greenhouse and then you have a time limit to eat as many strawberries as you can! I chose the option that let us try 3 different varieties which was neat, although if I hadn't been directly comparing them I don't think I would have noticed a difference. They were delicious though, and they ripen from the bottom-up rather than top-down like I am used to. Very helpful to see if it's ripe from the top though, then you don't have to touch strawberries you aren't planning on picking.
Zaytoon
After missing Ottawa Shawarma for so long, we decided to try and find somewhere that could hope to live up to the delicious piles of meat, rice, and potatoes. The closest we got was this Palestinian place that had some mean falafels and hummus+pita.
Honoka Coffee
This was my go-to Mocha spot in Sendai. It was between our apartment and the internet cafe I would go to for work. They also had some very tasty scones that I would try from time-to-time. The staff got to know me so well that I just had to walk up and they would know my order.
Yayoi
This place served various Japanese / Asian set meals (teishoku). They'd come with the protein (usually pork/chicken/soy meat), rice, and miso soup. Some of the sets also came with a small piece of tofu. It was a nice quick meal, with some good servings of veggies.
SuperNova Arcade
One of the reasons we liked Yayoi was that it was right across the street from an Arcade. In our spare time, we started to play more and more DDR. It's pretty fun, I have it hooked up the my IC Card (mainly used for Transit), and it tracks my scores in all of the songs I've played!
Naruto Snapper Honpo
I'll be honest, I never knew the name of this place. It was just "The Taiyaki place in the shopping street". Apparently it is a big chain with places all over Japan. Tasty Taiyaki
Tokushige
One of the tourist-y specialties in Sendai is Beef Tongue (Gyutan). We tried it out here. Pretty tasty, and texture wasn't too bad. I wouldn't go out of my way for it though.
Sumida Ramen
I tried their "most popular" ramen. It was a bit strange because it had chicken, but it was super delicious because the chicken absorbed the broth and was very flavorful. Recommend.
Hatena Plus
Another one-off Ramen place. Pretty good, but nothing too special.
Kebab Stand
Some nice Turkish Kebab over rice. Also had tasty Hummus + Pita.
???
I have no idea what this place is called. Marlena and I ended up here because we were trying to go to a bakery for lunch, but the bakery ended up being closed. This place was another more traditional Japanese food place. Had some grilled fish, fried vegetables, and fresh stuff. Interesting textures, but pretty tasty.
Tempari
This Ramen shop was very close to us, and we went often frequented. It's run by a Mom and her daughter, so very small. 8 seats in the entire place. We each had our own Ramen we would get, and we would share some Gyoza, which were also delicious.
Datehan Nagayasakaba
In our last week, we went out for supper with some friends that Marlena made while in Sendai. They decided on this place because it was a more traditional/unique Izakaya. Those barrels around the door are Sake barrels, and the door itself is actually a tiny sliding door! I had to hunch over so far to get in, almost going on hands + knees. It was an enjoyable meal with a mish-mash of various dishes. Everything was in Japanese, so it was nice to have Marlena's friends around to translate and order for us 😁
Raj
A nice little Indian place serving some sterotypical Indian foods that we would also get in Canada. Overall tasty, and good in a pinch when we weren't sure what to eat.
Taikichi
Another taiyaki place, more a small locally run place instead of a chain. We only went there a couple times, but it was always very tasty. They had more unique flavors there, and the flavors would change based on the day of the month. The two I had and really enjoyed were Black Seasame and Chocolate Crunch. The best Taiyaki I've had while in Japan.
gfu
They call themselves an American diner, and although they had burgers, I wouldn't say it is the same type of burger we get in Canada. Don't get me wrong, the food there was delicious and we went many times, but it wasn't exactly the same that I'd expect in North America. They also sourced local foods, and there was a very tasty fried mushroom dish that I loved. It's halfway between a Japanese hanbagu and an American hamburger. It isn't either thing exactly, but a mix of both.
東洋軒 木町通店
We've found that in general Japanese food lacks veggies. But Chinese food would often have a bunch. So one day we wandered over to this Chinese place and took a seat. Everything was in Japanese + Chinese, and Google Translate wasn't super helpful. We ordered some random stuff, and ended up eating Jellyfish! Very... interesting texture. Happy to have tried once, but probably won't seek it out.
Paraiso Curry
Okay, I know this place doesn't look particularly impressive, but it was probably our favorite restaurant in Sendai. Initially I was craving some Japanese Curry, and we found this place not too far from home. Ended up being a place with traditional Indian curries! This wasn't like the stuff you stereotypically get (e.g. Butter Chicken), but it was all incredibly delicious.
Chocolate Relationship
We only went here once, when there was a particular craving for something chocolate. They had French chocolate cakes there that were very moist and rich. Almost the texture of a mousse. We also got a Parfait to share which was very elegantly put together and had a good display fo fruits, ice cream, and chocolate cake.
Trenta
Nothing too special about this chain. It's an Italian place offering a wide variety of Pasta dishes, along with mediocre pizza. Another good place in a pinch when we didn't know where else to go. There was always plenty of seats, and interesting covers of popular songs playing.
Polly Put The Kettle On
This is a nice little cafe that was right behind our place. We passed by it many times, commenting on the British look of the place. Eventually Marlena went in and ordered something. The shop owner spoke very good English, and this ended up being a very popular spot for Marlena to go and relax and enjoy a nice hot cup of cocoa + a scone. And they had a real Christmas tree!
Google Sites
Report abuse