Meal

Izakaya Matoi, located on a corner in a rustic setting, specialises in chicken dishes. The kitchen serves over twenty kinds of chicken dishes such as Chicken Nanban (marinated deep-fried chicken) with tartare sauce containing boiled eggs, nibbles, pasta, pizza and rice or noodle dishes. The wide range of menu items enchants its customers. Yakitori, finished with a special sauce passed down from the previous generation, consists of various items from rare parts to original, creative ingredients. "Sado's Special Big Takoyaki" which won the grand prize of "Sado Island's Gourmet Contest" is highly recommended.

In Hamochi, "Osaki Soba no Kai" takes place several times a year, where you can enjoy local specialty dishes and hand-kneaded soba (buckwheat noodles), as well as traditional performing arts, attracting many fans throughout Japan. Chobokuri was opened in 2007 by the organising group of Osaki Soba no Kai. Here you can have a simple, but delightful treat of soba noodles made from 100% stone-ground buckwheat all year round. Seeking soba noodles soaked in flying fish based broth, soba lovers visit Chobokuri both from within and beyond Sado. The interior of a quaint Japanese-style house is also a highlight of Chobokuri. The restaurant's name derives from a traditional performing art in the Osaki area, which is performed at Osaki Soba no Kai.

Guesthouse Senkakuwan stands directly next to Senkakuwan Ageshima Yuen. The inn is perfectly located for exploring Aikawa and Sotokaifu in the neighbourhood of Marine Park in Senkakuwan Bay and Tassha Bathing Beach. Guesthouse Senkakuwan treats guests to fresh, locally caught seafood including deluxe sashimi served on a ship-shaped platter for dinner. The guesthouse is a friendly place where tourists and locals can casually pop-in and enjoy menu items such as set meals and donburi (rice with toppings) prepared with special seafood.

Mozem offers hand-kneaded soba noodles and soba-centric multi-course meals. The neatly cut, thin strips of soba noodles made from 100% buckwheat flour, are exceptional because of the strong flavour of buckwheat and smooth texture. You can choose from Sado-style soba drenched in soba sauce made from grilled-dried flying fish, or morisoba served with a dipping sauce made from bonito broth. A selection of dishes prepared with a little extra will leave gourmet palates satisfied and impressed. Book your seat by the afternoon on the day before your visit.

Goshima is a Japanese-style fine cuisine restaurant serving local, delicious fish prepared by the master chef, who learned culinary skills in Tokyo. The customers', especially women's, favourite "barachirashi (sushi rice mixed with various ingredients),”whets your appetite, and delights your eyes and palate. The Chef's Choice Set Meal consists of plenty of fresh fish purchased on the day, and never fails to meet your expectations.

As the authentic Kansai-style okonomiyaki can be enjoyed for casual occasions, Koume gains a gathering of families and high school students who commute to school in the neighbourhood. It offers a choice of about twenty kinds of okonomiyaki, ranging from healthy options to heavier options. The top recommendation is a basic okonomiyaki with pork and egg. Also recommended is a classic menu item, which is the deluxe "mix" okonomiyaki with squid, shrimps, and scallops. The menu has a selection of items other than okonomiyaki, such as yakisoba (stir-fried noodles), takoyaki (savory balls with octopus), and monjayaki (crispy grilled runny pancake).

Nakasho is a Japanese restaurant offering treats with the taste of Sado, such as sashimi and grilled fish. It houses a spacious section with tatami mat flooring, where you can enjoy your meal in a relaxing atmosphere. The highlights are kaisendon, a bowl of rice with more than eight kinds of fresh seafood, and tendon, a bowl of rice with fresh vegetable tempura. The taste of miso soup made from the subtly sweet Aikawa's miso enhances the flavours of seafood. Enjoy sophisticated dishes with Sado's local sake.

Nacchan has an established reputation for its fresh, seasonal seafood purchased at the market, and delicious nibbles. Bento box meals and catering services also enjoy popularity. The food menu consists of a plethora of dishes, including noodles, donburi (a bowl of rice with toppings), and set meals. Nacchan offers an all-chuhai-you-can-drink deal (chuhai are mixed drinks with shochu, Japanese distilled spirits) between 17:00-22:00 (valid for two hours). Prices are 1,000JPY for men and 500JPY for women. Head to the sister snack bar "Shante" after Nacchan. You can get 50% off karaoke there.

CAFE Yotsuba opened on the Ebisu's shopping street where old-established stores stand. It is enjoying increasing popularity with absolutely delicious food. At lunchtime, the kitchen serves three options of lunch, one plate lunch, pasta and curry with rice. In the evening it transforms into a bistro serving à la carte dishes incuding appetizers, pasta, and main courses, along with wine, cocktails and whiskies. Carefully handcrafted desserts taste great, too.

Kisaragi Honten offers menu items filled with love for Sado's bounty. Try the Sado Set prepared with Sado-produced ingredients, or the turban shellfish curry that was once a favorite of island fishermen.

Hotaru is a Japanese-style pub with a home-like atmosphere. Nibbles such as deep-fried natto (fermented soy beans) and squid balls are well regarded for its deliciousness. Among them, the grilled pork skewers, which are freshly prepared once an order is made, is especially scrumptious. They are grilled with sweet miso (bean paste) sauce, which compliments the pork perfectly. Hotaru is also famous for its flavourful Chinese ramen noodles. The ever-popular "chilled Chinese ramen noodles" has a light taste and is also highly recommended.

"Ikebukuro Daishoken" established a great reputation in Tokyo for Tsukemen (ramen noodles served with a separate dipping soup). The master chef trained under Mr Kazoo Yamagishi, and was allowed to set up his own restaurant with the same name. He introduces the taste and philosophy of the master chef, Mr Yamagishi, to Sado. The well-balanced soup made from bones of pork and chicken, and seafood, and the homemade noodles taste authentic even for those who know the taste of the founder's restaurant. As Mr Yamagishi emphasized the importance of "pig bones, chicken bones, and the chef's personality," the set of noodles and dipping soup prepared by the chef's kindness and skill is delicious.

Takeya is a restaurant with a long history, located in the Tenryo-dori shopping street in Aikawa. The master chef, who prides in his cooking history of over fifty years, enchants you with Sado's delicacies such as sashimi and simmered fish. Takeya's specialty,"Grilled Ikagoro",is the highlight. This is a fisherman's dish made with fresh squid and vegetables steamed with mild miso bean paste and goro (squid innards). The Koshihikari rice cooked in a large pot will also delight your taste buds.

The building has a distinctive white bay window facing the blue sea. Apple is a long-established snack bar in Aikawa. Surrounded by the chic, grey and black interior, you can enjoy drinks at reasonable prices. As the bar is equipped with a 100-inch big screen and cutting edge karaoke facilities, song lovers will be greatly pleased. Mini live shows are also occasionally held there. Lightly flavoured ramen (Chinese) noodles are perfect refreshments after drinks and enjoy popularity.

Kinzanjaya is an eatery located in the third car park of the historic site "Sado Gold Mine". You can enjoy lunch made from fresh seafood. Kinzan Soba (buckwheat noodles) topped with chewy mekabu seaweed, shrimp tempura and iwanori seaweed and gold dust is highly recommended. In addition, "Kinzan Curry" served in a shape of Doyu no Wareto (split mountain top of the gold mine), and "Special Kaisendon", are popular menu items among others.

The cafe attracts regular customers who seek a place to relax during lunchtime and teatime. The ample selection of food menu including spaghetti, Japanese curry, noodles, set meals, sandwiches, desserts, etc and drinks have established its great reputation. A sizzling home-made burger steak served on an iron plate is especially recommended. Home-grown rice is also popular for its delicious flavour.

Kinkaro stands along Route 350, which you will know by its red signboard. The chef of the second generation learnt culinary skills at a famous Sichuan cuisine restaurant in Niigata, and wholeheartedly prepares dishes. The Sichuan-style Hot and Spicy Bean Curd, which carries on a traditional taste, gives rich flavours in spiciness, and this dish is highly recommended. Classic menus such as gyoza dumplings, fried rice, and sweet and sour pork are peerlessly delicious. Kinkaro also serves up noodles and set meals, and the set lunch on weekdays has a loyal following thanks to the reasonable price.

Mochidaya is a restaurant directly run by the adjacent Mochida Fishmonger. It boasts menu items which emphasize the seasonal flavours, changing depending on the seafood available for that specific season. "Kaisendon", which is a bowl of rice with a dozen fresh seafood toppings, is the highlight during lunch hours. Mochidaya also serves an ample selection of sweet delights, including home-baked pancakes made from 100% Sado-grown rice powder. In the evening, it turns into a Japanese-style pub serving alcoholic drinks to accompany your food, where you can leisurely enjoy local Japanese sake and cocktails in the old Japanese-style house built sixty years ago.

Inayoshi is a popular Japanese restaurant in Ogi. It has earned its reputation for delicious grilled and basted eel. The eel, which is rarely available all year around in Sado, is cooked and glazed with their special sweet sauce that is a signature taste of Inayoshi. Kamameshi (hot pot rice) and rice bowl with sauce-flavoured pork cutlet are also popular dishes. They offer three private dining rooms, set meals and noodles, so families can also have a great dining experience. You can also find their popular bento box lunch and cooked food to take away.

Ougi Zushi is a sushi bar located on main street, and a popular venue for leisurely lunches and dinners . You can feast on sushi crafted with seasonal seafood toppings and sushi rice served at body temperature with mild acidity. Other highlights include seasonal miso soup. Ougi Zushi also serves unagi (grilled and basted eel) in summer and hot pot dishes in winter. The voluminous "tendon" (rice bowl with tempura) is popular at lunchtime. Ougi Zushi provides three sections with tatami mat flooring, and is ideal for parties.

Tengu, named after the legendary crow-like yokai with a long nose, has won praise for its fish dishes. The kitchen delivers daily specials centering around sashimi and grilled fish. The chef, who loves fishing, sometimes serves his haul of the day. Chargrilled Yakiniku and Yakitori are popular menu items, be it your main dish or a nibble to accompany your drinks. Tengu serves set meals and Chinese ramen noodles during lunchtime hours. This is a reliable place for a casual lunch, or visiting for food and drinks in the evening.

Garage cafe RENNSPORT was opened to display cars by the car-mania owner. The cafe exhibits changing displays of cars varying from classic Porsche vehicles to Lotus cars, which indeed make a garage! The cafe menu has weekly spaghetti and sweet delights, which speak of the cook's joy. Organic fruit juice and chai tea also have a crowd-pleasing reputation.

A long-established snack bar, Orphée reopened with added izakaya elements in 2007. While maintaining the intimate atmosphere perfect for karaoke and chatting, Orphée now offers an ample selection of dishes, too. The kitchen provides a variety of menu items, from grilled skewers, deep-fried dishes and steak to noodles and fried rice. As Orphée has both counter seats and a section floored with tatami mats, it is a perfect place to dine whether you are in a large group or a solo diner.

Sabo Yamashita is a hearty café in a renovated shed, with tables made from washtub-boats unique to the Ogi area, where they are used locally. Simply sweet zenzai (sweet red bean soup with mochi rice cake) and warabimochi (Japanese jelly-like confectionery) are perfect for a tea break during a stroll through Shukunegi.

Kushishige is a yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) restaurant nestled on a seaside street with a sea breeze. All skewers are grilled over fastidiously selected, yet traditional, high-quality Bincho charcoal. The chicken skewers have a deep flavour, and are finished with a homemade special sauce which is topped up daily. Every evening, Kushishige is crowded with local regulars who seek out delicious yakitori offered at reasonable prices. In summer, the menu expands to offer Kanto-style grilled and basted unagi (eel cut open in its back, steamed first and grilled), finished with a special unagi sauce.

Charakuragee (Sado dialect meaning playful) specializes in grilled fare. The menu includes seasonal Sado-sourced sashimi and local sake, too.

Zen offers creative cuisines by making full use of seasonal ingredients. At lunchtime, omuraisu (omelette stuffed with fried rice) and pasta dishes are served. At dinnertime, meat and fish dishes are the main menu. Great food prepared by the master chef, qualified as a food coordinator, is popular for its various flavours such as the Asian. Zen also provides over 100 selections of cocktails. Keep an eye on new monthly menus and housemade desserts! Bento box meal catering services also enjoy popularity.

Surrounded by persimmon trees, the farmhouse café "Pouteau Indicateur" stands in the Hamochi Murayama area. You can use the ichirizuka to find the cafe, an old Japanese version of a milestone, the only one still in existence on the Aikawa and Ogi road. The menu items are all hand-made, using home-grown vegetables and fruits. The top reccommendations are pasta and curry with rice. Beef curry is made from the famous Sado Beef. All dishes are served with a fresh salad. Desserts which fully express the taste of the season are also popular. The name "Pouteau Indicateur" means signpost/milestone in French.

Petit Doll has a great reputation for its sourdough bread and sweets produced from locally sourced ingredients. Their original sweets made with a focus on Sado-sourced rice powder, dairy produce and fruit are a perfect gift and souvenir to take back home. In particular, "Shima (Island) Cheesecake", an excellent sweet which won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Prize, and "Okesa Potato", which is made from sweet potatoes grown using reduced chemicals, are classic sweets in Sado. There is also a café corner on site.

Kinchan Honten aims to vitalize the local community and create employment through agricultural diversification by making full use of local produce blessed with nature's bounty. Kinchan Honten utilizes local abandoned fields to grow rice for rice powder and other products, including noodles. (A great alternate of wheat flour, rice powder inhibits a rise in blood sugar levels after meals.) Kinchan Honten also produces and sells processed products made using locally-sourced fruit. At Kinchan Honten, you can enjoy local dishes prepared with the bounties of the sea and mountains. Kinchan Honten aspires to provide a place for communication and exchange.