A two-day trip to Mihara, Hiroshima.
On the first day, we decided to take a “trip around Mihara Station” to see the highlights of the city without going too far from the station.
After getting the information we wanted at the tourist information center inside Mihara Station, we set off on a tour of Mihara City! I would have liked to go on a tour of Mihara, but it was already lunchtime and I was hungry.
So, we decided to get hungry before heading to our first destination.
We headed for “Utoshi oshokujidokoro” (Utoshi Restaurant).
Actually, I had been given several recommendations for restaurants in the Mihara Station area, and “Utoshi oshokujidokoro” was one of them.
We were served “Omakase fish in sweet and spicy sauce,” one of the lunch menu items.
After the dish was brought to us, we asked what kind of fish was this omakase fish? The answer I got was “guchi.
I had never heard of “guchi” fish. I’m a fish lover, so I know what it is. ā¦ā¦ I wonder if it’s a regional name or something.
Despite my doubts, the fish was delicious, and the quality and quantity of the set meal itself was unbelievable for 950 yen. I was also able to experience the kindness of the local people through the exchange with them, and was very satisfied with my lunch.
Uotoshi oshokujidokoro recommended for lunch in Mihara
Mihara Station, which we visited on the Shinkansen from Tokyo.
I left home early in the morning and bought a box lunch from the in-train sales after boarding the Shinkansen from Shinagawa Station. It took about 4 hours from Shinagawa Station to Mihara Station, so I arrived at Mihara Station before noon.
After arriving at Mihara Station, I stopped by the Mihara Castle Ruins next to the station and talked with a tourist information center, and before I knew it, it was lunchtime.
So we headed to “Uotoshi oshokujidokoro” (restaurant).
It is a five-minute walk from Mihara Station! Visit Utoshi oshokujidokoro near the station!
I entered the address of Utoshi oshokujidokoro (2-3-9 Shiro-machi, Mihara City, Hiroshima Prefecture) and checked it out on the map application.
After exiting the south exit of Mihara Station, continue east along the railroad tracks.
If you are not familiar with the area, it is better to use a map application.
If you are not familiar with the area, it is best to use a map application.
This is “Utoshi oshokujidokoro.
I was looking at the restaurant, thinking it was rather quiet, but one after another customers were entering the restaurant, so I hurriedly went inside.
There are counter seats and tatami room seats in the restaurant.
Incidentally, I visited on a weekday afternoon. After I took my seat, customers kept coming in, one after the other. It is evident that the restaurant is very popular for lunch.
I took a seat at the counter where there was only one vacant seat on the far right.
The restaurant is also open at night, so there was a line of sake in front of the counter.
A couple who entered the restaurant right before me was sitting next to me. They must be locals. They seemed to know the person at the left end of the counter and were conversing while waiting for their food.
So this is a restaurant frequented by locals. You can expect a lot from this restaurant.
When we were seated, we were handed a lunch menu. The menu was handwritten and called “Today’s Daily Set Lunch.
You choose one main dish, and then choose from octopus rice, Thai rice, rose sushi, and white rice.
Now, choosing a menu, it was hard to decide which dish to choose because they all looked delicious.
Since this is a seaside town, I wanted to go for the seafood dishes, but the kampachi, sea bream, squid, and octopus ā¦ā¦ were all so tempting that I was in a state of ah-ha-wah-what to do.
The staff asked me what I wanted to order, and although I couldn’t decide, I decided to order the “Omakase fish in sweet and spicy sauce”. I was also hoping for some interesting fish.
I decided to have rice with bara-zushi.
Luxury set meal “Omakase fish simmered in sweet and spicy sauce”! It’s delicious, but what kind of fish is “guchi”?
Here is the set meal that was brought to us.
I was surprised at the size of the tray on which the dishes were placed. It was like the dinner served at a Japanese inn.
The price was 950 yen for such a large number of dishes.
The main dish was “omakase fish stewed in sweet and spicy sauce,” and it was served with rose sushi, sashimi, fried fish, pickled vegetables, chilled tofu, steamed egg custard, and miso soup. Lovely.
Let’s start with the “omakase fish simmered in sweet and spicy sauce.
When you put your chopsticks into the fish, you will find that the meat is tender white meat with no peculiarities and an elegant taste.
Now, what kind of fish is this fish?
I felt like I had seen this fish before, but I wondered if it was a fish commonly eaten locally, or if there was something I did not know about it, so I decided to ask the waitress.
The waiter went to the back of the store to check ā¦ā¦. While I was there, the wife of the couple next to me said, “Isn’t that hogo?” She called out to me.
Ho, hogo? I am relatively familiar with the fish as I do some fishing, but the name that appeared was completely unfamiliar to me.
While we were having this exchange, the waiter came back and brought out a fish whose name I also did not know.
He said it was a hogfish.
Next to “hogo” was “guchi,” both of which I had never heard of. I had never heard of either of these names. It was very interesting.
The next day, I had a chance to talk with a fisherman and asked him about Guchi.
Apparently, in the name I know, guchi means “yellowtail” or “ishimochi.
When the fish is caught, it squeaks with its float bag, and it is called “guchi” because it sounds like it is complaining.
By the way, the couple told me that hogo means scorpionfish.
Different regions have different names for fish. It was an interesting experience right from the start.
We continued to enjoy our set menus while chatting with the couple.
I was impressed by the freshness and high quality of the sashimi in the small bowls. This set meal is delicious.
The first time I ate at a restaurant on a trip is often memorable, which is important for travelers, and I found a good restaurant.
The couple next to us also started to talk to us, which made us feel like we were on a trip.
When I asked them about it, they told me that the couple lived in Mihara City. I was planning to go to a remote island after dinner, so I asked about island recommendations, and the husband told me about islands around Mihara and Onomichi. From my point of view, he spoke in a strong dialect that I could not understand very well, and I was only able to understand about 50% of what he said.
But even so, I was glad that he was willing to teach me, a complete stranger, and I felt my feelings softened by the occasional smile he showed me.
In my case, when I was touched by the kindness of the local people, it was a sign that my trip was going in the right direction.
The miso soup contained fish ara, and the fish broth was very effective, and the fat of the fish gave it a rich and delicious flavor.
The set meal has a large number of items, but each item is delicious. It is a highly satisfying set meal that allows you to enjoy a variety of flavors.
It was so delicious that I ate it in one sitting. Because there is a lot of volume, I am full.
Conclusion
The couple next to us left the restaurant before us on the way out, and as they left, they said to us, “Enjoy yourself so you don’t get heat stroke! They said to us, “Have fun and don’t get heat stroke!
It was a nice ā¦ā¦ encounter.
Speaking of the food, the main dish, “omakase guchi (fish) stewed in sweet and spicy sauce,” fresh sashimi, miso soup with fish broth, etc., was unquestionably a delicious set meal.
If you are planning to have lunch in Mihara, “Uotoshi oshokujidokoro” is a restaurant I can recommend.
Our first meal there was a very satisfying lunch.
It will have a positive impact on the rest of our trip. ā¦ā¦ With that in mind, we left the restaurant.
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Uotoshi oshokujidokoro
Address
2-3-9 Shiro-machi, Mihara City, Hiroshima Prefecture
TEL
0848-64-4984
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