When you travel, one of the things you probably look forward to the most is the food. Hamadori up in Fukushima prefecture of the Tohoku region has lots of great places to eat at. In this article we will be talking about some of the best cafes and restaurants in Hamadori ranging from the local delicacy Namie Yakisoba to some delicious kaiseki!
1. Sendan-tei
The first restaurant we would like to introduce is Sendan-tei that is located in the food court on the first floor of the Futaba Business Incubation and Community Center. You can try local dishes such as Namie Yakisoba that was actually the winner of the 2013 B1 Grand Prix! The owner of Sendan-tei was the secretary general of Namie Yakisoba Taikoku after the earthquake, and he has been promoting Namie Yakisoba all throughout the country. Also, when ordering Namie Yakisoba, it is best to eat it with the Tsukejiru sauce that gives it a nice change of flavor!
Opening Hours: 10am ‐ 3pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
2. Penguin
Next up on our list is Penguin, the first restaurant to reopen for business in Futaba Town in 2020. The former owner and current manager’s mother, who people call Auntie Penguin, was the model for the mural in the FUTABA Art District. The restaurant is so popular that even many celebrities visit and leave their autographs! Some of their popular items are their special cutlet sandwiches and beef burgers. If you’re looking for a hearty meal, this is the place to go!
Opening Hours: 10am‐4pm (Closed on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th‐Thursday of every month, and the 2nd and 4th-Saturday/Sunday of every month)
3. SakeKura Yui
SakeKura Yui is located in Michi no Eki Namie. The Suzuki Sake Brewery has resumed brewing in Namie Town after a 10-year temporary closure. You can enjoy homemade lunch and sweets that are made with their sake and amazake. The food and desserts are cutely arranged, and the restaurant also uses masu (a square with the Suzuki Brewery’s signature brand name, “Kotobuki”) on it when serving alcohol. The amazake soft serve ice cream is said to be delicious, even for those who do not like amazake. Even if you’re not a big fan of amazake, we recommend giving it a try!
Opening Hours: 10am – 6pm (Closed on the last Wednesday of every month)
4. MADY
MADY is a creative Western-style restaurant that just opened up in March of 2022. The name of the restaurant, MADY, comes from the word in Fukushima dialect, “Madei”, which roughly translates to “carefully/without sparing time and effort”. Their dishes are a mixture of Japanese and Western cuisine, but are all made to be eaten with chopsticks. If you want to enjoy a nice meal in a stylish restaurant, this is the place for you.
Opening Hours: Lunch: 11:30am – 3pm, Dinner: 5:30pm – 10pm, (Closed on Tuesdays and the 3rd Wednesday of every month)
5. Hamadori
Next up is Hamadori which is located in the food court of Sakura Mall Tomioka. Here you can try one of the new specialties of Hamadori called Hamadori Ramen! The Hamadori Ramen broth is made from rich chicken and seafood. They cook the chicken meat at a low-temperature making it nice and tender and the chicken thighs cooked in a pressure cooker are one of the most popular toppings. The recommended way to eat this delicious ramen is to top it with some yuzu chili peppers for more flavor and spice!
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm(Closed on Tuesdays and the 3rd Wednesday of every month)
6. Cafe smile
Cafe smile is located on the third floor of Kaiyu no Yado Hakusan. The ryokan is managed by the cafe owner’s family. You can enjoy a panoramic view of Matsukawaura from inside of the cafe. The sweets are so nicely decorated and pretty that it’s a pity to have to eat them!
*It is currently closed due to the earthquake on March 16, 2022. Please contact them for their current business status.
Opening Hours: 10am – 3pm(Closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays)
7. Western Grandpa
Western Grandpa is a western style restaurant that opened up in 2020. Their most popular dish is their Omurice. It is pretty much a children’s plate made for adults. Their tiramisu “Gramisu” is also a very popular and delicious dessert! Grandpa is said to have secret desserts that are not listed on the menu, so you can ask the waiter for the details when ordering dessert here!
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm (Closed on Mondays)
8. Japanese Cuisine Kagetsu
Next on our list is Japanese Cuisine Kagetsu that is located on the first floor of the Bridal & Hotel Raffine Haranomachi. For lunch, the restaurant offers udon noodles and oyakodon (chicken and egg bowl over rice), among other dishes. For dinner, kaiseki cuisine is the main course. You can also order kaiseki lunch boxes. Please note that you need to reserve the boxed lunches and kaiseki meals ahead of time. The hotel has two healing robots, LOVOT “Pikomaru” and “Jolly”. If you are lucky, you may just be in their company while eating dinner!
Opening Hours: 11am – 2:30pm (Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
9. Light meal and cafe Rainbow
Light meal and cafe Rainbow(rough English translation) is located in Okuma-to, in the Okuma town exchange zone. Last April, 10 years after the 3/11 earthquake, the restaurant finally made its way back to Okuma Town and reopened. One of their most popular items on their menu is the “Rainbow Lunch”, which is different everyday. It comes with fried fish, grilled meat, ham and eggs, and a salad. But their hidden yet popular item is the “Ippaidori” coffee that the chef makes with a siphon!
Opening Hours: 11am – 6pm (Closed on weekends and Holidays)
10. Haru Cafe
Last but not least is Haru Cafe that is located in Okuma-to, the Okuma town Exchange Zone. They sell additive-free handmade bread made specially with Akita Shirakami Kodama yeast. The “daily bread and drink set” and the “chiffon cake set” are some of their popular items! They open up early in the morning, so even if you are an early riser there is no need to worry!
Opening Hours: 7am – 5pm (Closed on Sundays and Mondays)
We talked about some great cafes and restaurants up in the beautiful Hamadori area. Are there any that caught your attention? Just as a reminder, when visiting any of these cafes or restaurants, please be sure to check in advance to see if there have been any changes to their opening hours or policies. We hope you have the chance to visit Hamadori and try some of their best cafes and restaurants!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for more travel inspiration. Or tag us to get featured!
Happy traveling!
Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Tour
Other articles you might be interested in
Asahi Eda is from Naka‐dori, Fukushima Prefecture. Her favorite foods from Fukushima are braised pork noodles from Tora Shokudo and Shimiten from Konohata.
This post may contain some affiliate links. When you click through and make a purchase we may receive some commission, at no extra costs to you.
