Sendai Gourmet Guide | Top 12 Recommendations

Sendai is beloved by many tourists as a beautiful city where nature and history harmonize, despite being the largest city in the Tohoku region. In addition to its history as a castle town of Date Masamune and excellent access to scenic spots like Matsushima and Shiogama, another attraction is its gourmet culture. Beyond classics like gyutan (beef tongue) and zunda mochi, the city offers an abundance of delicacies and creative dishes that can only be tasted locally, providing a depth that never gets boring no matter how many times you visit.

This article carefully selects and introduces 12 specialty dishes and recommended restaurants you should definitely try when visiting Sendai. Along with sightseeing, let's fully enjoy the culinary attractions unique to Sendai.

Table of Contents

1. The Charm and Gourmet Culture of Sendai

2. 12 Must-Try Gourmet Foods in Sendai

2-1. Gyutan
2-2. Sendai Beef
2-3. Oysters
2-4. Sasa-kamaboko
2-5. Zunda Mochi
2-6. Sankaku Abura-age
2-7. Sea Squirt
2-8. Seri-nabe (Watercress Hotpot)
2-9. Seafood Dishes
2-10. Chilled Chinese noodles
2-11. Mapo Yakisoba
2-12. Japanese Sake

3. "Sendai Flavors" You Can Also Enjoy at the Stadium

3-1. Transportation and Access to Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi
3-2. Purchase Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi Tickets at Tickets in Japan

Summary

1. The Charm and Gourmet Culture of Sendai

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Mori no Miyako (City of Trees) Sendai is the largest city in the Tohoku region, attractive for its nature-rich scenery and historic streetscapes, known as a place associated with Date Masamune, with excellent access to popular tourist destinations like Matsushima and Shiogama.

Sendai is also a treasure trove of gourmet food, where you can enjoy a wide range of cuisine from local dishes using fresh seafood and mountain delicacies to modern creative cuisine using local ingredients. There are many beloved local establishments, so let's discover the unique flavors of Sendai.

2. 12 Must-Try Gourmet Foods in Sendai

Sendai offers a diverse array of specialty gourmet foods that make use of local ingredients. From classics like gyutan and zunda mochi to local dishes and delicacies beloved by locals, there's an abundance of cuisine worth trying.

Here we introduce 12 recommended gourmet foods you should definitely try when visiting Sendai.

2-1. Gyutan

牛タン焼きの開祖の味！仙台で絶対に外さない牛タン専門店「旨味太助」とは | RETRIP[リトリップ] @retrip_news https://t.co/KW9l2YBrRp pic.twitter.com/NsCGUrsqH0

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When it comes to synonymous Sendai specialties, it's "Gyutan". The long-established restaurant "Umami Tasuke," founded in 1948, is the originator of the gyutan teishoku (beef tongue set meal) style, and its simple yet charcoal-grilled aroma and rich fat flavor is truly the crystallization of craftsmanship. The set meal comes with mugi-meshi (barley rice), tail soup, pickles, and nanban-zuke (sweet and sour pickled vegetables), making it a substantial meal that has been loved for many years.

Also, "Aji Tasuke Honten" is an authentic restaurant that follows the lineage of founder Sano Keishiro, famous for its thick gyutan and carefully prepared tail soup. If you want to taste authentic gyutan in Sendai, these two restaurants are unmissable.

2-2. Sendai Beef

A rare brand wagyu beef nationwide that is limited to the "highest grade" A5 and B5 ranks only is "Sendai Beef". It's characterized by the balance of marbling and lean meat, and fine meat quality, carefully raised by registered farmers within Miyagi Prefecture.

A place where you can casually enjoy the exquisite taste of Sendai Beef is "Tachigui Yakiniku Tomoji." This popular restaurant offers thick-cut Sendai Beef and hormone grilled over charcoal in a hideaway-like atmosphere.

The Japanese restaurant "ISOZEN" near Sendai Station East Exit is also recommended, where the luxurious combination of Sendai Beef cut steak and fresh seafood dishes is a gem beloved by local connoisseurs. On special occasions, please definitely savor the high-quality taste of Sendai Beef.

2-3. Oysters

Miyagi Prefecture is one of Japan's leading oyster production areas, and you can enjoy oyster dishes of outstanding freshness in Sendai as well.

Particularly recommended is "Kaki Goya Tobiume Sendai Ekimae Ten." In this style where you grill shell-on oysters from Ishinomaki and Ogatsu yourself on tabletop shichirin (charcoal braziers), the ocean aroma and juicy umami spread throughout your mouth. This popular restaurant offers not only the specialty grilled oysters but also scallops and hoya in hamayaki (beach-style grilling).

"Kaifudo Sendai Ekimae Ten" on the 3rd floor of Sendai Station at "Sushi Dori" is also recommended. The attraction here is the diverse menu including raw oyster tasting comparisons using oysters from various locations throughout the prefecture such as Shizugawa and Matsushima, as well as oyster fry and cheese-grilled dishes. It's also a nice point that you can easily drop by during your travels.

2-4. Sasa-kamaboko

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"Sasa-kamaboko" is famous as a classic Sendai souvenir, but if you're going to taste it locally, definitely try the specialty shops' finest products.

First to note is "Kanezaki no Tairyo-bata," which maximizes the umami of ingredients without additives or chemical seasonings. The thick, bouncy texture and rich flavor derived from the premium fish kichiji (thornyhead) is truly luxurious.

The long-established "Takamasa," originating from Onagawa, uses the discerning eye and techniques of a former fresh fish shop to produce sasa-kama that locks in the umami of fresh white fish. Both are Sendai's unique flavors that would be appreciated as souvenirs.

2-5. Zunda Mochi

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Sendai's local confection "Zunda Mochi" is a Tohoku regional flavor that combines "zunda-an" (made by grinding edamame and mixing with sugar and salt) with chewy mochi.

First unmissable is "Zunda Saryo's" zunda mochi. In addition to the classic version, you can enjoy diverse arranged menu items like zunda shake and roll cake. At "Murakami-ya Mochi Ten," which values simple flavors, the sanshoku mochi (three-color mochi) with zunda, sesame, and walnut is popular. The lightly sweetened bean paste is addictive. Please try various zunda mochi flavors.

2-6. Sankaku Abura-age

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A specialty beloved by Sendai citizens and very popular with tourists is "Sankaku Abura-age". Known as the originator is "Jogi Tofu Shop (Fried tofu)" in the temple town of Jogi-san. This long-established shop founded in 1890 offers the specialty Sankaku Jogi Abura-age, which is about 3cm thick and very filling.

The double-frying method makes it crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. When you bite into the freshly fried piece on the spot, the soybean aroma and umami spread throughout your mouth. The connoisseur's way of eating is to add soy sauce or ninniku shichimi (garlic seven spice) to taste. Please definitely visit in combination with worship at Jogi Nyorai.

2-7. Sea Squirt

Sea Squirt, called "sea pineapple," is a rare sea delicacy where you can enjoy five tastes - sweet, salty, umami, sour, and bitter - all at once. In Miyagi Prefecture, which boasts Japan's number one catch volume, you can enjoy diverse dishes using fresh sea squirt.

Particularly recommended is "Hoya & Junmai Sakaba Maboya Sendai Ekimae Ten." In addition to sashimi and namerou, surprising creative menu items like hoya gyoza, sea squirt pizza, and sea squirt miso cheese yaki are all available, and the compatibility with Japanese sake is outstanding.

Also, "Kaki Goya Tobiume Sendai Ekimae Ten" offers hoya sashimi, yukhoe, and jerky, where you can fully enjoy Sanriku flavors. If you want to discover the charm of sea squirt in Sendai, these two restaurants are unmissable.

2-8. Seri-nabe (Watercress Hotpot)

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"Seri-nabe," where you can enjoy Miyagi Prefecture-produced seri (Japanese parsley) down to the roots without waste, is a Sendai specialty from winter to spring. Characterized by its crisp texture and high fragrance, once you try it, it's an unforgettable taste.

Famous for seri-nabe is "Wabisuke" in Kokubun-cho. The seri that the proprietress goes to buy in Natori every morning is outstandingly fresh. It pairs exquisitely with the broth infused with duck meat umami, warming you from the core.

"Inaho" can be called the originator of seri-shabu, where you lightly dip it in fragrant Japanese-style broth to taste. The finishing shime ramen using famous ramen shop's homemade noodles is also a must-try. If you visit Sendai in winter, this is definitely an experience you want to have at least once.

2-9. Seafood Dishes

Sendai, blessed with the rich fishing grounds off Sanriku, is also a treasure trove of fresh seafood dishes. You can enjoy diverse menus including sashimi, sushi, and seafood bowls.

Unmissable when enjoying seafood is "Umai Sushikan." This restaurant directly sources outstandingly fresh ingredients from the market and cooks them immediately upon arrival. The specialty "Manager's Recommended Nigiri" and local dishes like hoya sashimi and rock oysters are abundant with Miyagi-like offerings.

Also recommended is "Ryoutei Hamaya Kawamachi Terace Yuriage" operating in Yuriage, the founding location. In addition to seafood chirashi and tempura bowls, seasonal limited menus like spring hokki-meshi and autumn harako-meshi are exquisite, where you can fully savor Sendai's ocean bounty along with the port town scenery.

2-10. Chilled Chinese noodles

There's a theory that the birthplace of cold ramen that spread nationwide is the long-established "Ryutei" in Sendai City. This Chinese restaurant founded in 1931 offers the original menu "Ryobanmen," which features a unique style where luxurious ingredients like jellyfish, steamed chicken, and char siu are served on separate plates. Carefully adjusted for acidity and cold water temperature so that appetite continues even in hot seasons, it has been loved year-round.

The gomoku hiyashi chuka (five-ingredient cold ramen) at "Saika" is luxuriously topped with ingredients like crab, shrimp, and jellyfish, with outstanding visual impact. You can choose between soy sauce or sesame sauce, and it's a specialty dish that never stops getting orders even in winter. Please definitely taste authentic cold ramen in Sendai.

2-11. Mapo Yakisoba

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Gaining popularity as Sendai's B-grade gourmet is "Mapo Yakisoba". This is a local gourmet dish originating in the area, featuring grilled noodles topped with spicy mapo tofu sauce.

The dish served at "Minpantin Ten Sendai Sta." features thin noodles generously topped with mapo sauce fragrant with kacho (Sichuan pepper), with an exquisite balance of spiciness and umami. Adding rice to enjoy it "mapo-don" style is also recommended.

At "Xi-Long Chinese Dining Restaurant," the clay pot-style Mapo Yakisoba is popular. The gorgeous aroma of Sichuan sansho and lingering numbness, including the crispy rice crust that forms at the bottom, can be enjoyed down to the last bite - it's an adult flavor.

2-12. Japanese Sake

Miyagi's Japanese sake, created by the cold climate, pure water, and the techniques of Nambu Toji (master brewers), is characterized by a light, dry taste that is also rich in umami.

Where you can thoroughly enjoy Miyagi's local sake is "San-Ichi-Maru-San." In this calm, counter-only space, over 40 brands rotate constantly - it's a popular shop visited by sake lovers from across the country.

Also, "Shunmishuko Kan" is an adult hideaway where you can enjoy Miyagi's famous sakes like Miyakanbai and Katsuyama along with Japanese appetizers. Both are easy to enter alone and offer lineups that satisfy everyone from Japanese sake beginners to connoisseurs, so let's quietly conclude your Sendai evening with local sake.

3. "Sendai Flavors" You Can Also Enjoy at the Stadium

After fully savoring the Sendai gourmet 12 selections, the finale is watching a game at Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi. Even inside the stadium, you can casually enjoy "Sendai flavors" like hyotan-age, gyutan skewers, and Tohoku Japanese sake, experiencing the unity of gourmet food and cheering all at once.

3-1. Transportation and Access to Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi

Please see the article below for transportation and access to Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi.

3-2. Purchase Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi Tickets at Tickets in Japan

Summary

Sendai is a gourmet city where foods unique to Miyagi Prefecture, a treasure trove of ingredients, gather. From the specialty gyutan to Sendai beef, hoya, sasa-kamaboko, and other dishes where local food culture lives on, each will enrich your travel memories.

Additionally, there are many dishes rooted in regional history and climate, such as zunda mochi and cold ramen, and through their flavors you can feel the charm of Sendai more deeply. When visiting Sendai, please use this article as a reference to find your favorite flavors.

※This article is created based on information as of June 2025