“Rare” Raw Japan Food Tour in Sendai

Tired of basic ramen and sushi? For a bit of adventure, stir things up during this “rare” food tour in Sendai. Jump into the deep end of Japanese cuisine, tasting the local Sendai delicacies, like raw beef, raw chicken, raw horse, and maybe even raw shark heart!*

With an English-speaking food tour guide, you will visit 3 specialty izakaya (bars) to try the unique raw foods of Sendai. Gorgeous Sendai boasts the best of the city and country, with all the conveniences of modern cities plus all of the natural abundance of the countryside. The ingredients here are extra fresh, safe to eat raw, and just as delicious as they are rare!

At each izakaya, you will try 1 dish and 1 beverage, such as local sake, whisky, beer, or nonalcoholic beverages.

You will meet your tour guide outside Kotora, a restaurant specializing in wagyu beef, where you will taste the first 4 dishes on the menu below. Then, you’ll take a stroll through the retro alleyways of Sendai’s Bunka Yokocho and Iroha Yokocho, glowing with orange lanterns. Next, you’ll stop at a local haunt, Ni-dai-me, an izakaya that serves up raw chicken and horse meat. You’ll finish up at Nanbu-Iroha, a traditional izakaya that is run by a friendly Okami-san. Along with a glorious selection of Japanese sake, they specialize in northern Miyagi and Iwate cuisine. But the pinnacle of the evening is tasting rare shark heart (“mouka no hoshi”)!

*Please be aware that shark heart is not guaranteed, and can only be served if the shark has been caught fresh that day. As Miyagi Prefecture abides by sustainable fishing methods, sharks are not targeted for particular parts, and to ensure that there is no waste, the entire shark is used. As a substitution for the shark heart, “Harmonica” (broiled swordfish backbone) may be served.

Menu:

-Salted beef gizzard

-Marbled raw beef sashimi

-Marbled raw beef sushi

-Sample “Yukehoe” set with minced raw beef and uni

-Raw chicken

-Raw horse

-Raw shark heart* OR broiled swordfish backbone