Location: Sendai
Top Restaurants in Sendai
Sendai Food Guide: 10 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Sendai
Sendai (仙台市, Sendai-shi, Japanese: [seꜜndai]) is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, the largest city in the Tōhoku region, and the second largest city north of Tokyo. As of 1 August 2017, the city had a population of 1,086,012, and is one of Japan's 20 designated cities. The total area of the city is 786.30 square kilometres (303.59 sq mi).
Things to do in Sendai
1. Gyutan Ryori Kaku Vlandome
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 68 reviews
Reviewed By Zexenknight - Melbourne, Australia
Excellent in tongue grilled to perfection. Every dish they serve is done with passion which you can taste. The staffs are friendly with very limited English. There is a picture with a picture of all the dishes that are numbered. Walk up to it and point what you want. I would not pass the tomato! Never thought tomato can taste so nice. Order some sake as well to complement the meal. This place allows smoking.
2. Umami Tasuke
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 125 reviews
Reviewed By jalanworld - Tokyo, Japan
Since 'Grilled beef tangue' is sendai speciality, there are many beef tangue rastaurents in the town.
This restaurant had started 'Beef tangue' in Sendai.
This restaurant is located in Kokubuncyo (near Mitsukoshi) and small restaurant.
Grilled tange meal set for 1 person is 1300 JPY.
Set includes rice, soup and grilled tangue.
If you want to try 'beef tangue', this will be one of your choices.
3. Date no Gyutan (Main Shop)
Overall Ratings
4 based on 139 reviews
Reviewed By rkuef - Seattle
My wife lived in Sendai as a young adult, and we were there visiting family. We requested we all go out to a gyutan restaurant called Rikyu. As much as I love my in-laws, they have a way of ignoring anything my wife says; we ended up at Date no Gyutan instead.
The Chuo location seems to be the main branch. There are a number of Date no Gyutan branches scattered throughout the Sendai area. It's my understanding that this is the restaurant which established Sendai as the "Beef Tongue Capital" of Japan. When I lived there in the early 1990's, Sendai had no such reputation.
The Chuo branch is on the ground floor of a very nice hotel. There is a long display case and retail counter where one can buy beef tongue gift sets. Japanese are pretty much all foodies at heart, and anyone who knows the country can imagine how popular an o-miyage (souvenir) of beef tongue is for visitors to Sendai. When we arrived at about 8 p.m., there were about three groups on the waiting list ahead of us. We were seated in about 20 minutes.
The restaurant was very nice inside, dark furniture with low lighting, mirrors, and granite pillars. The wait staff was attentive. The menu was typical of a beef tongue restaurant. There were various sets, or teishouku, typically consisting of tongue flavored with miso, hot pepper, garlic, and so on, along with pickled vegetables and a clear broth with bits of oxtail and shredded green onion.
The taste was: pure salt! Everything, except the rice, was so salty it overwhelmed the flavor of the food. The soup in particular was so briny I felt as though I was drinking from that big lake in Utah. My wife, who had been very much looking forward to going to Rikyu, was visibly displeased.
I marked this as "full bar", but the term is a little trickier to define in Japan. You can get beer, wine, sake, shochu, and whiskey here. Whether or not they have a full line of other liquors and cocktails I'm not sure. It seems unlikely, as usually in Japan any bar serving cocktails will display them on a menu. I don't recall seeing a cocktail menu.
On our way out, my wife's sister bought us one of the souvenir packs to take home with us. The package read "Jerky", but it was actually a wet-pack, with a taste reminiscent of corned beef. It was much tastier than the food in the restaurant.
Considering that there are many, many, gyutan restaurants throughout Sendai, with similiar offerings at similiar prices, this will be our one and only trip to Date no Gyutan. But if someone offers me another souvenir pack, I'll gladly accept!
4. Zunda Saryo
Overall Ratings
4 based on 218 reviews
Reviewed By Aomori - Hong Kong, China
Besides ox tongue, you may find soya bean 'zunda' flavour in snacks, etc.
Here, you can try zunda bean shake, icecream and even cookies, etc.
It tastes special and yummy.
They got different branches, and you can find one just located inside Sendai train station. Enjoy an afternoon tea there will be good experience too.
5. Shufu no Mise Saichi
Overall Ratings
4 based on 224 reviews
Reviewed By 408yukaa - Tokyo Prefecture, Japan
It's very local, you can buy home made dishes and local fresh vegetables with quite reasonable price. Please try "Ohagi", if you like :)
6. Rikyu Sendai Station
Overall Ratings
4 based on 416 reviews
Reviewed By chitravelers11 - Chicago
Grilled beef tongue is not on most lists but give it a try. It has a bit more texture than beef but the grilled taste is delicious. There is no mineral aftertaste like organ meats. We had the 4-slice set with soup, salad and rice. Order the toro yam and place on your rice for a filling lunch. This spot is favored by the locals so you know it's good.
7. Jogi Tofuten
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 68 reviews
Reviewed By umemaki - Ebetsu, Japan
西方寺参道にある定義とうふ店に行ってきました。
三角油揚げが名物のお店です。
お店の中で油揚げを食べるスペースがあるので、その場で食べる方もたくさんいました。
油揚げの他にお豆腐やホット豆乳なんかもありました。
今回はお持ち帰り用の三角油揚げ5枚入りを買いました。おまけでおからを付けていただきました。
自宅でトースターで表面をカリカリに焼いていただきましたが、中がふわふわで表面がカリカリ、噛むとジュワッと油を感じる大変美味しい油揚げでした。
8. Rikyu Nishiguchihonten
Overall Ratings
4 based on 184 reviews
Reviewed By Supatkit R
Good foods, great service. We get fist impression from carefulness of waiter/waitress You must visit here when your trips have Sendai in your plan.
9. Kotora Sendaiekimaeten
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 74 reviews
Reviewed By しし丸 - 大阪
仔虎駅前店でランチを頂きました。
和風ローストビーフ丼を注文。
しっとりしたロース肉、柔らかく旨味があって美味しいです。
半分は半熟玉子でまろやかに、ボリューム満点で大満足。
ランチ注文のゲスト限定で「ちょこっと焼肉」が頂けます、嬉しいサービスです。
上質なお肉で、美味しかったです。
10. Rikyu Ichibancho Yanagimachi
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 78 reviews
Reviewed By Yeex - Singapore, null, Singapore
Seems beef tongues are a popular dish in this part of Japan. Found many shops. Checked this out due to high tripadvisor rating. Went there at 930 pm and was still opened. Great taste. Reasonable price (not cheap) considering the restaurant setting and next to Westin Hotel.
