Tottori's Best Gourmet Dishes - Seafood, Wagyu Beef, Sweets And More!

Table of Contents:

1. Tottori's Finest Winter Cuisine - Matsuba Gani Snow Crab
2. Best in Japan! The Orginal Wagyu - Tottori Wagyu Beef
3. A Must for Ramen Fans - Central Tottori's Gyukotsu Ramen
4. Loved for its Unique Flavor and Appearance - Tottori Curry
5. Tottori's Specialty - Nashi Pear Soft Serve
6. So Many Amazing Tottori Burgers to Try!

Tottori's Finest Winter Cuisine - Matsuba Crab

Savor Plump and Delicious Snow Crabs in Tottori

Photo courtesy of: Tottori Prefecture

Tottori prefecture is where the fishing ports of Sakai Port and Tottori Port, near central Tottori city, bring Japan's largest catches of red queen snow crab and maguro tuna ashore. For that reason, many shops in the prefecture can serve fresh seafood at very reasonable prices.

Tottori prefecture is also known for its delicious Rock oysters, Japanese sandfish, Mosa shrimp, white squid, and many other marine delights. Of these, the most popular is the Matsuba crab, which is only available from November to February. This crab has a refined, elegant taste that is densely packed into its flesh, which makes it quite satisfying to eat.

Kaisendon, Sushi, Hot Pot - The Many Ways to Enjoy Matsuba Crab

The Matsuba crab can be enjoyed in various different ways, including kaisendon (seafood rice bowls), sushi, or crab hot pot. For example, near Sakaiminato's Mizuki Shigeru Road, you will find a restaurant called Gohanya Isaribi where you can order their winter limited whole Matsuba crab rice bowl, which is made with one entire snow crab.
And at restaurants around Karoichi Tottori Port Fish Market, which is near JR Tottori Station, you can savor the absolute freshest Matsuba crab around.

Gohanya Isaribi
Address: Tottori, Sakaiminato, Agarimichicho 2075-4
Website: http://sanin-net.com/isaribi/ (Japanese)

Karoichi Tottoriko Port Fish Market
Address: Tottori, Tottori, Karochonishi 3-27-1
Website: http://karoichi.jp/ (Japanese)

Best in Japan! The Orginal Wagyu - Tottori Wagyu Beef

Exquisitely Tender Tottori Wagyu - Oleic 55

Photo courtesy of: Tottori Prefecture

During the Edo period, large horse and cattle ranches opened throughout Tottori prefecture; raising cattle has been a specialty of the regions for generations. In fact, the vast majority of the bulls that help to produce Japan's famous brand name wagyu come from Tottori prefecture.

This meat was selected as being the Best Wagyu in Japan in 2017.

The main characteristic of Tottori wagyu beef is that it is so soft it feels as though it will melt in your mouth. This trait is a result of the high concentration of oleic acid, a fatty acid, contained in the meat. For that reason, Tottori wagyu is often known by the brand name Oleic 55.

Highly Recommended - Tottori Wagyu Shabu Shabu

Although Tottori wagyu is delicious in steak and yakiniku, one highly recommended way of eating this beef is in shabu shabu form. Because the meat is so flavorful, you can most thoroughly enjoy it this way. Takumi Kappoten, a wagyu restaurant located just a five minute walk from JR Tottori Station, is known as the originator of Tottori wagyu shabu shabu, and sees numerous customers every day seeking out this dish.

There are also many yakiniku and steak restaurants that serve Tottori wagyu throughout Tottori city and Yonago.

Takumi Kappoten
Address: Tottori, Tottori, Sakaemachi 653
Website: http://mingei.exblog.jp/i4/ (Japanese)

A Must for Ramen Fans - Central Tottori's Gyukotsu Ramen

Unique Even in Japan - Beef Bone Broth Ramen

Photo courtesy of: Tottori Prefecture

The soup base of Japan's famed dish, ramen, is most commonly made from pork bones, chicken or seafood that have been slowly boiled. But, as cattle have been steadily raised in Tottori prefecture, in the 1940s-1950s, gyukotsu, or cattle bone broth ramen, became quite popular.

A rare dish even in Japan, beef bone ramen (gyukotsu) is known for the rich yet clear and fragrant flavor that the beef tallow adds to the broth. In order to enjoy gyukotsu ramen, scores of ramen fans from across the country have traveled to Tottori in recent years.

Many Gyukotsu Ramen Shops Around Kurayoshi

There are numerous restaurants selling gyukotsu ramen around Kurayoshi or Kotouracho (*1), near Kurayoshi. In particular, you'll find Oshokujidokoro Kamitoku near JR Akasaki Station; this Japanese restaurant has become well-known all across Japan for its ramen.

*1 Kotouracho: a town in central Tottori prefecture, reachable via JR Urayasu or JR Akasaki stations.

Oshokujidokoro Kamitoku
Address: Tottori, Tohaku, Kotoura, Akasaki 1979
Website: http://www.kamitokuramen.com/

Loved for its Unique Flavor and Appearance - Tottori Curry

The Japanese Curry Rice Fans of Tottori

Tottori prefecture has the highest consumption of Japanese curry roux in all of Japan. Actually, Tottori is a prefecture made up almost entirely of curry rice lovers.

Throughout Tottori prefecture many coffee shops and diners have created their own unique curry rice dishes, which together are simply referred to as Tottori curry. Fans of rich curry flock to Beniya, a coffee shop near JR Tottori Station, well known for its chicken curry rice.

Very Photogenic and Unique Curry Rice in Tottori

Photo courtesy of: Tottori Prefecture

Near JR Tottori Station stands Oenokian, which is very famous for its pink curry, while near the Uradome coast, Oshokujidoro Ajiroya is famous for its black curry made from squid ink - there are many exceptional photogenic curry rice dishes to choose from in Tottori.

Beniya
Address: Tottori, Tottori, Suehiro Onsen 151

Oenokian
Address: Tottori, Tottori, Oenokicho 3-3
Website: http://www.allure-ba.com/oenoki/ (Japanese)

Oshokujidoro Ajiroya
Address: Tottori, Iwami, Iwami, Otani 2182
Website: http://www.yourun1000.com/pages/ajiroya (Japanese)

Tottori's Specialty - Nashi Pear Soft Serve

Soft Serve Ice Cream Made With Sweetly Sour Pears

Many places in Tottori prefecture also make use of Tottori's locally grown fruits and fresh dairy to create their own unique soft serve ice cream and gelato.

Of them, one that is highly recommended is nashi soft serve, made using Asian pears grown in Tottori. The peculiar sour sweetness of these pears, combined with the sweetness of the soft serve makes for a truly special dessert.

Enjoy Pear Soft Serve Near the Tottori Sand Dunes

Two particularly popular shops that you shouldn't miss out on are Sakyu Kaikan near the Tottori sand dunes, which has pear soft serve, and Sankoen Sakyuten, which has nijisseiki nashi gelato (made from a special variety of Asian pear). When you visit the Tottori sand dunes, make sure to give these sweet treats a try.

Sakyu Kaikan
Address: Tottori, Tottori, Fukubecho Yuyama 2164
Website: http://sakyu.gr.jp/ (Japanese)

Sankoen Sakyuten
Address: Tottori, Tottori, Fukubecho Yuyama 2164-807

So Many Amazing Tottori Burgers to Try!

Photo courtesy of: Oenosato Natural Farm

Tottori prefecture is also where unique hamburgers from all across Japan are brought to participate in the Tottori Burger Festival, an event which started in 2009.

In this photo, you can see the Yazu Burger, topped with farm fresh eggs and eringi mushrooms, sold at the Oenosato Shizen Bokujo, a ranch in Yazu, Tottori - Yazu is also famous for Coco Garden a cafe that makes amazing pancakes. There's also the Daisenji Zen Burger, based on the traditional vegetarian Buddhist cuisine of monks, and the Kotoura Ago-katsu Burger (*2), made with a fried minced flying fish patty.

When you come to Tottori prefecture, make sure to look for these and other unique burgers.

*2 In Tottori prefecture, flying fish, which are normally called tobiuo in Japanese, are called ago in Tottori dialect.

For more information on Tottori's cuisine, check the official website of Tottori Prefecture: https://www.tottori-tour.jp/en/food/

For more information on Tottori Prefecture, please take a look at our article section on Tottori.

Sponsored by Tottori Prefecture