By Matt Klampert
Special Rice Bowls in YUKIGUNI
Though it does not have quite the reputation of Tokyo or Osaka, there are all sorts of fun things to eat in Snow Country. Of course, if you are interested in Michelin Star cuisine, then we have you covered with high quality French-inspired dishes paired with local sake at Tamakiya or farm to table vegetarian friendly fare at Satoyama Jujo. You can also learn all about and try our historical local cuisine including sansai, hegi soba, and sasadango. But how about something simple that everyone can enjoy?
These days, people all around the world love sushi and ramen, as well as rice bowls. Restaurants in each of the towns that make up Snow Country have their own special donburi (with delicious local rice) that you will be sure to love!
All about Minamiuonuma City’s Majidon campaign
Each year during the winter some of the local shops in Minamiuonuma City get together and bring out their special “majidon” menu. The majidon campaign is for true rice bowl enthusiasts, and offers 48 delicious rice bowls for a limited time- everything from Chinese to curry and more!
A few highlights of the Majidon campaign include perennial favorites like Bravo. Located conveniently close to Muikamachi station, they are known for their top quality beef bowls. This includes local beef from Niigata prefecture upon koshihikari rice grown at Matsuendon, a local farm with their own A-grade gourmet restaurant.
Little Hokkaido, located right nearby, uses sushi rice for their seafood bowls, which are topped with a special red vinegar from Onomichi in Hiroshima.
If you want to try something more local, Kyou is known for their kirizai-don, a healthy rice bowl that includes a lot of pickled ingredients like pickled nozawana turnip, kagura nanban pepper and natto, as well as salmon. This was traditionally eaten in winter when nothing could be grown during months of deep snow. Kirizai is also among the most reasonably priced majidon items at under 1,000 yen. Kyou serves Fuumi Soukai Nishite on tap, which is a special brew made by Sapporo Beer that is produced exclusively for the Niigata region.
Please note that quantities of the special majidon menu may be limited.
Delectable seafood bowls around Snow Country
In Yuzawa, you can get delicious seafood bowls year-round right near the bullet train station! Benichou are known for chirashi seafood rice bowls, and during peak seasons routinely have to turn people away during their busy lunch hour! The chirashi is omakase- style, so you will notice it is slightly different each time.
Nearby Takasui specialize in delicious tuna bowls. If you want something warm in winter you can get some fresh caught fish grilled up for you, which changes regularly. They also have a limited menu of authentic Korean dishes that you won’t find anywhere else!
In Minakami, meanwhile, the restaurant “Take” is known for their special pickled tuna rice bowl called “Azuma don,” which is served in a set with fresh handmade udon noodles. Take is a family-friendly restaurant that is completely nonsmoking.
Hearty pork bowls in Tokamachi and Tsunan
For such a small area, the Matsunoyama Onsen Village in remote Tokamachi has all sorts of cuisine available, including absolutely delicious katsudon at Sannai. Pork is a local specialty, and here in Matsunoyama the special “hot spring pork” is actually slow-cooked in the waters of the onsen. At Sannai, you get a generous portion of juicy pork with creamy egg and lots of onion. English menus are also available. At nearby Tsunan you may find Jiji Kitchen and their special kakuni pork belly rice bowls also made with Tsunan pork. Jiji Kitchen’s delicious food can also be found at local festivals, such as the Tsunan Skylantern Festival in winter.
Koshihikari: the most famous rice in Japan
Of course, the most important ingredient in a rice bowl is the rice! Niigata is known for growing delicious Koshihikari rice, now considered to be the most popular variety of rice in Japan. Koshihikari is known for its soft, sticky, and chewy texture, and is perfect for sushi and other traditional Japanese dishes.
The planting season for Koshihikari rice begins each year in the spring around April. Farmers choose the best places for growing rice, especially marshlands around mountainous regions. Once the rice seeds are spread, the large temperature differences between hot and cold during the day help the rice grow well, and frequent precipitation (ideally every three days) keeps the soil from drying up. Then the rice is ready to be harvested in the fall from mid-September through the end of the month. This is the ideal time to buy “shinmai,” the freshest and most delicious rice, at places like Tezukuri House in Uonuma City and at local roadside stations (michi no eki) such as Miyuki no Sato in Uonuma as well as at the Echigo-Yuzawa bullet train station.
Information for Travelers
Bravo
Address: 140 Muikamachi, Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture 949-6680
Hours: Open 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for lunch, 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for dinner, closed Thursdays
Little Hokkaido
Address: 117-1 Muikamachi, Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture 949-6680
Hours: Open 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for lunch, 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for dinner, closed Wednesdays
Kyou
Address: 2252 Muikamachi, Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture 949- 6680
Hours: Open 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for lunch, 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for dinner
Benichou
Address: 318-14 Honda Bldg, Yuzawa Town, Minamiuonuma District, Niigata Prefecture 949-6101
Hours: Open 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for lunch, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for dinner
Takasui
Address: 1829-12 Yuzawa, Minamiuonuma District, Niigata Prefecture 949-6101
Hours: Open 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for lunch, 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for dinner, closed Wednesdays
Sannai
Address: 8-1 Matsunoyama-yumoto, Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture 942-1432
Hours: Open from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for lunch, 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for dinner
Jiji Kitchen
Address: 7996-1 Shimofunato, Tsunan Town, Niigata Prefecture 949-8201
Hours: 5:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. closed Sunday
Restaurant Take
Address: 693-7 Gokan, Minakami Town, Tone District, Gunma Prefecture 379-1305
Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for dinner. Closed Monday evenings and all day Tuesday
Tezukuri House
Address: 554 Shimooritate, Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture 946-0085
Hours: Open in the mornings from 8:30
