While travelling in the area we got a recommendation from our friend. Her family lived in the area and they recommended Kajima Shokudo in Oarai. The restaurant was located directly on National Route 2 which weaved its way along the coast of Oarai. It was conveniently located across the street from Oarai’s main fishing port and fish market.

It was really busy when we arrived. We had to battle for a parking space in the Oariagyoko Parking Lot across the street. As we walked to the restaurant we passed by a huge line in front of the Kachan no Mise. It’s another seafood restaurant we’d like to try in the future.

Kajima Shokudo Interior

The interior of Kajima Shokudo was a decent size. The decor was a hybrid of a fishing village with a clean modern look. There was a massive inverted wooden boat frame hanging from the ceiling, as well as numerous flags and banners hanging on the walls. There were also sleek black walls with modern hanging lights to brighten up the space. We really liked the contrast between the light colored wooden tables and accent pieces against the black walls.

Kajima Shokudo Menu

The menu at Kajima Shokudo was quite extensive. While the general theme was seafood, the variety of foods and preparation styles was impressive. They had a nice variety of raw fish rice bowls, deep fried seafood, and simmered fish to choose from. There did seem to be a focus specifically on crab, shrimp, and sashimi. After looking over the menu we decided to get a salmon oyakudon and their recommended Kajima set meal. We also go an order of their karrage squid as an appetizer to share.

Kajima Shokudo Food Review

Our karrage squid came out first. The outside was nice and crispy and the squid inside was tender. Our only complaint was that it was a bit salty for our taste.

The salmon oyakudon came out next. There was a generous amount of salmon sashimi chunks and salmon eggs covering a bed of rice. The fish was covered in a sweet soy based sauce that helped dampen the saltiness of the salmon eggs. The salmon sashimi chunks were super fresh and tasty. The pickled vegetables added so nice texture and contrasting flavors.

The Kajima Set Meal contained small versions of the restaurants most popular dishes. The delicious set meal contained a kani meshi (crab over rice), fried piece of fish, sashimi assortment, sides of pickled vegetables, and a large bowl of miso soup with fish inside.

The kani meshi was nice. The shredded crab was moist and had good flavor. The fried piece of fish was cooked in a way similar to katsudon. The outside was super crispy and the inside was moist and flakey. The sashimi was very fresh. Our favorite was the maguro tuna. The miso soup had a lite flavor and was filled with pieces of fish. We had to remove the pieces from the soup to pull off the meat and discard the bones. All the food we had was delicious. We appreciated the variety of foods that the Kajima Set offered.

Final Thoughts

We were grateful for the recommendation from our friend. The food at Kajima Shokudo was delicious. As we left, we noticed that a large line had formed outside. If your looking for a seafood restaurant in Oarai, we recommend Kajima Shokudo.

More to Come…

Here is a link to their website.