It was around 14:00 when we finished our boat tour of Matsushima Bay. We headed over to the local rest house to escape the heat and plan our next move. We asked the lady at the tourist information counter if she had any lunch recommendations. She told us that anago (salt water eel) was currently in season. She showed us a flyer that detailed all the restaurants in the area that were serving anago. After looking over the list, she recommended Yoshi Restaurant in Matsushima since it was across the street and had a beautiful view of Matsushima Bay.

The restaurant was indeed across the street. The entrance was tucked away behind a big red gate. We took an elevator to the third floor and found the restaurant when the doors opened.

The interior was pretty basic, with a good number of simple tables and chairs. The main highlight was the near floor to ceiling windows that gave us a panoramic view of Matsushima Bay.

Yoshi Restaurant Menu

The menu was quite extensive. They had a variety of rice bowls, noodles, and meat options to choose from. There was also a good selection of teishoku (set meals) and numerous different combo options. We ended up going with a tempura and zaru udon set and an anago don (salt water eel rice bowl).

Yoshi Restaurant Food Review

Our food came out a little while later. The anago was incredibly tender and easily melted in our mouths. It had a slight ocean taste that was largely masked by its sweet sauce. The sides of pickled and sweet vegetables added a variety textures and flavors to the meal.

The cold zaru udon was perfect on such a hot day. We added some sliced onions and wasabi to the sauce that gave it a nice kick. The udon dipped in the sauce was super refreshing and delicious. The tempura was really good as well. A new tempura technique that we’ve come to notice is when thin pieces like shiso are battered on just one side. The shiso leaf was only battered on the back side before it was fried. Same thing went for the piece of seaweed. The result was a crispy piece of tempura with a visually appealing front.

While looking through the menu we learned of a special social media promotion. If we followed their account on Instagram and made a corresponding post, we would receive a complementary dessert. We decided to take them up on this offer. We got a nice mochi set that came with anko (sweet bean paste), kinako (roasted soybean powder), and maple syrup. The mochi was soft and we enjoyed combining it with the other flavors.

Final Thoughts

The food at Yoshi Restaurant in Matsushima was really good. We enjoyed every part of it. The anago and the udon were our favorites. The views from the restaurant were amazing. The main downside was that the prices were on the high end. This was to be expected as it was in a prime location in a very popular tourist town. If your looking for a place to eat in Matsushima that is walking distance from the ferry terminal and has a great view then Yoshi should be on your list.

Here is the link to their website.

More to Come…