''Maizuru oyster bowl'' is made with plump Japanese oysters grown in Maizuru Bay and covered with eggs. Locally produced kamaboko is also included. The light taste of konbu and dried sardines, and the multi-layered umami flavors play in harmony in your mouth.
Matsukichi is a local fish restaurant located in Hama, Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture. Hiroaki Yamashita (48 years old), the third generation owner, says, ''Maizuru is a treasure trove of ingredients.We try to create dishes that make the most of the ingredients as much as possible.'' The rice bowl can be paired with ''Niku-Jaga'', a Maizuru specialty with ties to the former navy. Hiroaki proudly says, ''The recipe is inspired by Japanese-style beef stew, and the recipe uses a lot of dashi stock, so the taste is a little different from what you'd get at home.''
The store was founded in 1970 by Hiroaki Yamashita's grandfather. His grandfather was from Kyoto, and before the war he worked at the Maizuru Naval Arsenal, which was responsible for building ships, cooking bento boxes for high-ranking officials.After the war, he worked at a long-established inn in Maizuru before setting out on his own. In addition to the seafood that local residents are accustomed to eating, they also sell river fish such as softshell turtles, eels, and loaches. Currently, the second generation, Hiroshi Yamashita (76 years old) and Hiroaki Yamashita, run the store as a father and son.
The menu has a wide variety of items that allow you to enjoy local seafood, including course meals that include snow crab sashimi and grilled crab. In the winter, yellowtail and flounder are recommended, and in the spring, isaza (whitefish), which can be eaten in leaps and bounds, is recommended. Rice bowls made with relatively inexpensive red snow crab are also popular as an easy way to enjoy crab dishes. Fugu fins are hung to dry inside the shop, and you can enjoy them with local sake.
Hiroaki Yamashita said, ''In the past, we often ordered food to suit our budget, but now people order what they like. We want to serve dishes that are seasonal.'' ''I'm happy if customers have a good time at the store,'' he says.
[Matsukichi] 150 Hama, Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture. Maizuru oyster bowl is 1,925 yen for a single item, and 2,640 yen for a set with meat and potatoes. Snow crab course meals start at 26,400 yen. Business hours are 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Irregular holidays. 0773(63)3595.
