Kameki Sushi

Kameki Sushi (亀喜寿司) is touted as one of the top sushi restaurants in Japan, with Japan's elite often stopping by here when they venture north of Tokyo. It also features on the local government's 'Sushi Road' of establishments serving fresh fish from the local Shiogama fish markets.

Catch of the day

With a history stretching back over 80 years, Kameki Sushi is one of many local culinary establishments that has grown in parallel with the success of Shiogama's fishing industry, making this region actually the most concentrated in Japan for sheer number of sushi restaurants. Against this backdrop and competition, Kameki has earnt a reputation as many a sushi connoisseur's gastronomic choice above all others.

Perusing the menu (Japanese), you'll be spoilt for choice. Set menus (from ¥5,200) help take the difficulty out of choosing (not to mention deciphering kanji) and can be a good way to try a variety of different fish if you don't mind the prices (for this level certainly cheaper than Tokyo but worth noting cards are not accepted here). A variety of chirashi, nigiri, maki and sashimi is also available too, allowing you to order exactly what you want or be recommended specific dishes. The egg cake with surimi (¥300) is one of the highlights of their unique dessert menu too.

Kameki prides itself on its kodawari items, such as botan sweet shrimp, aburi toro tuna, budou ebi shrimp and good, old maguro (fresh, of course). Joining them is a long list of seasonal specialities, such as katsuo and mebachi tuna, murasaki/gaze sea urchin, abalone and scallop in summer; modorigatsuo, saba, gizzard shad, red clams, sanma/saury in autumn; shirako/milt, halibut, oysters in winter; and hake, mantis shrimp and tiny shirauo in spring. With the abundant blessing that is the marine life off the East Japan coastline, sushi enthusiasts would do well stopping by here on any trip through Miyagi prefecture.