Sweet and melt-in-your-mouth texture! Enjoy Fukushima’s premium fish nodoguro (rosy seabass).
2023.01.31
Nodoguro, also known as akamutsu, is a high-end fish well-known throughout Japan. Although it tends to be associated with the Hokuriku region, it is also caught in Fukushima Prefecture and is regarded as a member of the Joban-mono seafood family.
Nodoguro is known for its consistently high fat content throughout the year, with sweet and tender flesh that is known as “white-fleshed toro”. It can be prepared in many ways: sashimi, simmered, dried, salted and grilled, or even shabu-shabu.
*In Fukushima Prefecture, Yumekasago (blackbelly lionfish) is also often called nodoguro. In this article, the term “nodoguro” refers to akamutsu.
Melt-in-your-mouth texture and sweetness
Even in local restaurants that use a lot of Joban-mono seafood, nodoguro is not always available. Because it is a premium fish, and due to the variability of catches, it is difficult to obtain. At Omotenashi Dokoro Hikaritei, a seafood restaurant near Iwaki Station, it is only occasionally available.
Perhaps due to the fish’s rarity, nodoguro dishes are extremely popular at the restaurant. They receive orders almost immediately after sourcing it. We spoke with the owner, Koichi Ishii, about the appeal of nodoguro.
Simmered nodoguro is also a popular dish at Hikaritei. The tender flesh absorbs the sauce, offering a rich and robust flavor. Its perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness makes it an ideal accompaniment to sake.
Hikaritei, owned and run by a fishing enthusiast
Hikaritei opened in 2012. The restaurant relocated to the bustling area near Iwaki Station in 2019 and has many long-time regulars. The restaurant’s policy is to serve dishes that are mainly made from the fish that have been freshly caught that day, and to be flexible in responding to customers’ requests. The menu is mainly Japanese, but there are also Western dishes such as penne and spaghetti alla napoletana, and the omu-rice is a particularly popular dish with many long-time fans.
Ishii-san loves fishing so much that he goes fishing every week, and he originally wanted to open a fishing boat shop. To prepare for it, he had even gone to get his boating license the day before the Great East Japan Earthquake. At that time, he was the head chef at a catering specialty store, but he resigned a while after the earthquake. Instead of starting a fishing boat business, he opened a restaurant where he could serve the fish he caught himself. What he values most is providing “fresh, seasonal fish”. He personally goes to the market to purchase fish, focusing on sourcing Joban-mono.
When asked about Joban-mono, Ishii-san said, “I think local people also want to eat Joban-mono”. He also often hears from tourists who want to eat the local fish. Working in the restaurant every day and talking to customers, he seems to feel the demand for Joban-mono first hand.
●Omotenashi Dokoro Hikaritei
・Address：26 Tamachi, Taira, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
・Opening hours：5 PM to 10 PM
・Closed：Sundays
