The foodie explorations continued this evening after a long day of visiting and shopping, and Mino brought us here to taste what Kamakura is probably most well known for - boiled whitebait on rice or shirasu-don (しらす丼). Restaurants selling this dish are aplenty within the city centre, and we ended up here at Wasai Yakura, which is supposedly the best place for it. I love shirasu and I could hardly wait!
The relaxed, no-frills setting is great for gatherings of families and friends. Menus are Japanese-only, but should be straightforward enough with pictures. Prices are extremely reasonable too; for less than 2,000 yen per person you will get a substantial set meal which fills your tummy very nicely. Considering how expensive fresh shirasu is to eat outside Japan, this restaurant offers great value for money indeed.
Shirasu is not only tasty but also a low-fat, high-protein food, great for the health-conscious. The delicacy finds its way into every dish that is being served here - I suppose in this case one can't have too much of a good thing! We started off with two sides:
しらすおろし
Shirasu with grated radish, to be eaten very simply with a touch of soy sauce. The shirasu was not overly salty despite having been blanched in salt water. It retained a lovely juiciness and delicate sweetness, which was effectively enhanced by the grated radish. This felt extremely fresh and clean on the palate.
玉子焼のしらす添え
Tamago-yaki topped with a generous amount of shirasu. The moist and savoury layered omelette was another perfect companion for the shirasu. This combination was considerably heavier in taste and texture, and equally enjoyable for different reasons. I should state for the record that the shirasu served here were the biggest and plumpest that I have ever seen, and that there was a remarkable amount of fish even for side dishes - elsewhere (overseas) you'd probably get about half the portions of fish for double the prices, assuming that it is even possible to import such fresh and high-quality fish.
Of course, the main set meals didn't disappoint either. Each set came with clear dashi soup, pickles, a side dish of simmered bamboo shoots with bonito flakes, a large umeboshi (pickled plum) and chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), in addition to a huge bowl of rice topped with all sorts of delicacies. I particularly enjoyed the chawanmushi due to a generous amount of shirasu within, as well as the bamboo shoots for their crunchiness and sweetness.
Main meals: shirasu and ikura (salmon roe) rice bowl set. This was my choice, and the ikura was every bit as good as the shirasu, with its fresh briny taste and smooth juicy texture. (Methinks the ikura alone would have been worth the price of the set meal overseas.) The main bowl also came with the usual shredded garnishes of egg, shiso, and nori (dried seaweed), with a touch of grated radish and wasabi for a clean and crisp finish. I was truly sated by the end of this dinner.
Other variations: just shirasu on rice if you can't get enough of it!
しらすと桜えび赤白丼
Or how about this: with fresh sakura-ebi (small pink shrimp) forming a festive pink-and-white colour combination, especially apt for the New Year. I had a few bites of the sakura-ebi and found them very sweet and succulent.
Or how about this: with fresh sakura-ebi (small pink shrimp) forming a festive pink-and-white colour combination, especially apt for the New Year. I had a few bites of the sakura-ebi and found them very sweet and succulent.
In summary, everything was fresh, portions were great, and the bill didn't burn a hole in our pockets - what else could we have asked for? This is a must-do for anyone visiting Kamakura and wishing to try its representative cuisine.
Details for Wasai Yakura (和彩 八倉)
Address in kanji: 神奈川県鎌倉市小町2-7-28
Tel.: +81 467-61-3070
Tel.: +81 467-61-3070
Business hours: daily from 11 am - 9 pm (last orders 8 pm)
Credit cards: Visa, JCB, Amex
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