We are currently in Nara, an ancient capital of Japan, for two days, mainly as a base from which to explore important temples further afield, as this is not our first time in the city. Today we covered the UNESCO sites of Yakushiji 薬師寺 and Toshodaiji 唐招提寺, both within walking distance of each other - I shall leave you to find out about the significance of these two temples since this is a food blog - and we stopped for a late lunch here at Dainagon, a stone's throw away from Toshodaiji, just before visiting it. This traditional canteen-style eatery, with a small souvenir shop attached to it, was a completely incidental local find which turned out really well!
It was already past 2 pm when we entered, so the lunch crowds had long gone and we had the whole place to ourselves. A middle-aged waitress promptly sat us and brought us the menu (Japanese only), which was basic, consisting of the usual rice and noodle dishes, but more than enough for a quick and satisfying meal. The place was rather spartan but very bright, spacious and clean, typical of casual rural eateries in Japan.
「賑わいそば」：野菜の天ぷら、わかめ、油揚げ、山菜入り
My partner chose to have just a bowl of 'prosperity soba' with vegetable tempura, wakame seaweed, deep-fried tofu skin and mountain vegetables. This bowl contained the best of local produce, befitting its name. The soba here is made in-house using local buckwheat, and the vegetables are also grown or sourced locally. Soba is readily available and eaten throughout the year in Japan. However, its consumption over the New Year period contains a special significance, and hence the 'prosperity' title seemed even more apt now. The soba had a soft bite and a mild nutty flavour, while the vegetables were fresh and sweet, though the battered tempura pieces had largely lost their crispiness from soaking in the broth - I can never understand the rationale for doing that, however common in soupy dishes. The dashi broth had been made with generous amounts of bonito and seaweed, and both its warmth and deep umami made for some truly great noodle slurping, which was especially comforting and satisfying in this weather.
天ぷら定食・自家耕作日の光米
This was my choice, and their most luxurious option - a full tempura set with various side dishes, pickles, soup, rice and dessert. The rice is the Hinohikari variety, grown right here by the owners of the restaurant, in their own field.
天ぷら盛り合わせ
The main dish in this set was of course the assorted tempura, with prawns, eggplant, shishito pepper, pumpkin and sweet potato. The outer layer of batter was thin, light and crispy, just as it should be, while the prawns and vegetables were fresh, and all their natural flavours and textures had been well retained.
一品：紅白かまぼこ、牛蒡、紅白なます
Accompanying this was an equally colourful seasonal dish of steamed fishcake, simmered burdock root, and shredded carrot and daikon pickled in vinegar. This was a nice contrast to the deep-fried tempura. All the components were very light, juicy and clean tasting. Their New Year symbolisms were also difficult to miss: the shape of the fishcake is said to resemble the first sunrise of the New Year. In addition, the pink/red colour is believed to be a talisman against evil, while white signifies purity. As for the burdock roots, they grow deep into the ground and are eaten as a wish for good health and an abundant harvest. Finally, the shredded carrot and daikon is supposed to resemble a mizuhiki, a red-and-white decorative cord made out of twisted rice paper that is used on special occasions. These two colours are a recurrent symbol of good omen throughout many Japanese New Year dishes.
山菜
A smaller bowl of simmered mountain vegetables provided further refreshment with their juicy crunch, and a good balance in flavour between their natural bitterness and the mild sweetness of the simmering sauce.
だし汁：わかめ、かまぼこ、ねぎ入り
Clear dashi soup with seaweed, fishcake and spring onion completed the savoury portion of the set. This was really tasty, and the plentiful use of bonito flakes was evident. Generous amounts of wakame seaweed, sliced fishcake and finely chopped spring onions provided further umami, textures and aromas. A remarkably substantial and satisfying bowl of soup, I must say.
デサート：わらび餅、黒みつ、きな粉
Dessert was a classic Japanese confectionery of bracken starch cake (warabimochi) with roasted soybean flour (kinako) and a touch of brown sugar syrup (kuromitsu). This homemade warabimochi had a very surprising firm and gelatinous texture, almost like agar-agar, as opposed to the extremely soft and chewy bite I'm used to. Delicious nonetheless when combined with the toasty aroma of kinako, and deep sweetness of molasses from kuromitsu. What a lovely way to end this brief lunch stop.
Highly recommended for a midday bite if you happen to be in the outskirts of Nara city, visiting its UNESCO cluster of temples. Most tourists visit Nara for a day at most and manage to cover only the main city centre attractions, but the city and its environs as a whole certainly warrant a much longer stay.
Details for Dainagon (大納言)
Address in kanji: 奈良県奈良市五条町9-44
Telephone no.: +81-742-33-3387
Business hours: 11 am to 4.30 pm (Monday to Saturday), 11 am to 5 pm (Sunday)
Cash only
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