Takai kaiseki lobster set
Takai
Miyazaki Prefecture sits on southern Japan’s Kyushu Island, known for its warm climate, professional baseball training camps, and surfable waves. The United States is its largest export destination for local food products, and its long coastline means incredible seafood alongside regional dishes unique to the area. Here are five you should try.
A5 Miyazaki prime Kalbi beef from 298 Nikuya Room 2/f Pearl Oriental House, 60 Stanley Street in Central. 08AUG14 [28AUGUST2014 FOOD REVIEW 48HRS] (Photo by Jonathan Wong/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)
South China Morning Post via Getty ImagesMiyazaki Beef
Miyazaki beef is top-tier A5 Japanese wagyu, a certified regional product that must meet strict standards. It’s prized for its soft mouthfeel, exceptional tenderness, buttery shimofuri marbling, cherry-red hue, and deep, rich flavor. Only Japanese Black cattle born in Miyazaki qualify and meticulous breeding, attentive animal care, excellent water, and high-quality feed all contribute to its reputation. The marbling reaches its peak in the fall and winter months. You’ll find it served throughout Japan in many forms: yakiniku, sukiyaki, skewers, steak, and more. One of the popular places to try it locally is Hitotsuba Miyachiku.
Hiyashiru
Hiyashiru is a cold, refreshing combination of miso soup poured over rice and more. The base is made from roasted ground sesame and miso worked together in a mortar, often combined with iriko (dried mini sardines) dashi. Originally a humble farmers’ meal, it’s now a bright summer dish throughout Japan. The Miyazaki Prefecture commonly adds tofu to its version. It’s typically topped with dried fish, cucumber, and shiso, and locals consider it soul food.
Oshokujidokoro Hyotton Ise-Ebi course meal
Oshokujidokoro HyottonSpiny Lobster
The Nichinan coast has an abundance of seaweed beds where ise-ebi (spiny lobster) breed, giving the region some of the sweetest Japanesde lobster. The flavor is so delicate that it’s often served as sashimi, though you’ll find it prepared in countless ways. From September to November, the East Kyushu Ise Ebi Kaidō Ise Ebi Festival celebrates the season..
One of the best places to try it is Takai , which serves lobster and seafood caught directly from the fishing port just steps away. A popular set menu for two includes starters, ise-ebi sashimi with fish sashimi, ise-ebi miso soup with rice, and obiten, a local fried fishcake.
Miyazaki Chicken
Miyazaki is known for its free-range jitokko breed, cherished for its flavor and tenderness. One of the most popular ways to try it is nanban style: generous chunks of deep-fried, vinegar-marinated chicken served with a tartar-style sauce. Chicken nanban originated in Nobeoka City in the prefecture the 1950s, influenced by Portuguese cooking. Nao-chan was the first to serve the dish, and Ogura later added the tartar sauce. It’s beloved as a comfort food.
Another staple is jidori no sumibiyaki, charcoal-grilled chicken simply seasoned and grilled over intense heat for a deeply smoky, savory flavor, often paired with yuzu kosho for a spicy citrus kick. For the truly adventurous, chicken sashimi is also common here and delicious.A great place to try both the grilled chicken and chicken nanban is Momotetsuen.
Hyuganatsu
Hyuganatsu is a local citrus native to the Hyuga area in the region, described as a cross between yuzu and pomelo. Its peel is partially edible, and you’ll find it in everything from ice cream and desserts to cocktails. It was even once featured as a limited-edition McDonald’s McFlurry flavor. Hyuganatsu is in season during the summer, and a great place to try it is Palm Fresh Juice at the airport.
The region is also known for its exceptional mangos, which appear in many sweets and seasonal specialties.
NAGASAKI, NAGASAKI-KEN, JAPAN – 2010/07/21: Shochu is a distilled drink native to Japan. It is most commonly distilled from barley, sweet potatoes or rice. Shochu usually contains 25% alcohol by volume. Shochu is not be very similar to sake, a brewed rice wine. Its taste is usually far less fruity and depends strongly on the nature of the starch used in the distilling process. Its flavor is often described as earthy. Although Kyushu is the home of shochu, it is produced everywhere in Japan particularly Okinawa.. (Photo by John S Lander/LightRocket via Getty Images)
LightRocket via Getty ImagesShōchū
Shōchū, not sake, dominates in Miyazaki. It’s quite a bit stronger than sake, around 20% alcohol, because it’s distilled rather than brewed. Many locals drink it over ice. Imojōchū, a sweet-potato version first developed in the region, is especially popular, though you’ll also find versions made from barley, rice, and other local ingredients.
Miyazaki’s pristine spring water is central ingredient in its shōchū. With at least 40 breweries and distilleries, it’s easy to make a tasting tour out of it. Two well-known spots include the sweet-potato-focused Kirishima Distillery and the family-run Yanagita Distillery, open since 1902 and awarded for its barley shōchū.
AloJapan.com