Bentenjima is a tourist spot with a seaside park right nearby, so there are quite a few places to eat aimed at visitors. Hamanabo is one of them.

The tank

There are Ise-ebi spiny lobsters in there too. Since the place caters to tourists, there seem to be a few pricey items on the menu.

Water

Inside

The atmosphere is lovely, as you’d expect in a tourist spot.

The shirasu on the shirasu zanmai don

Raw shirasu isn’t something you can order just anywhere, but this place seems to serve it flash-frozen. I’d originally meant to have the raw shirasu don, but they told me the catch has been small lately, so they only sell it as a half. And sure enough, that soft, fresh, faintly chewy, delicate taste of raw shirasu really is a treat. It’s a freshness you can only get in this part of the country, I think.

The set

It’s the item that lets you eat your fill of shirasu. Still, the raw shirasu was the best of the bunch. That said, the warabimochi was so chewy and good that I found myself wanting to order it on its own.

Tempura

This is how it comes when you order it.

A good meal all round. Prices are a bit steep, being a restaurant in a tourist spot, but the food delivers. This is exactly what makes regional travel in Japan fun, I reckon.

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