Dining and Drinking

Hiroshima Prefecture has been nicknamed "mini Japan," and rightly so, for it sports the best of everything Japan has to offer. When it comes to food, Hiroshima is a virtual gold mine of culinary delights.

The city's location right on the Seto Inland Sea makes it a haven for lovers of all kinds of seafood, but Hiroshima's specialty from the sea is without a doubt oysters. The month of February is devoted to oyster festivals (kaki matsuri). These are held both in the city and in every seaside town, where one can savor cheap, fresh oysters at outdoor stands. The famous tourist island of Miyajima is also a mecca for oyster-lovers, with many shops specializing purely in oyster dishes. A visit to Miyajima must also include a stop in at one of the momiji manju shops, where one can try these maple leaf-shaped sweet-bean cakes served warm with tea. The most famous momiji-manju maker in Hiroshima is Nishiki-Do, and a box of these cakes makes a great gift

Staying with local specialties, a trip to Hiroshima is not complete without getting a taste of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki (literally meaning "as you like it"). This inexpensive dish is often described as "Japanese pizza." It is a doughy mixture filled with various meats, seafood and vegetables, cooked in front of the customer (or by the customer) on a hot plate at the table and served with its trademark okonomiyaki sauce. It is eaten throughout Japan, but the addition of soba (buckwheat noodles) or udon (rice noodles) to the filling is unique to Hiroshima, hence its fame. In fact, a whole section of the downtown area has been designated Okonomimura (okonomiyaki village), which features a large building bursting with four floors of okonomiyaki shops. Though there is a huge choice of restaurants to go to, the menus are all very similar and the seating arrangement is always the same-sitting around a counter hotplate watching as your food is cooked in front of you. There is nothing quite like a hearty meal of okonomiyaki washed down with a nice cold beer, and it provides a great taste of local culture at the same time. Another famous okonomiyaki spot is Mitchan, which has several branches dotted around the city.

Hiroshima is infamous for the speed at which new eateries and bars appear and disappear. Even monthly publications have trouble keeping up to date with all the changes. The Nagarekawa district is a prime example, though this area is dedicated far more to drinking than dining. A maze of narrow backstreets filled with tiny, hole-in-the-wall snack bars and other adult entertainment, Nagarekawa is a navigational exercise in itself. But it is worth all the wrong turns when you stumble across such popular nightspots as Jamaica, Snappers, Cross, Mac Bar or Twisters. If the Nagarekawa scene does not suit you, try the more relaxed and spacious restaurant-bar atmosphere of Sam's Cafe 13 or Kemby's in the central city, two hangouts popular for their great American/Mexican-style menus and range of imported and local beers. As with any city in Japan, there is never a shortage of izakaya (Japanese pubs), where you can wile away your time snacking on local goodies and choosing from a bewildering array of sake types and vintages. And speaking of sake, Hiroshima is also home to the Saijo Sake Festival, where every October crowds throng the Higashi-Hiroshima town of Saijo to sample sake from its famous breweries.

For those who prefer a leisurely coffee to a rowdy night of drinking, Hiroshima has no shortage of wonderful coffee shops and cafes catering for every taste. During the summer months, the streets on either side of the broad Peace Boulevard transform into the central area for outdoor cafes. Here, one can relax and watch the passersby over a long ice café-latte or a fresh pearl tea.

For a more substantial meal, diners are spoilt for choice. In the Pacela shopping complex alone, four floors are devoted entirely to restaurants, offering anything from authentic Indian cuisine to high-class Japanese kaiseki-ryori, cheap Italian or all-you-can-eat buffets. And in addition to all the family restaurants and chains found throughout the country, Hiroshima's own Mario Italian restaurant chain has a great reputation. Its seven outlets include a dessert restaurant and café as well as several quality restaurants, ranging from cheaper family-style dining to more costly intimate dining in a cozy, romantic atmosphere.

Whatever your preference, you are guaranteed to find an array of tempting places to satisfy your palate in Hiroshima.

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