Lunch: Recommended Sushi Restaurant "Marukan" in front of Tsuruga Station!

  • Fukui
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Where to eat Fukui's "fish"?

Fukui Prefecture is a treasure trove of gastronomic delights. When you come to Fukui Prefecture, you definitely want to eat "local seafood. This article introduces Marukan, a sushi restaurant located about an 11-minute walk from Tsuruga Station!

Order omakase!

Marukan serves seasonal fish of the day, so there is no specific menu. They also offer an omakase menu, so I asked them to make me the omakase of the day. The sushi is served with the perfect amount of shoyu and other ingredients pre-seasoned.
Sushi is placed here.

The omakase of the day...!

Here is the omakase nigiri lineup on the day of our visit (February 14, 2023).
The first dish we were served was Yarika (squid). It is finely sliced and has a sweet and sticky texture. When you eat Toro (fatty tuna), you may describe it as "melting", but Marukan's sushi also melts squid.... It's like it's not squid at all....
Next is "Hirame" (flatfish). Winter is said to be the most delicious season for Hirame. The flounder of the day was thick and fatty.
This is Mosa Shrimp. What do you mean by "mosaebi? What do you mean? He explained, "It is the same as the 'gas shrimp' in Kanazawa. He explained that it is the same as Kanazawa's "gas shrimp. Mosaebi (gas shrimp), also called doro-ebi in the San'in region, are, as the name suggests, shrimp with a slightly brownish color. Compared to sweet shrimp, its color is not as good, so originally it was not distributed outside the prefecture and was eaten locally. Recently, however, its sticky sweetness and deep flavor have become generally known, and it has become a more expensive shrimp than sweet shrimp.
A local dish from the Wakasa and Obama regions of Fukui Prefecture is called "kodai sasazuke (pickled sea bream). It is made by slicing Rengo-dai (sea bream) caught in the Wakasa Bay area into three pieces, seasoning them with vinegar, and then stuffing them into a barrel made of cedar wood. It was the first time for me to try renkotai in sushi, and it was very tasty and resilient. It was also beautiful to look at!
Next was the akami (red meat)! This is a young tuna called "Meji Tuna". It was red meat, but tasted somewhere between toro and akami.
Next was horse mackerel. Although most people think of horse mackerels as being in season during the summer, they are delicious in the winter as well. It was quite thick. It is rare to see such a thick horse mackerel.
Next was the horse mackerel! This is a type of leatherfish. It can be caught throughout the year, but the key point of the winter yellowtails is that they have large livers! This sushi also had the rich liver between the sushi and the fish!
Next was "amadai" (sea bream). In the Wakasa region, it is also called "Guji. As the name "amatai" suggests, the flesh of this fish is sweet and has a deep flavor, even though it is a white fish with a light flavor.
Next is "Anago" (sea eel). It is steamed and has a fluffy texture. Something is different from the conger eel I have eaten so far.... The moment I put it in my mouth, it was as if the fish was falling apart or expanding like a balloon, a fluffy feeling that is hard to describe!
The tenth piece was the yari squid ear, a.k.a. "Emperor". It has a firm and elastic texture, but the knife cut a slit in it, so it is easy to mesh and eat!
After 10 pieces of sushi, a tuna tataki roll was served. Although I feel satisfied because I have already had the most delicious sushi, I feel a little sad thinking that this time is already over...

We weren't done yet!

Sea urchin! The owner says, "It's not from Fukui, but.... Because he is particular about local products, he explains each time about "items that are not caught in the neighboring waters.
The next dish was "This is from Fukui," he said. This is caught in Fukui. I asked, "Nodoguro is seared, isn't it? He replied, "Nodoguro tastes better when it is grilled, boiled, or cooked. Sushi tastes better when it is seared. Sushi also tastes better when it is seared! As the owner said, I felt that searing brought out the full potential of the nodoguro!
The omakase nigiri was completed with the fatty and glistening toro. A total of 14 pieces were served that day. The lineup included many local fish from Fukui, Wakasa, and the surrounding Hokuriku region, and was priced at 4,400 yen including tax! (Prices are current as of February 14, 2023, the date of the interview.)

Reservations recommended!

The Hokuriku editorial staff visited the restaurant just after opening (12:00) on a weekday and was able to sit down just in time. (We were told that the restaurant was full of customers with reservations around 1:00 p.m. later in the day). We recommend making a reservation by phone when visiting the restaurant♪ Enjoy a conversation with the friendly owner and taste delicious sushi with Fukui's local fish!
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