A Foodie’s Day in Takayama

The best street food I had in Takayama is Hida Beef Sushi

Hida Beef comes from the black-haired cattle of Gifu Prefecture. It is known for its beautiful marble pattern, luscious color and delicate texture.

In old town Takayama, on the street of Kamisannomachi （上三之町）

You will find two hida beef sushi take out counters across the street from one other

Pick one and join the crowd, you won’t be disappointed

Fifth grade is the highest by the Japan Meat Grading Association. The sushi is incredibly tender and melts in your mouth. I would go back for more.

If raw meat is not your thing, look for this Hida Beef Buns Restaurant down the street

Although one could never have too much Hida Beef, we wanted something else for dinner. Situated on a hill in the suburb of Takayama, Sakana serves “seasonal mountain cuisine”, with fresh ingredients sourced from the mountains nearby. For February, it means mushrooms and pickled mountain vegetables.

Duck with celery, mountain radish with chestnut and walnut (sweet, to be enjoyed at last), crab and sea snail with pickle mountain vegetables and bamboo shoots

Mozuku

Crab with pickled mountain vegetables

Pickled radish and radish stems

Sashimi plate with Amaebi, Marlin(back/fin), toro and sea snail

Chawanmushi

Broiled Sawara

Shishitou and Shirago tempura

Plump Oyster salad

Udon hot pot with chicken with assorted mushrooms – BEST udon Ive ever had!

Mitsuba on top

Strawberry with ice

The owner is also an avid photographer, whose photos of four seasons of Takayama are displayed on a large screen at the bar. He also maintains a beautiful photography blog.

For sweets, Tohen is known for their cat manju and kusa mochi. Our favorite is the plum-filled manju, with a succulent honey macerated plum in the middle.

For Sake ice cream…Because Sake makes everything taste better, stop by this brewery

Especially if you are sitting around an irori on a cold rainy day

Guaranteed to put smile back on your face