I went to Mochimune after a long time for some errands. Mochimune is a place I’ve visited many times since childhood. When I was a kid, a vendor near the beach would give me dried shirasu (whitebait) to eat, and sometimes my family would buy half a bonito and enjoy it luxuriously as sashimi or ochazuke. I was a bit surprised to see how many stylish shops had popped up around Mochimune’s fishing port since my last visit. That day, after enjoying Mochimune Minato Onsen, I decided to grab some dinner and ended up at Izakaya Kohachi.
My family had passed by here the day before and mentioned how lively it was, which is why we chose it. When I asked if we could get in without a reservation, they said it’s usually better to have one, but they kindly let us in that day.
The place was bustling with locals, and the o-toshi (appetizer) they served was so delicious that it really built up my expectations. First, they brought out ‘Mugi-ika’ Okizuke. Mugi-ika refers to young surume-ika (Japanese flying squid), and I heard that the ones served that day were caught in Numazu and made into okizuke. It was absolutely exquisite, with a rich squid flavor yet incredibly tender and easy to eat. It paired perfectly with beer.
The sashimi platter included chutoro (medium fatty tuna), bonito, squid, and flounder. Everything was truly delicious, but the bonito sashimi eaten here was exceptionally good, with a delightful chewy texture. And the salt-grilled beltfish was unbelievably ‘fluffy’ and absolutely superb.
One of the local specialties here, Kuro Hanpen (black fish cake), is definitely best fried. It’s such a blissful feeling to eat the piping hot, fish-umami-packed fried hanpen, huffing and puffing as you go. Also, the fried shirasu (whitebait) gyoza, which is a specialty of Kohachi-san, was my first time trying it, and it was delicious just as I expected.
Unfortunately, fresh shirasu wasn’t available that day, so I ordered a generous portion of boiled shirasu. To finish the meal, I also ordered aji no tataki (seared horse mackerel) and sakura ebi kakiage (cherry shrimp tempura). The boiled shirasu and aji no tataki were, of course, delicious, and the complimentary corn kakiage was sweet and tasty too. But what really surprised me was the sakura ebi kakiage. I usually expect kakiage to be fried quite firm and crispy, but this one was unbelievably fluffy. When I gently broke it apart with my chopsticks and lifted it, the aroma of sakura ebi wafted out, and the taste, including the texture, was incredibly delicious.
Everything I ordered was truly delicious, so it makes sense that you usually can’t get in without a reservation. Mochimune Minato Onsen is here, with West Coast Brewery attached, and you can enjoy such amazing food… If I had realized this sooner, I might have come here more often. It’s not too far from Hamamatsu, so I think I’ll definitely come back to Mochimune again.
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