We were staying at the same hotel for four nights, and they said they could change the dinner menu for three of those nights. But Kutsugata seemed to have quite a few delicious-looking restaurants, so I decided to change our hotel dinner to just two nights and explore the town for the rest. I figured a place like this would definitely have some tasty seafood izakayas, and thankfully, we managed to get a reservation at Izakaya Kamome for an earlier time.
Actually, when I called, they initially almost turned us down, saying they were fully booked. But then they offered that if we came a bit earlier and ordered a course menu, it would be fine. They mentioned there were 5,000 yen and 6,000 yen courses, but they seemed so busy that I felt it might be rude to ask for details, so I just went with the 5,000 yen one.
In addition to this, we mentioned we really wanted to try uni (sea urchin), so we ordered some fresh uni. They then told us that the 6,000 yen course actually included uni on top of the 5,000 yen course, making it a better deal, so we switched to that one.
First up were Tsubu Uni Aemono (whelk and sea urchin salad), Mekabu no Sunomono (vinegared wakame root), and Rishiri Kombu Charcoal Grill. All of them were absolutely perfect with drinks. The Mekabu no Sunomono had the mekabu finely minced, and its crunchy texture and seasoning were unlike anything I’d ever tasted before. And the Rishiri Kombu Charcoal Grill featured incredibly thick kombu with a crisp, cracker-like texture – another first-time experience!
The sashimi platter was truly unique to Rishiri Island. In the front was Abura Nishin (fatty herring), on the left was Hokke (Okhotsk Atka mackerel), and in the back was Tako no Kashira (octopus head). The Abura Nishin, true to its name, was incredibly fatty herring, with a unique chewiness followed by a sweet, rich flavor spreading in my mouth – absolutely delicious, and I think this was my first time trying it. The Hokke sashimi, perhaps due to its high moisture content, had a soft texture and a relatively light taste. This was also a first for me, but personally, I might prefer it grilled as a dried fish. The Tako no Kashira had a distinctive elasticity and umami, making it quite a treat.
What surprised me was the uni sashimi – this is for one person! The course difference was 1,000 yen, and that covered this portion of uni sashimi, which felt like an incredibly good deal. So much Kitamurasaki Uni sashimi, I was happily able to eat it to my heart’s content.
What’s more, the sushi was quite authentic, and yes, there was uni here too! I think they said the squid and uni were from Rishiri. Every single piece was supremely delicious.
Everything was so incredibly tasty that everyone devoured it in no time, so the grilled dish came out last. For the grilled option, we could choose between Hokke and Abura Nishin, and since I’d never tried it before, I went for the grilled Abura Nishin. It seems grilling removed a fair amount of the fat, making it relatively lighter. Still, it was quite different from the grilled salted herring I was used to.
Every dish they served was truly delicious, and if I ever come to Rishiri Island again, this izakaya is an absolute must-revisit! Izakaya Kamome is quite noticeable because of the surprisingly thick smoke billowing out – I guess it’s probably from grilling the Abura Nishin.
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