Sakan

At Sakan, one way to round off a meal is with chilled Inaniwa udon, after sake and a few small dishes. One diner who ordered the cold noodles recalled their smooth texture and the fragrance of sesame ground at the table. The menu offers Akita’s celebrated Inaniwa udon both chilled and hot, so you can finish with something refreshing or choose a warming bowl.

At lunchtime, set meals and other options put Inaniwa udon centre stage. You might choose the Inaniwa kago gozen or a set of udon with kakiage, a mixed-vegetable fritter. One diner enjoyed the kago gozen with hot udon, accompanied by rice mixed with salmon and wakame seaweed.

In the evening, the Tohoku-focused menu makes it easy to build a meal from small dishes and grilled fare. Options include grilled kiritanpo, iburigakko (smoked pickled daikon) and dried firefly squid, as well as grilled dishes such as thick-cut beef tongue and dried Kinka mackerel. Sakan also lists a broad selection of regional sake from Tohoku and Kyushu. You can make the drinks and small plates the focus, or finish with a bowl of Inaniwa udon.