Izakaya in Utsunomiya, the heart of Tochigi Prefecture! 12 recommended spots, from seafood to gyoza

Photograph:tabelog.com

Kawaraya Utsunomiya Ten, located on the 6th floor of a building about a 4-minute walk from Tobu Utsunomiya Station, is a dining bar with a calm atmosphere.

This restaurant offers colorful Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes along with drinks. The interior is done in chic and elegant tones, and it also has Private rooms, making it a stylish izakaya (Japanese pub) as well.

Kawaraya no Gyoza (Kawaraya dumplings) is an irresistible dish with a crisp, well-seared wrapper and juicy filling packed with meaty texture. It is also popular as a perfect snack to go with drinks.

They are good whether you eat them with sauce or keep it light with vinegar and pepper.

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The "yogan-yaki (lava stone grill) assortment" is a popular menu item that lets you grill meat on a lava stone plate. The plate is compact and does not take up much space.

Meat grilled on the lava stone plate comes out nicely seared on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. The sizzling sound and aroma while it cooks are part of the fun too.

Photograph:あゆろぐ（東京・神奈川・東北）

Neo Taishu Izakaya Lotus is a stylish izakaya about a 5-minute walk from the west exit of Utsunomiya Station, with a modern interior and retro decor.

This restaurant is popular for its stylish creative dishes and its cute cream soda sour. It offers plenty of food and drinks you can enjoy with both your eyes and your taste buds.

Photograph:miyu/東京グルメ♡

The "Utsunomiya! Yaki-Gyoza (pan-fried dumplings)" is a popular menu item that feels very Utsunomiya, with crispy winged skin. People say the juicy meat juices that burst out when you bite into it go great with drinks.

Besides yaki-gyoza, you can also enjoy "Age-Gyoza (deep-fried dumplings)" and "Yude-Gyoza (boiled dumplings)".

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The “Shifuku no Dashimaki Tamatebako” features dashimaki tamago (Japanese rolled omelet) served in a tamatebako (treasure box). Its stylish presentation is part of its appeal.

The omelet comes covered with plenty of piping hot dashi broth, soaked through with flavor and soft and fluffy in texture. They also say the aroma that rises the moment you open the lid is amazing.

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Robata to Oden Koronagirai Utsunomiya Ten is an izakaya located on the 2nd floor of the Toraya Daini Building, about a 1-minute walk from Tobu Utsunomiya Station on the Tobu Utsunomiya Line.

The interior, done in a Japanese style, has a bright and spacious feel. This place is popular for its All you can eat oden and robatayaki (fireside grilling). They also offer a selection of low alcohol cocktails.

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The "oden (Japanese hot pot items simmered in broth)" served as an otoshi (small appetizer) is All you can eat. They offer a wide variety of items, including daikon radish, chikuwa (tube-shaped fish cake), and eggs.

Each item is simmered well and fully soaked with flavor. The gentle taste is also said to warm you right up.

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"Mao Zedong Chicken" is a striking dish with a bright red look. The crispy fried Kara-age is coated generously with spices.

It has a bold flavor from Japanese pepper, chili pepper, garlic, and more. People say the heat goes well with the juicy Kara-age, making drinks go down easy.

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365 GYOZA BAR is a gyoza bar just about a 3-minute walk from the west exit of Utsunomiya Station, on the first floor of the USH Building.

Inside, the space has a stylish bar-like feel. You can enjoy wine and cocktails while snacking on a wide variety of creative gyoza.

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"365 Yaki Gyoza (pan-fried dumplings)" is a dish that lets you enjoy classic pan-fried dumplings with truffle salt and lemon & black pepper.

The slightly thick, pleasantly chewy wrappers are filled with juicy meat packed with flavorful juices. People also like that you can change up the flavor with dipping sauces.

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The "age-gyoza (deep-fried dumplings)" are fried nice and crispy, making them a perfect snack to go with drinks. The crisp, fragrant wrapper and the piping hot meat juices that fill your mouth are said to make the drinks keep coming.

The salsa sauce served for dipping gets good reviews for its moderate heat, which brings out the flavor of the gyoza.

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Samurai Jugemu is about a 10-minute walk from Tobu Utsunomiya Station on the Tobu Utsunomiya Line, on the first floor of Watasei Building. It is a restaurant known for its tasty gyoza (dumplings), with a lineup of colorful and unique gyoza, creative dishes, and drinks, so you can also enjoy it as an izakaya (Japanese pub).

The bright, lively interior and warm hospitality are said to be popular.

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The "Jugemu Gyoza 6-shurui Tabe-kurabe A. Set" is a colorful tasting set that is fun to compare. You can enjoy unique gyoza such as the Hisui Gyoza (jade gyoza), made with spinach kneaded into the wrapper, and the Miyagyu Hou, made with Utsunomiya beef.

All of them are made without added chemical seasonings, and they are known for their gentle flavor.

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The "Jugemu Hamburger Steak" is said to be handmade and kneaded in-house.

Served on a piping hot Teppan-yaki plate, the Hamburger Steak is large and very filling. It's said to be so tender you can cut it with chopsticks, and it's popular for its rich meaty flavor and great taste.

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Sumibitokemuri Utsunomiya Ten, about a 2-minute walk from Tobu-Utsunomiya Station on the Tobu Utsunomiya Line, is an izakaya (Japanese pub) popular for its fragrant motsuyaki (grilled offal skewers).

The interior, designed with a Japanese feel, has a bright and lively atmosphere. The highball server "Sokuhai" installed at (Each) table is said to be popular because guests can make highballs just the way they like.

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The varied selection of motsuyaki (grilled offal skewers) is a popular menu item that lets you enjoy many different textures. Each skewer is carefully prepared in-house and grilled over charcoal.

The rich and savory aka-motsu (red offal) and the soft, melt-in-your-mouth shiro-motsu (white offal) are both said to come in a wide variety, making them perfect with a drink.

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"Motsu Nikomi (stewed offal)" is also a popular dish. It features melt-in-your-mouth motsu simmered slowly, plenty of vegetables, and a gently flavored miso-based soup. People say it has a comforting, home-style taste.

Another part of the fun is adding shichimi (Japanese seven-spice blend) to change up the flavor.

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Kushiya Yutori is a kushiyaki (grilled skewers) and kushiage (deep-fried skewers) specialty restaurant on the second floor of a building, about a 3-minute walk from the East Exit of Utsunomiya Station.

Inside, the restaurant has a stylish Japanese modern interior with just 8 counter seats. The menu consists only of an Omakase course with All you can drink, and it is also a place you can enjoy like an izakaya (Japanese pub).

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The "Kushi Omakase Course [All you can drink included]" is a course of kushiyaki (grilled skewers) and kushiage (deep-fried skewers) made with seasonal ingredients. Along with good drinks, you can enjoy the flavors of Special selected ingredients such as beef, pork, and chicken.

All of the skewers are bite-sized, but they are said to offer great variety and plenty of volume.

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The course also includes seafood dishes along the way. The photo shows “hon-maguro (bluefin tuna) sashimi,” made with wild hon-maguro caught off the coast of Northern Ireland.

It is said to have rich fat and a smooth, almost creamy taste.

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"Serufu Yakitori Sukikatte" is about a 5-minute walk from Tobu-Utsunomiya Station on the Tobu Utsunomiya Line, in Orion-dori Shotengai (Orion Shopping Street), and is a place where you can enjoy self grilled yakitori (grilled chicken skewers).

The retro interior has a casual, down to earth feel that makes it easy to drop by.

Photograph:そうた(秋葉系インスタグラマー)

You grill it yourself, so you can enjoy it like a barbecue. (Each) table comes fully equipped with a smoke ventilation system, so you do not need to worry about the smoke.

The yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) cooked over charcoal is nicely browned on the outside and juicy inside. People also like that they can season it to their taste.

Photograph:そうた(秋葉系インスタグラマー)

They also have a good selection of quick appetizers such as edamame and Chanja. It is nice to take your time and snack on them while the yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) is being cooked.

If you sit around turning the yakitori skewers and chatting with friends at an easy pace, the drinks will naturally keep flowing too.

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"Beef Tongue × Baniku (horse meat) Senmonten Umai Utsunomiya Ikegami Orion-dori Ten" is a specialty restaurant for Beef Tongue and horse meat dishes located in the Orion-dori Shotengai (Orion Shopping Street), about a 3-minute walk from Tobu Utsunomiya Station on the Tobu Utsunomiya Line.

All seats are in Private rooms, giving the place a calm atmosphere where you can enjoy your meal at a relaxed pace.

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"Beef Tongue shabu-shabu" is a popular menu item where thinly sliced Beef Tongue is swished through the soup before eating. People say it is healthy and full of flavor.

There are 3 kinds of soup: "spicy," "yuzu salt," and "cheese paitan (rich white broth)," and they recommend wrapping the vegetables in the Beef Tongue before eating.

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Original menu items made with Beef Tongue are also popular. The photo shows the "Beef Tongue Kara-age." They carefully prepare the Beef Tongue, coat it in batter, and fry it until it is so tender you can cut it with chopsticks.

They also offer can’t-miss dishes for Beef Tongue lovers, including the limited-quantity "Superb Roast Beef Tongue."

Photograph:kyon1209

Miyazaki Nichinan Maboroshi no Jidori-yaki Jitokko Utsunomiya Ten, about a 1-minute walk from the west exit of JR Utsunomiya Station, is a place where you can enjoy Jidokko (Miyazaki native chicken) from Miyazaki. It is popular because you can enjoy Miyazaki local cuisine while staying in Utsunomiya.

The interior has an unpretentious and casual atmosphere, and there is also an All you can drink course, which is great news for people who enjoy alcohol.

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"Miyazaki jitokko (free-range chicken) jitokko-yaki (charcoal-grilled chicken)" is a local dish made by boldly grilling Miyazaki-produced jitokko over charcoal. The fragrant aroma of the charcoal and the rich flavor of the jidokko come together in an irresistible dish.

The firm, satisfying texture of jidokko is also well liked.

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The photo shows a fresh vegetable assortment served as the otoshi (table appetizer). You can enjoy a wide variety of raw vegetables with the restaurant’s original miso paste.

The miso has nuts kneaded into it, giving it a rich flavor, and it gets good reviews as a taste that goes well with drinks.

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Located about a 2-minute walk from the East Exit of JR Utsunomiya Station, Zenseki Koshitsu Izakaya Shino-ya Utsunomiya Eki Higashiguchi Ten is an izakaya where you can enjoy a wide variety of snacks and drinks, including Wagyu motsu-nabe (offal Hot Pot) as well as seafood dishes.

The interior is a calm space with all seating in Private rooms, so you can relax and enjoy yourselves at your own pace without worrying about others.

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The “mentai Wagyu motsu Hot Pot” is an excellent dish that brings together plump Wagyu motsu (offal) and the mildly spicy kick of mentaiko (spicy cod roe). The rich umami of the mentaiko adds even more depth to the full flavor of the beef offal.

To finish, add rice and enjoy it risotto-style. You can savor every last bit of the umami-rich soup.

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The seafood dishes also get good reviews for being fresh and tasty. The photo shows the “osashimi assortment (sashimi assortment).” The selection seems to change depending on what they source.

They can also add more slices of sashimi to match the number of guests, which is a nice service for both small parties and groups.

Photograph:はしもとかずや

Yamauchi Nojo Utsunomiya Higashiguchi Ekimae Ten is an izakaya located about a 1-minute walk from the east exit of JR Utsunomiya Station, on the opposite side of the station rotary.

In its warm and welcoming interior, you can casually enjoy Kyushu gourmet dishes such as Hakata's specialty motsu-nabe (offal Hot Pot), Satsuma Yamauchi jidori (local chicken), and kibinago (silver-stripe round herring).

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“Chikuho Horumon-yaki” uses beef and chicken Horumon. It is grilled with plenty of vegetables and spicy miso.

The springy texture of the Horumon is said to be excellent. They also say it is great to finish the meal by adding ramen to the broth rich with all the umami.

Photograph:kyon1209

"Jidori Sumibiyaki (charcoal-grilled local chicken)" is a dish that lets you fully enjoy the rich flavor of jidori (premium local chicken). It is grilled over charcoal until juicy.

The smoky aroma from the charcoal and the firm bite of the jidori are said to be excellent, and adding black pepper for a change of flavor comes recommended.