Hotawaka Gozen (Scallop and Wakame Set Meal)
Description
Rikuzentakata City is home to an abundance of fresh and delicious marine and agricultural produce, due to the city being blessed by both the sea and the mountains, located in a prime spot on the coast in mountainous Iwate Prefecture. With the best of the city’s well-known produce comes a gourmet-worthy meal that one can only eat in Rikuzentakata City.
Enter “Hotate to Wakame no Aburi Shabu-shabu Gozen” (lit. “scallop and wakame set meal”), otherwise usually known by its shortened name “Hotawaka Gozen”. It is a luxurious set meal that made its debut recently on 26th March 2016, by the collaborative efforts of four local chefs and a local gourmet producer. While the city may be situated in the rural side of Japan, the set meal looks anything but rural. As the name of the meal suggests, the meal features scallops and wakame (a type of Japanese seaweed) as its main ingredients – both of which are caught locally in the Hirota Peninsula – and prepared in various styles, served with the city’s own brand of “Takata-no-Yume” rice.
The set meal is served on a custom-made, splendid food tray made from the cedar tree in the region (Kesen cedar). The three-tiered stand with which the scallop dishes are served is also custom-made with Kesen cedar wood. This woodwork lends the set meal an appearance of a high-class Japanese meal.
Placed on the stand are scallops prepared in different ways. On the top shelf, one can find thinly sliced scallop sashimi, something that is rather difficult to come by. On the middle shelf, one finds steamed scallops ready to be flame-grilled. On the lowest shelf, one finds scallops prepared kakiage style (a type of fried tempura typically prepared using seafood and vegetables).
Next to the three-tiered stand, one will find a personal aburi grill (for grilling with a raw flame) and a hotpot placed above solid fuel. With the grill, one is able to cook the steamed scallops on the middle shelf to one’s personal preference of crispiness and texture. (The scallops have been steamed prior to prevent sticking onto the grill). Please be careful when lighting the solid fuel with the given lighter; if you find it hard to light it on your own, feel free to call for help from the staff. The hotpot is filled with special dashi (Japanese fish stock) and it is used for the shabu-shabu (boiling food ingredients in a hotpot by swishing them for a few seconds in broth) with the wakame that can be found in the yellow plate on the right. As wakame is gradually added into the dashi, the clear broth becomes richer and more complex in taste.
The plate of wakame contains two types of wakame: the stem and the leaf portion. Be sure to enjoy the difference in texture of the two types. The minced ginger placed on the side of the plate is to be added to the homemade ponzu sauce (Japanese citrus dipping sauce) in the white round saucer to enhance the taste of the sauce. Of course, this is entirely up to your personal preference.
It is recommended to dip the boiled wakame into this saucer containing the ponzu sauce.
The sauce plate in front contains two types of sauces: soy sauce and Kesen miso sauce. It is recommended to dip the scallop sashimi in soy sauce and the flame-grilled scallops into the miso sauce.
A side dish of pickled vegetables grown locally complements the meal. The contents may change depending on the season.
It is recommended to add the now wakame-infused leftover shabu-shabu broth to the scallop soup and enjoy while it is hot.
The local brand of “Takata-no-Yume” rice is served with a topping of wakame cooked with sweetened soy sauce. The rice is a great complement with any dish – particularly the scallop kakiage.
The meal can be ended off with wakame dessert. While wakame dessert may sound strange, its delicious taste will have you coming back for more. Each restaurant has its own original twist on the wakame dessert so be sure to try them all if you are feeling adventurous. You might find it surprisingly tasty. The contents of the dessert may also change according to the season.
How It All Came About
Development started on 3rd October 2014 by Hiro Nakata, a local gourmet producer, along with a team of four local chefs in Rikuzentakata City.
Mr. Nakata recognized the fact that food is the strongest factor of tourism able to move the hearts of tourists. As such, Mr Nakata held a lecture in Rikuzentakata City rallying for volunteers to work on a project to create local gourmet cuisine. Mr Nakata wanted to create a food dish that would be the food equivalent to the number one tourist attraction in Rikuzentakata City, the Miracle Lone Pine Tree. His aim was to revitalize the tsunami-struck region with food, creating a food team in Rikuzentakata City. While there were many local restaurant owners who expressed their disagreement with regards to the project because it was a period of time where the city was still undergoing recovery and shops were still operating in emergency temporary buildings, Mr. Nakata stressed that it was not too early to try to boost tourism and revive the region; that the time for such action was now.
Just when he thought that no one would respond, four brave chefs rose up to the challenge and development for the gourmet meal went underway. Approximately a year and a half later, Hotawaka Gozen was born; a representation of Rikuzentakata City’s famed produce and tenacity in recovery from the tsunami.
Why It Is Especially Delicious
Point I: The Wakame & Scallops Were Raised in Rikuzentakata City’s Hirota Peninsula
Water flowing down from the Hikami Mountain to the Kesen River in Rikuzentakata City is filled with many minerals.
This water flows into the Hirota Peninsula as well.
The mineral and nutrition-packed water raises the wakame and scallops well, making them more delicious and bigger in size.
Snow further helps in making the wakame more delicious as it is said that the water from melted snow contributes to raising wakame better.
Because the north Tohoku region is a place known for its snowfall, the wakame is blessed with much snow to be nurtured well.
Point II: Local “Takata-no-Yume” Rice
A type of rice that goes well with any dish. This of course applies to Hotawaka Gozen as well.
It is delicious even when cold, and is well suited for onigiri and Japanese lunchboxes.
On 11th March 2015, it was recognised as the number one suitable rice for onigiri by the Japan Onigiri Association.
Hotawaka Gozen is the first meal to utilize “Takata-no-Yume” rice continuously.
Personal Review
While living in Rikuzentakata City, I thought it would be good to try this gourmet cuisine even though I do not really eat seafood in particular that much. (A pity since I am living in Japan, even more so in a coastal region, I know!) However, at the time of trying the dish, there were problems with the catch of scallop, so the scallops were sourced from elsewhere in Japan. While I initially felt bummed out upon learning this fact, the meal should still taste the same, so I put that thought aside. I partook in the meal at the Capital Hotel 1000, thus my review might contain side dishes that you can only find here (such as the wakame dessert and maybe the pickled vegetable side dish).
The set meal was already laid out as I made my way to the table (without most of the ingredients). My first impression when being presented with the meal was its huge size and the magnificent food tray it was served in as I settled into my seat. As the ingredients filled in one by one and the set meal began to take shape, I marvelled at how appetising the whole meal looked visually and it was definitely a treat not just the stomach but the eyes as well. The waiter who served me explained some of the details of the meal and how it is best eaten. The chef (one of the people behind the creation of the meal) came out to see if there was any need for further explanation and urged me to enjoy the meal as he retreated to resume his chef duties.
It was difficult deciding on what to eat first as I was bombarded with the variety of food on the tray. Being able to savour a wide variety of cooking methods of the same ingredients meant that not once was I particularly tired or sick of having scallops and wakame despite the large volume. The scallops did not have what I could only describe as a “fishy” taste - which is what I dislike about seafood – and they tasted especially fresh and delicious.
For the pickled vegetable side dish, I had a serving of Rikuzentakata City’s own koisuru tomatoes which are naturally very sweet and delicious unlike any other tomatoes that I have tasted, together with other pickled vegetables that went well with rice. For the dessert, I had wakame yogurt. While it was strange to have wakame together with yogurt, it complemented the yogurt surprisingly well and I ended up finishing the whole thing. As for the “Takata-no-Yume” rice, I found it stickier than other types of Japanese rice that I had (although I am not sure if it was due to the method of preparation) and it had a nice taste even when eaten by itself. You do have to, however, take my opinion on rice with a pinch of salt (no pun intended) as I cannot tell exactly the differences in Japanese rice and I find them all delicious.
While I thought that the quantity of food was rather lacking and that I would be left hungry at the end of the meal (I tend to eat a lot), I was pleasantly surprised when I felt rather full and satisfied.
I recommend trying Hotawaka Gozen at least once even if you do not particularly enjoy seafood (unless of course it is due to allergic reasons). Enjoying gourmet cuisine at this price range and being able to eat food prepared in various methods that showcase the best local produce in Rikuzentakata City is a major plus.
Information
You can try the meal at four locations in the city, restaurants that house the four chefs who developed the set meal: Rikumaru, Café Food Bar Waiwai, Capital Hotel 1000 and Hotel Sanyō. Orders are made on a reservation basis and the set meal costs 1,600 Japanese yen (with tax included)*. You can direct your calls for enquiry or reservations to the Tourism Promotion Section in the Rikuzentakata City Hall at 0192-54-2111 (Japanese) or the respective four locations that serve the dish. For enquiries and help with reservations in English, please email visit@city.rikuzentakata.iwate.jp.
Rikumaru Mr. Sasaki 0192-47-3653
Café Food Bar Waiwai Mr. Ōta 0192-47-4290
Capital Hotel 1000 Mr. Konno 0192-55-3111
Hotel Sanyō Mr. Sasaki 0192-55-3050
(As the catch of scallop may not be consistent due to external circumstances, the scallops may be outsourced from elsewhere. However, the meal remains fundamentally the same.)
*Accurate as of time of writing.
