InakayaNiigatafurumachi

Serving Wappa Meshi only since the 1950s. Must try when visiting Niigata. So delicious. The staff are quite elderly but kind and welcoming. A bit on the pricey side but well worth it.

Visited September 2019

This restaurant is famous for offering traditional Echigo (corresponding to Niigata today) cuisine, as well as the original Salmon and Roe Wappa Meshi. The setting is reminiscent of a countryside house, with dim lighting and a warm ambiance, rattan and wood furniture and old style designs, yet makin...g you comfortable and feel at home. I ordered the Echigo Food Lover set (6000 yen) which got 8 courses. The first was Three Seasonal Appetizers, including the famous Noppei (stewed vegetables), marinated edible Chrysanthemum, and boiled river snails. Second course was Smoked Salmon with Onion Paste. Third course was Sashimi (three different types). Fourth course was Sea Bream Shabu Shabu, followed by the fifth course of Yanagi Karei, a baked flounder which had been dried for 2-3 hours to increase the flavors. The sixth course was Beef Tataki, with the slices of beef marinated in vinegar and then seared briefly. The seventh course was Assorted Tempura with mushroom, bell pepper, shrimp and fish. The final one was the signature Salmon and Roe Wappa Meshi, with miso soup and pickles. All the food was tasty and great in presentation. The restaurant was not busy on the night so we could enjoy a quiet time sitting in a corner table. Despite the challenge in language, the staff was all friendly and came to us asking for our feedback and any help needed. A very good experience overall.

Visited October 2018

This is a relatively small restaurant, noted for it's wappa meshi (steamed seafood served over rice in a wood box). The food was very good. The servings are not filling, so think about also ordering some appetizers if you are hungry walking in the door. The signage in front has no English, so it'...s a little hard to find. I poked my head in and asked "Inakaya?" to someone at the cash register--they smiled and nodded their head. There are no English menus and the staff speaks limited English. I sat at the counter in front of the chefs, so I asked one to recommend my meal. He recommended wappa meshi was able to describe in English the different seafood toppings and I chose salmon. It was very good!

Visited July 2015