SABAR+Okayama

They seem to specialise in mackerel in this restaurant, which is a regional favourite of Okayama. They prepare it in every way imagineable, and then some. I ordered the 8-sided set menu to try a bit of everything. The mackerel sashimi was delicious, fresh and tender. That was the best part. The...re was tempura (light and wispy as a cream puff), and battered (more like English fish & chips). Another good version was the mackerel in a light sour cream sauce. The pickled mackerel I didn't like at all, but that is just my taste. There were a couple other forms of the fish that were very tasty, but I am not sure the preparation. In all it was a really great meal, and very good value. Service was very good, and very friendly despite my not speaking Japanese. I don't recall if the menu was in English, but they had photos so you can point and order. Still, the waiters were very nice to me even though my communication was limited. Now, as for the decor and ambience. It's very much suited for families with small kids. There are cartoon fish on the walls and ceiling, and when I was there a lot of small kids running around. It made for a noisy meal so definitely not for a date night or a business meeting!

Visited September 2024