Kujira no Ippuku’s Half-and-Half Rice Bowl
After visiting Katsurahama, we drove about five minutes to Kujira no Ippuku (鯨のいっぷく).
The name evokes a whale taking a little break. The original author playfully read it as a well-fed whale, fitting for a place to eat.
A large boat-shaped building catches the eye.
Kujira no Ippuku has a striking boat-shaped building and a spacious parking lot.
Ryoma is here to welcome us, too.
A cheerful whale smiles from the sign.
Food models make choosing easier.
Even without Japanese, the realistic food models near the entrance help you choose.
There are Kochi’s familiar straw-seared bonito, tiny-fish rice bowls and various fried dishes. The original Korean calls the small fish ‘anchovies’; the dish is described here as the source’s tiny-fish/shirasu-style topping rather than a verified species identification.
A meal, with the option of a drink.
There are fewer indoor seats than I expected from such a large boat.
The menu mostly matches the display: straw-seared bonito bowls, small-fish bowls and half-and-half bowls combining the two.
Fried side dishes, beer and coffee could be ordered as well.
Kujira no Ippuku’s Half-and-Half Bowl
The half-and-half bowl of straw-seared bonito and tiny fish was the obvious choice for me.
Chopped straw-seared bonito and soft little fish cover the rice, with plenty of raw garlic, scallion and ginger.
Nori provides the finishing touch.
The amount of ginger surprised me. I do not know whether Kochi ginger is generally like this, but this serving tasted sweet rather than fiercely spicy. Quite a discovery.
Alternating between bonito and the little fish is delicious. A very satisfying find.
The Popular Pork-Wrapped Fried Shrimp
Midway through the bowl, a sign catches my eye: the shop’s most popular pork-wrapped fried shrimp, JPY 200.
Pork-Wrapped Fried Shrimp
The bowl was so good that I ordered without hesitation.
A shrimp wrapped in pork and deep-fried: large, crisp and delicious.
An Ochazuke Finish
As we eat, the woman running the shop suggests trying it as ochazuke (お茶漬け).
The name literally refers to soaking rice in tea: hot green tea is poured over cooked rice.
In Korean it is sometimes described as ‘tea rice’ or ‘tea porridge.’
In practice, the liquid is often a blend of bonito dashi and green tea rather than green tea alone.
We use the broth from the pot near the entrance to try an ochazuke finish.
Another treat.
Clean bonito dashi and green tea, the gentle flavor of the small fish and the nori come together beautifully.
Kashiko, an Ohagi Specialist
After our meal, we find a dessert shop called Kashiko right next door.
It is a surprising transition from a restaurant into a bright, cute café.
Here we find ohagi (おはぎ), a traditional Japanese sweet.
Ohagi is a kind of rice cake made with glutinous and non-glutinous rice.
The rice is worked just enough to leave a little grain texture, then coated in sweet red-bean paste or another sweet covering. The source notes that when sugar was precious, such sweets were reserved for important guests.
From left: almond-chocolate, roasted-soybean-flour and black-sesame ohagi.
Sweet red-bean ohagi is the classic version, but there are many modern variations. Kashiko’s almond-chocolate, kinako and black-sesame coatings made choosing part of the fun.
Kujira no Ippuku gave us a half-and-half bonito and small-fish bowl, ochazuke, a large fried shrimp and, next door, traditional ohagi to finish.
It is a place I would gladly recommend after a visit to Katsurahama and its Ryoma statue.
Kujira no Ippuku (くじらのいっぷく)
Address: 201-2 Niida, Kochi
Phone: 088-847-3255