Sendai is making a name for itself as the tourist gateway to the Tohoku region, and right outside Sendai Station has seriously easy access to some of Miyagi’s most popular local Sendai foods. Many cost less than 200 yen, so you'll have plenty of options to fill up while sticking to your budget.

These are our top five recommendations for tasty Sendai foods in department stores and smaller specialty shops.

Zunda Saryo Sendai Station Zunda Komichi is located on the 3rd floor of Sendai Station, right next to the Central Shinkansen Gate. The shop specializes in Miyagi’s traditional “zunda” sweets, which are made from crushed, sweetened green soybeans. Zunda Saryo offers more than ten desserts like zundamochi and “Zunda Shake Crunch.”

The popular Zunda Shake can be ordered to eat-in or for take-out from the shop’s convenient take out counter. On weekends, there’s usually a line of customers in the morning, and especially in the evening, when tourists want a refreshing treat at the end of their trip.

With each sip you’ll experience the texture of the crushed soy beans and the smooth vanilla shake. You might not expect it, but the fresh edamame fragrance and flavor go seriously well with the sweet vanilla. Green soybeans, whose taste can change depending the climate and the time year they’re harvested, are specially blended by Zunda Saryo so you can enjoy the same taste no matter when you visit.

Zunda Shakes are available in Short (427 yen) and Tall (540 yen). For a deluxe version topped with whipped cream and extra zunda sauce, you can order the Zunda Shake Excella for 621 yen (all prices include tax).

About a 5-minute walk from Sendai Station, you’ll find the Sendai Asaichi Morning Market where fresh vegetables and seafood are readily available. In the midst of the greengrocers and fresh fish shops you’ll also find Saitou Sozaiten. Currently managed by its 3rd generation owner, this takeout specialty store has been a much-loved member of the morning market for about 60 years.

In the showcase, there are about fifteen options such as croquettes and menchi katsu (fried and breaded mince).

As the shop owner says, “Our motto is cheap and tasty,” the croquettes start at 100 yen apiece (including tax). On many days, morning market sightseers and regular customers quickly purchase Saitou Sozaiten’s wares and the shop sells out well before its scheduled closing time.

The most popular item is the “Jagajaga Croquette” (100 yen, including tax), which has a crispy fried outer layer surrounding a smooth filling of Hokkaido potatoes. With a slightly sweetened seasoning, they make an excellent walking snack.

Since the shop is close to Sendai Station and many nearby hotels, overseas tourists often stop by. With their convenience in mind, the menu is printed in English and Chinese, and while the illustrations are easy to understand, you can still ask the staff for further help if needed.

Walk along the arcade leading from the front of Sendai Station for about five minutes and you’ll see Usukawa Taiyaki Taikichi near the entrance to a second arcade, “Clis Road Shopping Street.”

A nearby sign featuring a big frog is an easily recognizable landmark. What looks like a huge brown fish is actually a depiction of a taiyaki, a sweet fish-shaped waffle with a choice of fillings.

If the sight of delicious taiyaki on display doesn’t draw you in, the sweet fragrance flowing out from the store certainly will!

It doesn’t take long from the time you order until you get your freshly baked food. Because the shop is committed to presenting customers with the amazing taste of fresh taiyaki, you’ll always receive a hot fresh order right there and then.

Classic varieties include “ogura-an” (200 yen, tax included) with mashed red bean flavor and moist, sweet “custard cream” (220 yen, tax included), and there are also many seasonal items available.

You should also definitely try the zunda-mochi (280 yen, tax included) variety. You can enjoy the three textures of crushed soy beans, chewy rice filling, and crispy pastry and their combined gentle sweetness.

About a 10-minute walk from Sendai station, you can purchase “hyotanage” (400 yen, tax included) - very representative of Sendai --at the Abe Kamabokoten Main Shop on the Clis Road arcade.

First offered at the 1985 Sendai Aoba Festival (held in May every year), hyotanage has been loved by Sendai citizens for over 30 years.

Hyotanage is made by skewering two large, round pieces of kamaboko (baked fish paste) and then frying them. Chefs must skillfully fry all the skewers to the same “fox color” while maintaining the gourd-like shape. Few have mastered the art the perfectly fried and shaped hyotanage, and there’s often a line of customers eagerly waiting to try these unique Sendai foods.

The crunchy fried batter and rich kamaboko are excellent and are typically topped with ketchup. Hyotanage is also available at Sendai Station and Matsushima Teramachi, but here you can choose between sweet or dry varieties, which the staff will prepare to order.

The sweet hyotanage are decorated with a swirl of ketchup, while the dry ones get a wavy pattern. Since the fried outer layer is a bit sweet, the dry, spicy variety is recommended.

Founded in 1920, Ocha no Igata Ichibancho Honten is a long-established tea shop with over 100 years of history.

The store offers a wide variety of teas, from green tea, hojicha, sencha, and matcha tea to kelp tea and kukicha. Here you can sip free tea while shopping, or sit and relax in the restaurant that still retains the feel of a traditional Japanese tea shop.

The store also has a take-out counter outside and the best choice there is “Matcha Soft Cream” (eat-in 380 yen, tax included). Opened in 1993, the counter was devised to serve sweets that can be easily eaten while walking.

Soft serve ice cream with a rich matcha fragrance is refreshingly sweet, and the portion size is generous. If you eat-in, you can enjoy it with free hot tea in the store.

In addition to these five treats, there are many other easy-to-eat Sendai foods that are popular with locals. Why not visit Sendai to enjoy shopping, sightseeing, and finding your favorite delicacy?

Text by: SHOE PRESs