Tasty tuna dishes at Sakanagui no Daimanzoku in Cape Oma, Japan

(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

At the northern end of Honshu, Cape Oma in the Shimokita Peninsula is known as a fishing port that offers one of the nation’s tastiest bluefin tunas.

Tuna caught off the cape yield astonishing prices at fish markets around Japan. In 2018, a single 612-pound bluefin tuna was auctioned at Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market for 333,600,000 yen ($2.2 million).

(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy some of this gold-standard tuna!

Sakanagui no Daimanzoku, a popular restaurant run by a Cape Oma fisherman, is a great spot for a reasonably-priced tuna meal.

The restaurant name literally means “fish-eaters satisfaction” and boy, does this place satisfy!

You’ll find the cozy Sakanagui no Daimanzoku less than a five-minute walk from the cape’s famous bluefin tuna metal sculpture, which sits overlooking the coast.

(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

Tuna fishing season runs from July to December, but don’t worry! The fileted tuna is flash-frozen in-house, so it can be enjoyed year-round.

The restaurant offers many meal sets to satisfy any appetite, big or small. Their sashimi (raw fish) sets range from 3,000 – 5,000 yen ($20 – 33). However, the magukara deep-fried tuna set for 1,100 yen caught my attention.

I had never sampled Oma’s quality tuna in the form of karaage, and though I usually prefer raw fish, my curiosity won, and I ordered the magukara.

My set arrived about 10 minutes after I ordered. A server placed a tray in front of me with various dishes, including a seaweed salad, stewed radish, steamed rice, miso soup, pickles and seven pieces of perfectly fried tuna.

Upon my first bite, this lightly battered tuna was an eye-opener. The crisp exterior and tender tuna center were incredible. The side dishes complimented the star of the set, and I was glad I went with my curiosity. The magukara was, if not more, as delicious as tuna sashimi. To me, this is proof of Oma Cape’s tuna being so delicious that its quality flavors remain even through a deep fry.