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Divine Dining At The Spiritual Center Of Japan
Ise Grand Shrine‘s outer shrine (Geku), enshrines Toyouke no Omikami, the goddess of agriculture and industry. She is enshrined here to offer sacred food to Amaterasu, the sun goddess, which is why Toyouke no Omikami is also often referred to as the goddess of food.
Being located on a 5-min walking distance from here, restaurant Ise Katsura, a restaurant of Japanese cuisine especially renowned for its sushi, just has to be divine!
We ordered a gorgeous seasonal course (a summer course in this case) of 5,000 yen per person that included Japanese classics as sushi, sashimi and tempura of the freshest seasonal ingredients from the region.
For an additional 1,000 yen per person, we savored Ise Ebi, or Japanese Spiny Lobster which was already known as an Ise specialty during the Edo period.
In the old days, it was served either boiled or grilled, but today, a large variety of preparation methods exist.
Our Ise Ebi at Ise Katsura was served as sashimi, yes, raw lobster! It was my first time to eat lobster raw, and it was so fresh from the sea that its legs were still trying to swim on!
In case luxury dining isn’t your thing, Ise Katsura also has a takoyaki stand in front of its restaurant for street food fanatics. Besides from regular flavors, you can also chose for a special Ise Takoyaki sauce only to be found at Ise Katsura!
If you love fresh seafood: ★★★★★
If you are afraid of lobsters that try to swim on table: ★★☆☆☆ (it wasn’t trying that hard)
Restaurant Information
Name: Ise Katsura
Price range: 5,000 – 6,000 yen (dinner)
Location: Honmachi 17-6, Ise, Mie Prefecture
Access: A 3-min walk from Ise Station (JR Sangu Line)
