Located a mere 5 minutes from Dogo Onsen, and right down the street from Sen Guesthouse, Daikokuya is an amazing place to discover Ehime’s regional specialty, tai-meshi. Tai (snapper)-meshi can be served several different ways. Ehime’s special version of tai-meshi is snapper sashimi served over rice. Daikokuya has a unique take on this tradition, tai no kama meshi. Kama meshi literally translates to “kettle rice”, being a traditional Japanese rice dish cooked in an iron pot called a kama. Daikokuya has many varieties of kama meshi; but believe me when I say it, the best by far is the snapper (tai) kama meshi.
Founded by Murakami Kazuo and a throng of housewives in 1977, the flavor of both the udon and tai-meshi at Daikokuya is sophisticated enough for the Tokyo salaryman yet simple enough for the stay-at-home mother. The interior is well-designed and tasteful, featuring both tatami areas and normal chairs and tables. The prices are very fair; for a huge tai-meshi set, including tempura, udon, egg porridge, pickles and tea, it’s a cool ¥1300. For just the tai-meshi and udon it’s only ¥880.
When you walk into the establishment, you’re met with calls of greeting from the very attentive and knowledgeable staff. You’ll be immediately drawn to the traditional Japanese artwork and shamisen music playing in the background. To complete the package, at the front of the restaurant is a beautifully designed Japanese garden replete with stone lanterns, a water mill and hanging moss.
You have to wait about 20 minutes for tai no kama meshi, but it’s well worth it. If you order a set, you’ll be served the udon or other dishes as appetizers, which provide a nice warm-up for the main event. When the kama is set before you and you take off the traditional wooden top, you immediately realize that you’re in for a treat.
The beautiful rainbow color of the snapper is graced with only the smallest amount of mitsuba (Japanese herb), which is all placed on top of rice. I always wonder how so much flavor can be brought out of so few ingredients. It seems every grain of rice is infused with the delicious flavor of snapper.
Daikokuya is a must visit if you’re in the Dogo area of Matsuyama.
