01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Whether you’re after sashimi and grilled dishes for dinner or a set meal with several accompaniments at lunch, Shimoji in Hirano offers a range of Japanese dishes to suit the occasion.
At lunchtime, the set meals offer different main dishes to choose from. The tuna-bowl set comes with grated yam, steamed egg custard, miso soup, simmered dishes, a small side dish and pickles, making it more substantial than a bowl on its own. The tempura and zaru soba set pairs tempura and chilled buckwheat noodles with rice, steamed egg custard, miso soup and other accompaniments. It’s an easy way to vary lunch depending on whether you fancy noodles or a tuna bowl. One diner who ordered the tuna-bowl set particularly enjoyed the side dishes and steamed egg custard as well as the bowl itself. The Shimoji set combines a small serving of rice, a side dish, steak, miso soup and simmered dishes. Another visitor praised the tender steak, the small side dish and the flavour of the soup stock in the miso soup.
In the evening, diners can choose from dishes including sashimi, grilled items and hot pots. One customer enjoyed flounder sashimi, amberjack cured in kelp and deep-fried yam, and paired sake with miso-marinated sablefish. They also mentioned finishing with a mini eel bowl, a useful reference if you’re planning a meal around fish. The hot-pot menu includes duck, chicken and vegetable options, among others. Since the dish names alone don’t specify their ingredients or preparation, it may be worth checking what’s included when you visit if you have a particular hot pot in mind.
The menu ranges from lunch sets to kaiseki, a multi-course Japanese meal. Kyo kaiseki is listed as reservation-only, and dinner reservations are also accepted. If you have a particular dish in mind, or would like to book kaiseki, it’s a good idea to enquire in advance.
