In Japan, you’ll find numerous specialty stores dedicated to omusubi, traditional rice balls.
These specialty rice ball shops take great care in cooking the rice and selecting high-quality ingredients. The end results could even be considered luxurious treats.
At the rice ball specialty shop called “Omusubi gottsu tabenahare Oshokujidokoro” (referred to hereafter as “Omusubi Gottsu Tabenahare”) in the Nakameguro area of Tokyo, you can enjoy rice balls with a particular focus on high-quality ingredients.
In Japanese, oshokujidokoro means restaurant, and gottsu tabenahare in the Kansai dialect means “eat a lot,” something you’ll surely be tempted to do when you visit!
The popular fillings of this Nakameguro rice ball specialty shop
Omusubi, which has been cherished for generations in Japan, has evolved over time, and today, there is a wide variety of fillings available.
At Omusubi Gottsu Tabenahare, they consistently offer more than 20 different types of rice balls for customers to enjoy.
“銀鮭炙り焼き,” Flame-Broiled Coho Salmon (right) “唐揚げマヨネーズ,” Karaage with Mayonnaise (left) each 350 JPY (tax included)
Among the many options, two particularly popular fillings at the shop are the “Flame-Broiled Coho Salmon” and “Karaage (Japanese fried chicken) with Mayonnaise.”
The salmon, grilled fresh daily at the shop, is rich and has a subtly sweet taste due to its fat content.
Additionally, the salmon is intentionally coarsely shredded, providing a delightful chewy texture for customers to enjoy.
The Karaage with Mayonnaise features a rich seasoning with a bold flavor. The addition of pepper adds a sharp and spicy kick, serving as an accent to enhance the overall taste.
The “Egg Yolk and Grilled Beef” is also another recommended omusubi, combining luxury and originality with its ingredients.
The key point of this rice ball is that it uses egg yolk marinated in soy sauce.
Using carefully selected eggs from Iwate Prefecture, the egg yolk is marinated for about 3 hours, unlocking a rich and intense flavor.
The combination of the sweet and savory egg yolk with the saltiness of the sauce really deepens the flavor.
While you can order a a rice ball with only egg yolk as the filling, the editorial team at Umami bites highly recommends the Egg Yolk with Grilled Beef.
The sweet and tangy sauce of the grilled beef, infused into the white rice, along with the rich egg yolk, provides a very satisfying and flavorful experience.
“卵黄牛焼肉,” Egg Yolk with Grilled Beef (center) 500 JPY (tax included)
Additionally, you can explore other options such as the classic “Tuna with Mayonnaise” or the hearty “Pork with Kimchi,” among other fillings, to find the rice ball that suits your taste preferences!
Packed with filling! These specialty store rice balls can be savored until the last bite!
The omusubi at Omusubi Gottsu Tabenahare are generously filled with ingredients, ensuring a delicious experience from the first bite to the last.
When you open one up, they look just like this!
The deliciousness of the ingredients is enhanced by the use of Koshiibuki, a well-balanced Niigata-produced rice with the right firmness and stickiness in its grains.
With a modest sweetness and a relatively light flavor, Koshiibuki rice doesn’t overshadow the taste of the ingredients.
Moreover, at Omusubi Gottsu Tabenahare, they always cook rice in small quantities, so that the rice balls are sure to be fashioned from freshly made rice.
The nori seaweed is soft and sourced from Ariake, offering a strong umami flavor. Since it’s cut into large pieces, it wraps around the white rice completely.
By doing so, the soft texture of the white rice is preserved, and even as you eat, it doesn’t crumble apart.
Make it a “Hearty Tonjiru” set to really get your fill
We highly recommend ordering a bowl of the store’s “Miso Soup” along with your rice ball when visiting.
For your miso soup, you can choose from three varieties: “Nameko Soup” (nameko is a type of Japanese mushroom), a spicy “Chige Soup” (inspired by the Korean Kimchi jjigae), and Hearty Tonjiru (tonjiru is a pork and vegetable based miso soup).
“具だくさん豚汁,” Hearty Tonjiru 300 JPY a la carte (tax included)
During our visit, we ordered the Hearty Tonjiru, which was a was a generous bowl of soup filled with large-cut carrots, green onions, pork, tofu, and various other ingredients.
If you order two or more rice balls, there’s a discount of 50 JPY, so be sure to try them together. It really leaves you feeling satisfied after your meal.
Omusubi Gottsu Tabenahare is open only during lunchtime, from 11:30 to 15:30.
The restaurant gets busy with nearby residents and office workers right from when it opens until closing time.
Omusubi Gottsu Tabenahare’s interior
If it’s crowded, consider getting take-out and enjoying your meal outside.
Near the store, the Meguro River flows, and there’s a row of cherry blossoms along the river.
Benches are available, making it a perfect spot to enjoy your take-out rice balls surrounded by nature.
Eating rice balls in such a setting is something else entirely! So definitely visit and savor this unique Japanese omusubi experience.
Information
| Store name | おむすび ごっつ食べなはれ お食事処 Omusubi gottsu tabenahare Oshokujidokoro |
|---|---|
| Address | 2F 1-19-7 Kamimeguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
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| Access |
Naka-meguro Station 2-minute walk from Naka-meguro Station Main Ticket Gate
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| Phone number | 03-6773-0019 |
| Reservations | Accepted Only for take-out orders |
| Payment |
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| Service charge/Table charge | None |
| Hours | 11:30-15:30（last order 15:00） |
| Closed | No fixed holidays Unscheduled holidays |
| Seating | 18 seats 6 counter seats, 12 table seats |
| Smoking | All seats are non-smoking |
| Official website | https://www.instagram.com/omusubi_gottsu.jp/ |
| Other information |
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※Menu contents, prices, store information, etc. are current as of February 2024.
