Valentines Day in Japan is very popular. I still cannot fathom all the chocolate that was sold up until February 14th. Every store I passed had large displays and so many chocolate choices, that if you bought all of them you would need a warehouse and then some.
This day also happens to be my wedding anniversary. I think Miwa chose it so I would never forget the date.
For special events we both try to plan something unique in secret so that it will be a big surprise to the other.
Miwa was in school all week and asked me to meet her at Yokohama station after class on Sunday evening. She tried to give me some hints, but like her, I love to be surprised.
After we met we took a train to Kannai and a ten-minute walk to a restaurant I have seen in many places throughout Japan. You will know it by the huge crab sign just above the entrance. On occasion I have walked by this restaurant with its delicious window display and wondered if the food was as good as it looked.
Being raised in New Jersey we went crabbing every year and came home with a bucket full if live crabs. It was a real treat to sit around the table and eat those succulent crustaceans. I was very happy with Miwa’s secret anniversary choice.
Kani-Doraku is a chain crab restaurant famous for crab hotpot. It is interesting to note that Trip Adviser rated this restaurant as one of the top 30 in Japan.
Although a little pricy, they definitely live up to their reputation.
The interior has two floors with the upper floor for smokers. The design looks like an old Japanese style restaurant, with roomy tables, a very relaxed atmosphere, and there are private rooms for a group setting.
For this evening there was folk music entertainment played on a koto instrument every hour.
The service was what you would expect, the wait staff was very efficient, attentive, and even prepared the Crab porridge at our table with the left over hotpot broth.
There were two types of crab, one sweet king crab from Hokkaido, and the other equally as good from the West coast Sea of Japan. They have English menus and just looking at the pictures will have your mouth watering with very hard decisions to make.
Our meal was the crab hotpot with crab sashimi, baked crab, crab rice porridge, and annin tofu for desert. The dipping sauces were especially tasty.
You will want to eat this meal very slowly, so you can savor each morsel.
The original restaurant was born in Osaka and today it is still the most popular. If you are traveling around Japan there are Kani-Doraku’s in Kansai, Hamamatsu, Kanto, Chugoku, and Shikoku regions.
Reservations are highly recommended although you can get in without them, but the wait time may be a bit long. You can make them online at their web page in Japanese only.
This was a great anniversary surprise and I am now looking forward to the next time we visit Kani-Doraku.
While planning your trip to Japan be sure to put this restaurant on your list of places to dine.
