Seven excellent lunches in Towada and Oirase! From fresh local vegetables to artistic old-fashioned cafes
The Towada and Oirase area is full of interesting lunch spots, from famous Restaurants to family-friendly restaurants. There are also many locally produced gourmet specialties such as vegetables and hime-masu trout, and a variety of high-level restaurants. Here are some of the most popular restaurants in the area.
1Happitakafu
Towada is a place where soil cultivation and vegetable growing are thriving and delicious vegetables are abundant. At Hapitanokafu, you can enjoy a lunch featuring seasonal vegetables produced in Towada and other local ingredients.
The most popular dish is the "Hamburger Steak with Burdock Root from Towada," a popular menu item that incorporates local specialty burdocks and yams, and pasta using confit of the local brand "Towadako Himasu" is also highly recommended.
The restaurant uses no additives in its dishes, and all seasonings and dressings are handmade. All dishes are made with safety and security in mind and have a homey, comforting flavor that will soothe both the palate and the soul.
Local Guide
Supporters
Located on a shopping street, this restaurant offers a warm and simple lunch menu using local ingredients from Towada. The menu includes dishes such as "Towada yam hamburger steak" and "Towada yam hamburger steak! hamburger steak" and "Towada burdock curry" are also recommended.
A community space with many events
This restaurant opened under the slogan "Let's raise children in the community! is the slogan of this community café. It aims to support childcare and create a local network, and the name of the restaurant expresses the wish for children to be "happy" and "joyful.
In addition to enjoying a locally produced and consumed menu that is perfect for food education, the café also holds events to allow local residents to communicate easily. On an irregular basis, the restaurant holds a variety of events for children and adults, including picture book readings, vegetable classes by vegetable sommeliers, and mini-concerts of classical music. Tourists are welcome, and this event is especially recommended for those who want to interact with locals.
Local Guide
Supporters
The restaurant offers delicious food in a casual atmosphere, and children's lunches are also available, making it a great place to bring children.
- Happitakanokafu
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16-43 Inau-cho, Towada-shi, Aomori-ken MAP
From Misawa Station, take the Towada Kanko Dentetsu bus bound for Mikko Seimon-mae (Miwada High School) (approx. 29 min.), get off at Towada-shi Chuo bus stop, and walk approx. 1 min.
From Shichinohe-Towada Station, take the Towada Kanko Dentetsu bus bound for Sanbongi or Towada-shi Chuo (approx. 26-50 min.); approx. 1 min. walk from the Towada-shi Chuo stop.
11:00～L.O.18:00（Meal L.O.17:30)
Sundays & Holidays
0176-23-0853
Not available (use the nearby private parking lot)
2Farm Cafe Hibiki
The café is located in a blueberry farm with a view of Mt. Hakkoda to the west. The owner, a vegetable sommelier, works with local farmers to offer a menu full of seasonal delights.
The signature dish is the "Farm Basket Lunch," a bamboo basket filled with six seasonal delicacies. With more than half of the daily target intake of vegetables, the dish is known for being hearty yet healthy. Side dishes, such as burdock brownies, are also arranged with vegetables, and the menu changes once every two weeks (side dishes change about once a month).
Local Guide
Supporters
Lunch menus that use a lot of vegetables are popular. The restaurant is crowded with women who come for the "farm basket lunch.
A relaxing space that makes you forget about time
The interior of the renovated 60-year-old private house has a high ceiling and a spacious feel. The tables with storehouse doors used for the tops and casually decorated antiques are full of good taste. There are two types of seating: chair seats for sitting comfortably and zashiki (tatami room) seats in two separate rooms. Both provide a comfortable space to enjoy a leisurely meal.
After dinner, visit the souvenir corner, where you will find tableware made by Aomori potters and traditional Tsugaru Kogin Sashimi goods. From mid-July to mid-August, you can try your hand at picking blueberries at the farm.
- Farm Cafe Hibiki
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- 147-89 Takami, Aza-Aisaka, Towada-shi, Aomori MAP
22 minutes by cab from Misawa Station
Approx. 25 min. by cab from Shichinohe-Towada Station- 11:00-16:00 (L.O. 15:30), Dec. to Mar. to 15:00 (L.O. 14:30), both lunch L.O. 14:00
- Wednesdays, Year-end and New Year's holidays, Bon holidays (open during Golden Week)
- 0176-27-6626
- Free of charge
Blueberry picking is 500 yen for elementary school students and older, all-you-can-eat with no time limit
3Restaurant Woody
This Western-style Restaurant offers a wide variety of steak and hamburger dishes.
The lunch-only "Steak Lunch" offers 200 grams of beef and is very satisfying. The flap meat is selected from among the ribs, which has less fat, allowing you to enjoy the tenderness and rich flavor of the lean meat. The beef is served with a soy sauce-based sauce with a hint of garlic for a light, refreshing taste that even women can easily finish off.
In addition, the "Swiss hamburger steak," the restaurant's most popular item, is also highly recommended. When you put a knife into the hamburger steak, a generous amount of cheese melts on top of the meat, whetting your appetite.
Woody interior with a friendly atmosphere
The chef, who has worked in the world of French cuisine and served as head chef at a number of famous hotels in Aomori, opened this restaurant about 30 years ago. Currently, he and his eldest son work in the kitchen, while his wife, with a lovely smile, is in charge of the hall.
The building is a Canadian-style log house, a longtime dream of the chef. The chef himself designed the building using lumber imported from Canada, the home of logs. The restaurant is filled with the warmth of wood, which is perfect for the at-home atmosphere of the chefs. The open kitchen emits the aroma of their signature sauces made with the utmost care and attention.
Local Guide
Supporters
You can see the kitchen from your seat, so it is exciting while waiting for your food. We recommend the hamburger steak set.
- Restaurant Woody
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- 30-36 Higashinijuban-cho, Towada-shi, Aomori MAP
- Approximately 18 minutes by cab from Misawa Station
- From Misawa Station, take the Towada Kanko Dentetsu bus bound for Miwada Kanko Seimon-mae, about 20 minutes, and get off at Kitasato Daigaku Dori and walk about 8 minutes.
- 11:00-14:00 (L.O. 13:30), 17:00-21:00 (L.O. 20:30)
- Thursdays
- 0176-22-9125
- Free of charge
4Stone Oven Pizza Oltrana
This buffet restaurant is located about a 3-minute walk from the Hoshino Resorts Oirase Keiryu Hotel by Hoshino Resorts.
The specialty is Italian-style pizza baked in a high-temperature stone oven, which is popular for its thin, crispy texture. Seven types of pizza are always available, including the classic "Margherita" and "Oltrana" topped with seasonal vegetables. Some of the pizzas are rich in originality, such as the "long base and garlic pizza," which uses ingredients typical of Aomori, and the "sweet pizza" topped with seasonal fruit.
On sunny days, it is recommended to sit out on the terrace and enjoy it with a glass of locally brewed Oirase beer.
Local Guide
Supporters
Close to Oirase Keiryu Hotel by Hoshino Resorts, this Restaurant is popular with guests as well. 60-minute service is available, but replenishment is quick, so you will be full to the brim. The light and crispy pizzas are easy to overeat.
Fresh, locally grown vegetables are also a must-see!
Ortolana" means "vegetable garden style" in Italian. As the name suggests, another highlight of the restaurant is the fresh vegetables purchased directly from farmers in the prefecture. While the restaurant uses plenty of fresh vegetables in its deli items such as pizzas, gratins, and curries, it is the fresh vegetables that are the most delicious. The morning-picked vegetables in the salad corner are all fresh, bright, and colorful. The vegetables have a rich flavor that conveys the producer's passion, with a strong sweetness, bitterness, and umami character.
- Stone Oven Pizza Ortolana
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- 11-253 Tochikubo, Okuse, Towada-shi, Aomori MAP
- From Shichinohe-Towada Station, take the Shichinohe-Towada Oirase Shuttle Bus bound for Yakeyama (approx. 58 min.); approx. 1 min. walk from the last stop (in operation from Wednesday, October 31, 2018).
From Shichinohe-Towada Station, take the Towada Kanko Dentetsu Bus bound for Sanbongi or Towada-shi Chuo, approximately 26-50 minutes, get off at the Towada-shi Chuo stop, transfer to the Towada Kanko Dentetsu Bus bound for Keiryukan-mae, approximately 55 minutes, and an approximately 1-minute walk from the Yakiyama stop. - 11:00-15:30 (L.O. 14:30)
- Year-end and New Year's holidays
Buffet: High school students and older: 2,580 yen, Junior high school students: 1,680 yen, Elementary school students: 980 yen, 3 years old and older: 550 yen, Under 3 years old: free (60-minute buffet)- 0176-70-5955
- Free of charge
5Farm Cafe Orta
A Cafe & Italian Restaurant where you can taste organic vegetables from our own farm and natural ingredients from Towada. The chef recommends the "orta" lunch set, which includes three petite appetizers, a choice of two types of pasta, natural yeast bread, dessert, and a drink, and is a great way to enjoy plenty of their prized vegetables. For example, in spring, appetizers such as an omelette using long potatoes and pasta with spring cabbage are available, and in summer, colorful summer vegetables such as zucchini and bell peppers are available. All of the menu items have a gentle flavor that evokes the deliciousness that only seasonal vegetables can offer.
About 100 kinds of organic vegetables are grown here.
The chef grows a variety of vegetables, including familiar ones such as tomatoes and eggplants, as well as Italian vegetables such as black cabbage (carboronero) and chima di rapa (a type of rape flower), and herbs. There are about 100 varieties, and some of them are even wholesaled to local supermarkets and roadside stations under the farm name "Yu Farm. Although organic cultivation requires a lot of time and effort, the chef says that it is because the vegetables are grown with care that he is able to enjoy cooking them.
The interior of the restaurant has a warm and inviting feel that matches the heartfelt cuisine. Originally, there used to be a long-established general store that the chef frequented, so there are still some miscellaneous goods and decorative shelves that were given to him.
Local Guide
Supporters
In addition to homemade natural yeast bread, the store also sells home-grown aged garlic and additive-free handmade jams.
- Farm Cafe Orta
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- 15-16 Inao-machi, Towada-shi, Aomori MAP
- From Misawa Station, take the Towada Kanko Dentetsu bus bound for Mikko Seimon-mae (Miwada High School) (approx. 29 min.), get off at Towada-shi Chuo bus stop, and walk approx. 1 min.
From Shichinohe-Towada Station, take the Towada Kanko Dentetsu bus bound for Sanbongi or Towada-shi Chuo (approx. 26-50 min.); approx. 1 min. walk from the Towada-shi Chuo stop. - 12:00 - 16:00 (L.O. 15:00), 18:00 - 22:00 (L.O. 21:00)
- Mondays, 1st and 3rd Tuesdays (open if the regular closing day is a national holiday or a private party, closed the following weekday), Tuesday-Thursday lunch from April to October
- 0176-25-0185
- Free of charge
6cafe mill mountain
The café is a renovated old private house built in 1912.
The food menu includes curry as well as hot sandwiches, and the "hot ansando" is especially popular among fans. The bread is thin and toasted crispy and savory. The an (sweet bean paste) is made with a moderate sweetness and blended with five kinds of spices as a secret ingredient. The volume of the bread and red bean paste is exquisite, and the taste is further enhanced when served with the accompanying vanilla ice cream.
As for drinks, in addition to the original blend of coffee and other beverages, "ginger milk" is also recommended. It is made with fresh ginger and is a specialty of the store.
Woody interior design by the nature-loving owner.
The store is a two-story space that was renovated by the owner himself. The owner, who loves the outdoors, designed the space to be cozy and filled with the warmth of wood. The second floor seats are especially popular because of their sunny location, and you can enjoy a sense of seclusion, as if you were in a mountain cabin.
The store corner on the first floor carries a wide range of items, including coffee supplies and outdoor fashion items. The owner used to run a general store before opening the café, so the shop offers a lineup of tasteful items. Original T-shirts with the store's logo are also available.
Local Guide
Supporters
It is a cozy place, so we recommend a leisurely visit when you have time. It is a place where you can unwind with a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
- Cafe Mill Mountain
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- 22-35 Inau-cho, Towada City, Aomori Prefecture MAP
- Approximately 22 minutes by cab from Shichinohe-Towada Station
Approx. 26 min. from Misawa Station by cab - 11:00～L.O.18:00
- Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a national holiday) and Tuesdays
- 0176-22-1878
- Free of charge
7cube cafe&shop
This café and store is located inside the Towada Museum of Contemporary Art. At the café, you can enjoy light meals and sweets made from local ingredients.
Recommended is the "Aomori Special Sweets," a set of "Towada Fujiya Hotel's" popular apple pie made with "Benidama" apples grown in the prefecture and gelato made with milk from cows raised in a stress-free environment. The most popular drink is coffee, which can be enjoyed in the store's original mugs.
In addition, limited-time-only sweets inspired by artworks are available for each of the museum's special exhibitions, and every Friday through Sunday until mid-October, a lineup of menu items related to the "Passage" exhibition commemorating the museum's 10th anniversary is available.
Local Guide
Supporters
The design of the restaurant, including the vibrant flooring, is also attractive. It is a space where you can savor art.
Both the building and the design of the café are entirely artistic!
The café space itself is a work of art, with an apple tree painted by the famous British artist Paul Morrison on the exterior wall of the building. The floor is decorated with a floral pattern based on the traditional Towada City textile "Nanbu SAKIORI" (Southern SAKIORI), and the pop design is eye-catching.
The store also offers a variety of artistic items, including museum goods related to the museum's permanent collection and sundries created by famous designers. The shop also carries works by young local craftspeople, and accessories and small items that are modern interpretations of traditional crafts are perfect souvenirs of your trip.
- cube cafe & store
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- Inside Towada Museum of Contemporary Art, 10-9 Nishi Nibancho, Towada-shi, Aomori MAP
- From Shichinohe-Towada Station, take the Towada Kanko Dentetsu Bus bound for Sanbongi Office (approx. 36-43 min.); a short walk from the Gendai Art Museum Mae bus stop (3-5 buses a day).
From Shichinohe-Towada Station, take the Towada Kanko Dentetsu bus bound for Sanbongi Office (approx. 25-42 min.). 5 min. walk from Kanchogaidori bus stop. - 9:00 - L.O. 16:30 (Shop - 17:00)
- Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a national holiday), year-end and New Year's holidays *Closed temporarily for events, construction, maintenance, etc.
- 0176-22-7789
- Free of charge; in addition to the dedicated parking lot, parking is also available in the Nishi-Nibancho Parking Lot (free of charge when using the museum's Property).
MAP
- Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
Local Guide who was in charge of this article
- Junya Kudo DIY Men
Oirase Keiryu Hotel by Hoshino Resorts
Towada, Aomori Prefecture
The only resort hotel built on the banks of the Oirase mountain stream. You can enjoy the nature of the national park throughout the year.
Access by bus 70 min. by shuttle bus from JR Hachinohe Station
- Example of Accommodation Rates
- 1 person per night From 20,080 yen