Local Guide
Popular Lunch Spots to Visit in Towada & Oirase

The Towada & Oirase area is full of interesting lunch spots, including famous Restaurants and family-friendly restaurants. There are also many local gourmet specialties such as vegetables and hime-masu trout, and a variety of high-level restaurants. Here are four of the most popular restaurants in the area.

Hamburger steak with burdock root from Towada (with miso soup, small bowl of cooked food, homemade pickles, and drink) 972 yen
Hamburger steak with burdock root from Towada (with miso soup, small bowl of cooked food, homemade pickles, and drink) 972 yen

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 Comment
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

Children come to play after school and mothers come to consult about child-rearing.
Children come to play after school and mothers come to consult about child-rearing.

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 Comment
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
  • Address 16-43 Inau-cho, Towada-shi, Aomori-ken MAP
  • Bus Direction 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.
  • Business Hours 11:00～L.O.18:00（Meal L.O.17:30)
  • Closed Sundays & Holidays
  • TEL 0176-23-0853
  • Parking Not available (use the nearby private parking lot)
Example of a farm basket lunch (with rice
Example of a farm basket lunch (with rice "Towada Masukuri", soup, and mini dessert): 1,000 yen

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 Comment
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 owner fell in love with the nature and vegetables of Towada, moved here from Tokyo, and opened the shop about 10 years ago.
The owner fell in love with the nature and vegetables of Towada, moved here from Tokyo, and opened the shop about 10 years ago.

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
  • Address 147-89 Takami, Aza-Aisaka, Towada-shi, Aomori MAP
  • Direction 22 minutes by cab from Misawa Station
    Approx. 25 min. by cab from Shichinohe-Towada Station
  • Business Hours 11:00-16:00 (L.O. 15:30), Dec. to Mar. to 15:00 (L.O. 14:30), both lunch L.O. 14:00
  • Regular holiday Wednesdays, Year-end and New Year's holidays, Bon holidays (open during Golden Week)
  • TEL 0176-27-6626
  • Parking Free of charge
  • Memo Blueberry picking is 500 yen for elementary school students and older, all-you-can-eat with no time limit
Steak Lunch
Steak Lunch" is 1,082 yen, and the set in the photo (with creamed corn soup, salad, and rice) is 1,514 yen.

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

Hamburg steak with a rich fondue sauce is also popular.
Hamburg steak with a rich fondue sauce is also popular.

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 Comment
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
  • Address 30-36 Higashinijuban-cho, Towada-shi, Aomori MAP
  • Direction Approximately 18 minutes by cab from Misawa Station
  • Direction 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.
  • Business Hours 11:00-14:00 (L.O. 13:30), 17:00-21:00 (L.O. 20:30)
  • Closed Thursdays
  • TEL 0176-22-9125
  • Parking Free of charge
People line up even before the restaurant opens to get a pizza, which is highly praised by word of mouth.
People line up even before the restaurant opens to get a pizza, which is highly praised by word of mouth.

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 Comment
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!

Vegetable menu includes 8 kinds of fresh vegetables, salads, stir-fries, etc.
Vegetable menu includes 8 kinds of fresh vegetables, salads, stir-fries, etc.

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
  • Address 11-253 Tochikubo, Okuse, Towada-shi, Aomori MAP
  • Direction 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.
  • Business Hours 11:00-15:30 (L.O. 14:30)
  • Closed Year-end and New Year's holidays
  • Admission Fee 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)
  • TEL 0176-70-5955
  • Parking Free of charge

MAP

Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
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The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.