Oysters @ Kakifukumaru, Miyajima Island, Hiroshima

Other than its unfortunate past, there other two most popular things in Hiroshima is the floating shrine on Miyajima island and oysters. So it seems fitting that I had some oysters in Miyajima. The home of Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima island itself is steeped in history and has a lot to offer in terms of nature and cultural beauty. It should be noted that Miyajima and Itsukushima refer to the same place and hence, both names are used interchangeably. 

Oh no! Much sadness. Well better luck next time. 

It is akin to a mini Kyoto with classical houses and temples and shrines everywhere. Unfortunately like Kyoto some of the structures are fairly old, and as such, the giant torii gate that defined the island was covered in scaffolding as refurbishment is underway. 

Wet! Although the rain does provide great photos. 

 Be that as it may, that will not stop me in getting something good for lunch. And the main street that sells goods, food and wares is Omotesando (although not to be confused with a street in Tokyo with the same name). Despite being a bit on the touristy side, the shopping street has a lot of eateries that were selling treats at affordable prices. After some exploring around under the pouring rain, I sought refuge under the roof of Kakifukumaru, an oyster grill.

Caution: hot surface. 

 Being very hungry and being fairly cold, I went a little unhinged and ordered a total of 7 oysters for myself. But how could I resist? Each grilled oyster was for 200 yen and a pair of cooked ones was only 550 yen. Sweet deal indeed. 

All mine! 

And these succulent morsels were as sweet as they can get. The cooked oysters had a strong woody flavour due to the being grilled on their shells. They were incredibly juicy and had a bit of  natural saltiness to them. 

What a specimen. 

Having them as it is is already pretty tasty. But if you like to add more personality to your meal, there are some sauces for your to try. I do recommend the ponzu sauce though, if you are up for something more Japanese. If you do like it spicy, a bit of tabasco sauce made or shichimi chilli powder would do the trick. 

Some extra zing. 

 The fresh ones were just straight up and no frills awesomeness. The fresh oysters were vibrant in their own way and the chopped spring onions was a nice touch. But if you are focusing solely on flavour, the cooked ones packs more punch. If you want more explosive power, then the shichimi chilli powder is the obvious choice. 

Weapons of choice

This was a great seafood meal that did not bust the bank. Do note that most shops sell around the same price, as the competition is pretty stiff there. So, if you are not able to find a place to sit in the establishment, it is fine to go elsewhere. Or you can stand by the roadside if you like. In any event, if you are in Miyajima, why not give it a go? The address is as follows: 

553-2 Miyajimacho Hatsukaichi-shi Hiroshima

Front of the house.