An Evening at Daidarabocchi in Nagano

Table of Contents

An Evening Feast at Daidarabocchi

Starting with Yona Yona Ale

After warming up in the bath, it was time for dinner. We headed to Daidarabocchi, a nearby izakaya I had reserved in advance.

What sealed the deal for me was the handwritten menu. Don’t you feel like places with handwritten menus are rarely a miss?

Daidarabocchi’s handwritten menu — A handwritten menu, just as promising as I’d hoped

I started with a beer. Draft beer, yes—but Yona Yona Ale! (A quick note: Yona Yona Ale is made by Yo-Ho Brewing, a company based in Nagano. Its founder is Yoshiharu Hoshino, the fourth-generation president of Hoshino Resorts.)

The otoshi came with a surprise: a tiny shichirin charcoal grill. I used it to toast tatami iwashi, and one other thing too, though I’ve completely forgotten what it was.

Tatami iwashi from the otoshi being warmed on a shichirin grill — Tatami iwashi from the otoshi

That little grill, used solely for the otoshi, was whisked away almost immediately lol.

Enjoying Shinshu Food with Shinshu Sake

From here on, these were the dishes I carefully picked from the handwritten menu after much deliberation. I started with the house specialty, "nagaimo tatsuta-age" (長芋の竜田揚げ). It landed somewhere between fluffy and melty in texture, with simple flavors—but there was no way it wasn’t going to be delicious.

Daidarabocchi’s specialty: nagaimo tatsuta-age — Nagaimo tatsuta-age

Next came the Shinshu salmon and green pepper potato salad (信州サーモンとピーマンのポテトサラダ). For me, this one was just okay… (purely my personal opinion). I think the green pepper came through more aggressively than I’d expected, and maybe that just wasn’t my thing (lol).

Daidarabocchi’s Shinshu salmon and green pepper potato salad — Shinshu salmon and green pepper potato salad

Around this point, I brought in the sake. It was a tasting set of six local Shinshu sakes (信州地酒巡り6種飲み比べ), and it even came with a nice little explanatory sheet.

Daidarabocchi’s Shinshu local sake tour: a six-sake tasting set with glasses lined up on a tray — Shinshu local sake tour: six-sake tasting set

Hakubanishiki Chokarakuchi Black Label
Daishinshu Senren Junmai
Hokko Masamune Honjozo
Miyamazakura Josen Honjozo
Masumi Tokusen Honjozo
Nakanorisan Karakuchi Honjozo

Of the six, my favorite was Daishinshu Senren Junmai. I checked Tokyu Department Store the next day, but they only had it in 1.8-liter bottles, so I couldn’t take one home. It’s from Matsumoto rather than Nagano City, so I’ll make a note to look for it again in Matsumoto.

I also had the three-kind horse sashimi platter (馬刺し3点盛り, basashi san-ten mori). The white cut was from the part where the mane grows—basically pure fat. Eaten together with the red meat, it melted in my mouth.

Daidarabocchi’s three-kind horse sashimi platter — Three-kind horse meat platter

There was also charcoal-grilled Matsushiro ippon-negi (松代一本ねぎ炭火焼き, Matsushiro ippon negi sumibiyaki). I kept putting on too much salt and then washing it down with sake—repeating that sinful little cycle over and over.

Daidarabocchi’s charcoal-grilled Matsushiro ippon-negi — Charcoal-grilled Matsushiro ippon-negi

When you think of Nagano, you think of nozawana pickles—and here they were as tempura (野沢菜天ぷら, nozawana tempura). Since the pickles were already thoroughly seasoned with salt, I had them with wasabi. So good.

Daidarabocchi’s nozawana tempura — Nozawana tempura

Then came deep-fried Obuse chestnuts (小布施栗揚げ, Obuse kuri age). They were wonderfully fluffy with a natural sweetness, so easy to keep eating as they were—but with a little salt, they were even better. At this point, my desire to come back was at max level.

Daidarabocchi’s deep-fried Obuse chestnuts — Deep-fried Obuse chestnuts

Finishing with Soba

To finish, I went with soba, very fitting for Nagano (幻の肉そば, maboroshi no niku soba). You’d never guess it from the appearance, but it was really spicy! In the end, I wrapped things up with one more sake as well.