City dwellers, your dream trip starts in Sendai City (仙台)! Being both the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture (宮城県) and the biggest city in Tohoku, Sendai is an ideal base for anyone visiting the region. Striking a perfect balance of a bustling metropolis that is rich in history and surrounded by nature, Sendai is a city that attracts people from all walks of life, no matter the age.
From Tokyo, Sendai is just a 1.5 hour shinkansen ride on the Tohoku Shinkansen—simply hop on the shinkansen and you’ll be on your way to the gateway of Tohoku.
As one of Tohoku’s busiest stations, Sendai Station (仙台駅) is a great point for starting and ending all of your travels within the region, particularly if you’re visiting the neighbouring prefectures of Fukushima, Yamagata, and Iwate. For an accommodation near Sendai Station, consider staying in one of Sendai’s Metropolitan Hotels: HOTEL METROPOLITAN SENDAI and its east-wing building HOTEL METROPOLITAN SENDAI EAST.
The hotels’ close proximity to the station makes them convenient for you to whiz in and out between your travels and resting time. Make your stay in the “City of Trees” even more rewarding with these five recommended restaurants and two must-visit attractions accessible from HOTEL METROPOLITAN SENDAI & HOTEL METROPOLITAN SENDAI EAST.
Food
1. HAYASE (はや瀬)
- Rating: ★★★★☆
- Cuisines: Chicken, fish, beef, pork, noodle
- Suitable for: Families, couples
- Distance: Located within the Hotel
- Recommended item: Teppanyaki (鉄板焼き)
Located within HOTEL METROPOLITAN SENDAI, Japanese restaurant “Hayase” serves a rich variety of fresh seafood and diverse mountain foods of the Tohoku Region. Indulge in a sophisticated Japanese course meal in the comforts of the restaurant’s calm atmosphere and private rooms. At the teppanyaki counter, the melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness of Sendai beef awaits your visit. Hayase is the best place to enjoy a luxurious time with delicious local Japanese foods of Sendai.
2. Date-no-Gyutan Honpo (伊達の牛たん本舗)
- Rating: ★★★★☆
- Cuisines: Beef
- Suitable for: Families, couples
- Distance: 3-minute walk from Hotel
- Recommended item: Shintan
As the city’s soul food, gyutan (牛タン beef tongue) is arguably the most famous local dish that you simply have to try in Sendai. Gyutan-specialty restaurants usually serve thinly-sliced and grilled beef tongue with barley rice, tail soup, and mustard pickles.
While there are many gyutan restaurants in Sendai, “Date no Gyutan” is one of the more popular ones because they use “shintan”, which is the core and particularly tender part of a cow’s tongue. Apart from gyutan, the restaurant also serves other local cuisine and teppanyaki. Date no Gyutan is located in S-PAL Sendai, the shopping building directly connected to Sendai Station and Sendai’s Metropolitan Hotels.
3. SHIOGOMA SUSHI TETSU (塩竈 すし哲)
- Rating: ★★★★☆
- Cuisines: Fish
- Suitable for: Families, couples
- Distance: 3-minute walk from Hotel
- Recommended item: Sushi Tetsu Monogatari (すし哲物語)
“SUSHI TETSU” is one of the most popular sushi restaurants in Miyagi Prefecture. This restaurant’s main store is located in Shiogama City (塩竈市), which is one of the famous fishing ports in Miyagi. Fresh local fish caught early in the morning is delivered directly to the restaurant.
The nearest branch restaurant to HOTEL METROPOLITAN SENDAI & SENDAI EAST is just minutes away within S-PAL SENDAI, so you can enjoy fresh delicious sushi even without taking the train.
4. RAMEN HONKAMADO (らーめん本竈)
- Rating: ★★★★★
- Cuisines: Pork
- Suitable for: Families, couples
- Distance: 3-minute walk from Hotel
- Recommended item: Yuzu Shio Chashu Men (ゆず塩チャーシュー麺)
If you love eating ramen but wish to skip on the usual hearty tonkotsu broth, RAMEN HONKAMADO is the place for you. Originally from Iwakiri City (岩切市), RAMEN HONKAMADO is one of the prefecture’s longest-established ramen chains that serves dashi-based ramen.
The best-seller, Yuzu Shio Chashu Men, boasts an aromatic bowl of homemade noodles made from “Haruyo Koi” wheat from Hokkaido, tender pig shoulder chashu from Miyagi, and handmade ebi wantan (shrimp soup dumplings) made daily by hand. But the star of the show is the dashi broth, which has been devised by the owner who is a qualified “Dashi Sommelier”. Visit RAMEN HONKAMADO to have a taste of one of Miyagi’s highest-ranking and healthiest ramen!
5. Saboten (サボテン)
- Rating: ★★★★★
- Cuisines: Chicken, beef, pork, fish
- Suitable for: Families, couples
- Distance: 3-minute walk from Hotel
- Recommended item: Special Yawaraka Hire Katsu Set (特選やわらかヒレカツ御前)
Lastly, a brand that many Singaporeans might be familiar with, Saboten is also popular amongst locals in Sendai who want to get their tonkatsu fix in an accessible location within Sendai Station. A trusted pork cutlet-specialty chain that has been in business for over 50 years, Saboten’s high-quality and delicious tonkatsu are made with taking health in consideration, carefully selecting ingredients for customers to enjoy fried food in moderation.
Enjoy their wide selection of menu, bento boxes, sandwiches, and seasonal menu that will keep you coming back for more!
Attractions
1. Mount Zao (Sendai)
In winter, Mount Zao is home to the world-famous Snow Monsters, which are actually enormous trees covered in heavy frost! While many are familiar with the Yamagata side of this mountain—Mount Zao lies both on Yamagata and Miyagi prefectures—there’s plenty to do at this side of Mount Zao as well! Go on a day tour with Sendai’s Metropolitan Hotels and check out the Sumikawa Snow Park for the Snow-cat Experience, as well as a hot spring for you to soak your weary bodies. The Snow-cat Experience tour includes a bus ride from and to Sendai Station.
2. Matsushima
- 25 minutes by JR Local Train
Visit one of Japan’s three most scenic views at Matsushima Bay. Its close proximity to Sendai’s city centre makes Matsushima a must-visit destination for those with a day to spare. A stroll along this small town will take you to the prefecture’s most important and famous temples of Zuiganji (瑞巌寺) and Entsuin (円通院). Don’t forget to also bring home a kokeshi doll as a momento, and indulge in fresh oysters harvested from the area!
Sendai has so much to offer in terms of food and sights. Whether you’re intending to venture around the city or make day trips out and about Miyagi Prefecture, HOTEL METROPOLITAN SENDAI & HOTEL METROPOLITAN SENDAI EAST will be waiting for you.
HOTEL METROPOLITAN SENDAI (ホテルメトロポリタン 仙台)
Address: 1-1-1 Chuo, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8487
Access: 1 minute walk from JR Sendai Station (仙台駅) West Exit.
Number of rooms: 295
Check-in / Check-out: 3pm / 12pm
Tel: +81-22-268-2525
HOTEL METROPOLITAN SENDAI EAST (ホテルメトロポリタン 仙台イースト)
Address: 1-1-1 Chuo, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8487
Access: Directly connected to JR Sendai Station (仙台駅)
Number of rooms: 282
Check-in / Check-out: 3pm / 12pm
Tel: +81-22-302-3373
Header image credit: JR-EAST HOTELS
