Toyokan’s century-old wooden building sits atop a hill, offering outstanding views of the Hirose River and downtown Sendai. It is run by Chida Keiichi, fifth generation of a family which had once been part of the samurai class. When the age of  samurai came to an end, they started a snack stall under umbrellas by the side of the road. Over time they built it into one of Sendai’s finest restaurants. Chida describes the food as pure Nihon ryori, a cuisine based on immaculately prepared seasonal ingredients. With no main dish, an overall impression is built gradually―each course is prepared with a new clever flourish and subtly delicious flavors.

Courses change with the seasons and the chefs are challenged to never present the same food twice to a customer. On this day, the meal began with ginnan (ginko nuts) in a sesame glaze. The suimono course was a delicate fugu (pufferfish) soup, scented with yuzu citrus and topped with shiny flakes of real silver. The sashimi plate had an immaculate use of color: the high-end cut of tuna had a richer shade of red than usual, and the pinks and reds of the fish were complimented by light yellow and green vegetables. The next dish was anago (salt-water eel), which Miyagi is known for. Normally their fat gives them a bold flavor. Chida explained that Toyokan selects the complete opposite, anago with less fat that have a more subtle flavor, so as not to overpower the meal.

As Japanese food was traditionally based around vegetables, Toyokan can prepare pure vegetarian meals with vegetarian dashi stock. For those who wish to avoid raw fish or have allergies, they can customize meals upon request. The minimum party size is two and there is an optional tea ceremony offered in addition to the meal.