Whale feast! Food and souvenirs from the whaling town on the Boso Peninsula

Wada-cho is a whaling town on the Boso Peninsula.

The nearest station is Wadaura Station on the JR Uchibo Line. It is an unmanned station, and the station building has a distinctive appearance.

Having left home early in the morning, I arrived too early, so I just browsed the goods in the shop that had opened earlier.

Because it’s a whale town, there were lots of whale goods! There were also products related to other Chiba specialties, such as peanuts and biwa lutes. However, since I was there, I decided to choose something whale-related.

There was “whale jerky” instead of “beef jerky,” “whale miso,” “whale bacon,” and more… There was so much to choose from that it was hard to choose, but I ended up buying a can of “Yamato-ni whale,” which particularly caught my eye, and a ready-to-eat “whale curry.” I can’t wait to eat them when I get home.

The restaurant opens at 10am.

I take a seat at the counter by the window and order the “Special Whale Bowl” I’d decided on beforehand, with a large portion of rice.

The condiments brought out were soy sauce and sauce. Simple.

And then… the “Special Whale Bowl” finally arrives!

First, the miso soup…yes, a typically delicious miso soup with a strong dashi flavor. It contains grated kelp, which seems healthy as well.

Now, onto the main dish, the donburi rice bowl. A feast of whale sashimi, cutlet, and deep-fried tatsuta-age!

First, the sashimi…the first slice was seasoned with garlic soy sauce…and when I put it in my mouth…hmm? Maybe it wasn’t thawed enough. The core was slightly frozen lol, but that’s okay. You can tell it’s whale meat, but it’s not as strong-flavored as I thought it would be, making it easy to eat. Combined with the garlic flavor, it has a different kind of deliciousness than fish.

In between, I tried some eggplant and shishito peppers from the side dish. It was like ajillo. The mild seasoning didn’t overpower the flavor of the main dish, which was nice. It was soft, and the texture, with the juices oozing out, was delightful.

Back to the main course, I had the whale cutlet. The first slice had no seasoning…it had the texture of soft loin meat. It was easy to eat, with only a slight flavor. It was seasoned, but still delicious enough on its own. The rice (perhaps Fusaotome rice?) was cooked perfectly, making this whale cutlet a great side dish.

Next was the deep-fried tatsuta-age. Lightly coated with potato starch and seasoned with soy sauce, it was just the right amount to bring out the flavor of the whale meat. It also had no overpowering flavor and was easy to eat. I tried the second piece with soy sauce. The stronger flavor made it delicious as a side dish.

A whale bowl topped with whale dishes prepared in three different ways. The sashimi can be served with ginger soy sauce, and the cutlet can be topped with sauce like a tonkatsu. Having three different types allows you to enjoy different flavors in a balanced way.

In that sense, this whale bowl is highly recommended.

By the way, the chopstick rests were made of peanuts, so at the end of the meal, I ate all the peanuts inside. I was happy to be able to taste Chiba Prefecture’s specialty products. Next time I come, I’d like to try each of the three donburi dishes individually and in large quantities!