Kāchan: Miso Soup Seafood ramen and Local Cuisine Restaurant

Oshima island is the nearest of Tokyo’s outlying islands with its beautiful beaches and fresh seafood, it’s hard to imagine this is still considered part of Tokyo.

The setting for this article is Kāchan, a restaurant popular for its seafood ramen in Miso soup. The best part of travelling is trying out local cuisine. The taste and somewhat nostalgic atmosphere of this restaurant will surely capture anyone’s heart.

How to get to Kāchan

Just one minute from Motomachi Port on foot, 15 minutes by car from Okata Port and 10 minutes by car from Oshima airport. The restaurant, located at a road facing the sea, stands out from its surroundings.

Kāchan is an informal way to say ‘mother’ in Japanese. Upon entering the restaurant, the first thing you see is a fish tank which is filled with live lobsters. The wall to the right of the entrance is lined with autographs from famous people. Both popular celebrities as well as familiar TV shows have visited this restaurant at some point in time. Kāchan, is known not only by locals but also outside of Oshima island.

Quality You Won't Find In The City: Iso Ramen(Seafood noodle)

One of the most popular dishes on the menu is Iso Ramen. Creating this dish was made possible owing to the location of the restaurant. Shellfish, prawn, squid… packed full of seafood, the soup of this filling ramen dish has a miso base with its flavours extracted from all the seafood ingredients.

Bekko Zushi: An Oshima Island Local Specialty

The most famous dish on the Izu Islands is Bekko Sushi. This zesty chilli of marinated fish has a unique flavour loved by islanders for many decades, and this dish too is offered at Kāchan.
Bekko Zushi is sushi made by using slices of fish marinated in chilli soy sauce. The name derives from the fact that the final product has a glossy bekko (or tortoise shell) color. Families and restaurants all have their own recipes, and each have their own unique history. At Kāchan, bekko sushi is made using Budai, or parrot fish, but elsewhere you may find bekko sushi made from Japanese butterfish or other types of white meat fish.

The great quality of the food at Kāchan derives from its proximity to the sea

The menu at Kāchan also features set meals and dishes such as lobster miso soup, all dishes make good use of ingredients that can only be found close to the sea. They’re open only from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm, so go and have lunch and make sure you have an appetite. You will enjoy Oshima island's soul food to your heart’s content.