Homestyle Dishes with a Special Touch and Hagama-Cooked Rice Onigiri

Onigiri Cafe Risaku

Tabiiro’s picks: signature dishes

"Breakfast" to savor dish by dish and enjoy the feeling of a ryokan stay

A hearty breakfast with two onigiri, side dishes, and miso soup

Handmade side dishes featuring seasonal ingredients, served in small bowls

A Leisurely Morning Savoring Every Dish in "Risaku's Breakfast"

"Risaku's Breakfast (Asage)" is a leisurely breakfast menu inspired by a traditional ryokan (Japanese inn) breakfast. The standard set includes two onigiri, two side dishes, two kinds of pickles, a dashimaki omelet with thickened sauce, and miso soup, with chicken and fish dishes available as additions. Dishes are brought out in sequence with an explanation of each in a full-service style. At the heart of the meal are the onigiri, shaped individually to order using rice sourced from contracted farmers and cooked in a traditional hagama pot. Miso soup that highlights the flavor of dashi (Japanese stock) and dishes featuring seasonal ingredients are also served one at a time to be enjoyed at an unhurried pace. Rather than rushing through breakfast, the meal is designed around enjoying the morning itself, along with the aroma of freshly cooked rice and the warmth of dishes just prepared. Quantities are limited, so reservations by the previous day are recommended to ensure availability.

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  "Miso Soup" That Brings Out the Ingredients' Natural Umami

  A house blend combines rice miso from Hokkaido, Akita miso, Hatcho miso from Aichi, and barley miso from Kagoshima. The dashi (Japanese stock) is made fresh each day from honkare katsuobushi (aged, dried bonito flakes) and Hidaka kombu (kelp), adding depth to the miso's flavor. Ingredients include tofu, fried tofu, mitsuba (Japanese parsley), and wakame seaweed. The distinctive flavors of the regional misos come together with the aroma of the freshly prepared dashi, creating a deeply flavorful bowl of miso soup suited to everyday meals.

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  Breakfast-Only "Dashimaki" with Seasonal Sauce

  The popular "Dashimaki" is served exclusively with a special thickened sauce as part of "Asage" at "Onigiri Cafe Risaku." The fluffy rolled omelet highlights the savory flavor of dashi and is topped with a sauce featuring seasonal ingredients. The sauce changes with the season, bringing a different combination with each visit. The warm "Dashimaki" and sauce come together in a dish available only in the morning.

Popular pairings

"Weekly Lunch" showcasing seasonal ingredients and creative ideas

Summer white fish tempura served with refreshing ume and grated daikon

White fish fritters with tomato-onion sauce

"Weekly Lunch"

The "Weekly Lunch" features meat or fish as the main dish, with the menu changing to reflect seasonal ingredients and new ideas. Cooking techniques from Western, Chinese, and other cuisines are combined with Japanese home cooking, bringing a fresh twist to familiar flavors. Rather than repeating the same dishes, the menu is built around ingredients in season, so each visit brings something different. Summer selections may include "Summer White Fish Tempura with Grated Daikon and Ume" and "White Fish Fritters with Tomato-Onion Sauce." It is an ever-changing lunch that makes the most of each season.

Must-try signature dish

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  "Chewy Brown Rice"

  This brown rice overturns the image of brown rice as heavy or dry with its pleasantly chewy texture. Milky Queen rice from Ibaraki Prefecture is cooked in a pressure cooker for about an hour, with the amount of water and cooking time adjusted to suit the condition of the rice. With no added fillings, the natural flavor of the rice takes center stage. Prepared with time and attention, it is a popular choice among those in the know.

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  "Neko ni Koban Dorayaki"

  This original product was created especially for "Onigiri Cafe Risaku" by the owner of "Wagashi Kunpu," known for pairing Japanese sweets with alcoholic drinks. Made with slowly cooked sweet red bean paste and handcrafted one by one, quantities are limited. The seasonal branding mark is another highlight. Born from the connection between the two shops, this dorayaki is a specialty available only at Risaku.

Restaurant highlights

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  Rice cooked in small batches in a Nambu iron hagama pot

  Freshly Cooked Rice Anytime from a Nambu Cast Iron Hagama

  Risaku uses Nambu iron hagama pots, each made individually by artisans. The rice is assessed according to the year's harvest, with heat and water levels adjusted to suit its condition. Each batch makes enough rice for about 30 to 40 onigiri. By cooking small batches repeatedly throughout the day, freshly cooked rice is always available. This method brings out the natural flavor of the rice through close attention to each batch.

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  Freshly made onigiri prepared to order

  Freshly Made Onigiri in Around 30 Varieties

  Onigiri are never made in advance; each one is carefully shaped after an order is placed. About 30 fillings are available, from classic choices to seasonal selections, and both the tsukudani and nori tsukudani are house-made. The nori comes from Ariake, while the salt is made by drying deep ocean water from Okinawa over two years. Precisely because onigiri are such an everyday staple, the shop spares no effort at any stage, from selecting and preparing ingredients to shaping each one.

Interior

The warm character of the coffee shop passed down from the owner's mother

A moment surrounded by the warmth of wood

The interior retains traces of the coffee shop run by the owner's mother for 40 years. When the space was renovated into an onigiri café, the original chairs were kept and the former high counter was incorporated into the new design. Though the shop has taken on a new form, it continues the history of a coffee shop long cherished by the local community. The calm, nostalgic setting offers a casual place for everyday meals.

From the Tabiiro Editorial Team

The interior retains chairs and a high counter from its days as a coffee shop, reflecting the long history of a place cherished by the local community. Rice from contracted farmers is cooked in a traditional hagama pot, and each onigiri is shaped after the order is placed, reflecting the owner's wish to serve good food to local residents. Home-style dishes also incorporate a variety of techniques, with flavors shaped by the ingredients and ideas of the moment. With strong ties to the community, the restaurant brings a slightly special touch to everyday meals.