Tai Meshi Chidori: Sea Bream Rice is a Wonderful Japanese Dish

Tai Meshi is rice that has been cooked with sea bream. Although there are many types of fish available in Japan, tai or sea bream is the most often used for this dish. The mild taste and the leanness of the fish make it perfect to be slow cooked with Japanese short-grained rice. Jinenjo Tororo to Tai Meshi Chidori is a restaurant in Mozo Mall in Nagoya where one can try this delicate dish. Jinenjo tororo (grated mountain yam) is also a specialty of this restaurant but I was after the tai meshi this time.

The ladies set meal (1580 yen) came with a choice of 4 types of tai meshi, a choice of main dish, miso soup, Japanese pickles, a roast beef salad and a small dessert. I chose the simple salt seasoned tai meshi and the shio koji (fermented rice) marinated chicken.

The rice was so simple but flavourful with the sea bream after mixing it. It wasn't fishy or oily at all, it turns out sea bream is the perfect fish to add to rice. The chicken was almost like ham with the salted fermented rice marinade, but the shio koji added some depth and umami. The thick slices of roast beef gave volume to the salad and made this small looking meal rather filling.

It was a busy restaurant but the tables are spaced apart so it doesn't feel crowded at all. The food came out quickly. Overall I was happy with the meal and would like to go back to try the other types of tai meshi.

Area: 6-min walk from Kami Otai Station (上小田井駅), North exit (北口）
Restaurant: Jinenjo Tororo to Tai Meshi Chidori 自然薯とろろと鯛めしちどり
Website and Info: https://enso.ne.jp/chidori/mozo/
Hours: 11am-10pm (LO 9:15pm)