Service: Friendly and great explanations!
Facilities and equipment: old
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Suruga Bay sashimi and sushi! Sakura ebi!

“Me-Ichi Dai/メイチダイ”, a very rare seabream caught in Suruga Bay! It goes by the Latin name of Gymnocranius griseus (Temminck and Schlegel)! You would have to pay thousands for it in Tokyo! One of the best seabreams in Japan!

For all its derelict appearance (and it is actually old in all senses of the term!) Ginta in Yui just in front of Suruga Bay regularly appears on magazines and TV.
The reason is simple enough: this is a rare place, albeit cheap by sushi restaurant standards, which serves mainly local fish and seafood caught in Suruga Bay/駿河湾, and more precisely in a smaller bay called Kurasawa Bay/倉沢湾!
These are the richest bays in Japan when it comes to varieties, even including deep-sea fish which also appear as sashimi on plates in Numazu city for example!

Sakura ebi emblem on a small bridge crossing one of the many streams running into the sea!

Mr. Hara is a story himself: being the son of a sakura ebi/cherry shrimp fisherman, he was destined to sail in his father’s feet, but he had one little problem… he suffered from chronic seasickness! There was only path left to him: opening a sushi restaurant!

But his superior knowledge of the local fish and fishermen gave him the inestimable advantage over all sushi restaurants in the Prefecture that he had first catch and first choice whenever he wanted!
He didn’t have to serve fancy sushi or sashimi but keeping things simple served him perfectly. People would come from very far indeed for only one of his three specialties: aji/鯵/Kurasawa Bay Horse mackerel sushi nigiri plate, full course sakura ebi/桜海老 set (in season only for a mere 3,000 ywn!) and the 8 local fish sushi nigiri set for the ridiculous price of 1,800 yen/18 US $/13 Euros!
The other day I opted for the 8 local sushi nigiri set (I always do, actually!).
The set details allways appears on a notice on the board and served in the same order, a simple and great way ro introduce the fish offered!

The 8 local fish and seafood nigiri set!

Hirame/平目/Sole-Grouper!

Tachiuo/太刀魚/Scabbard fish served with momiji oroshi (grated daikon and chili pepper) and ponzu! topping

Yagara/ヤガラ/Trumpet fish served in konbujine style (marinated in seaweed)!

Fugu/河豚/Globefish (don’t worry, a non-poisonous variety!) served with momiji oroshi, leek and ponzu topping!

Kurasawa Bay Aji/鯵/Horse Mackerel!

Ishidai/石鯛/Striped Beakfish-Barred Knifejaw!

Kurodai/黒鯛/Japanese Black Porgy!

Sakura Ebi/桜海老/Cherry Shrimps served in gunkan-style nigiri!
Note the glossy shell skin and the many red dots, a sure sign of super freshness!

And sakura ebi miso soup to finish it all!

GINTA
421-3111 Shizuoka City, Shimizu Ku, Yui, Konjuku, 165 (Get off at Yui JR Station, turn right, a few minutes walk)
Tel.: 0543-75-3004
Business hours: 11:00~23:00 (but better call beforehand!)
Closed on Tuesdays

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents