When sightseeing, there are times when the sight location seems isolated and hence may be away from good eats and the station. The Great Todaiji Temple in Nara is a good 45-minutes’ walk from JR Nara Station. You can opt to take the bus; however, Nara is actually a great place to stroll around especially since the Deer Park and Nara Park (where deer freely roam around) is right along the walking course to Todaiji Temple. All this walking, however, may have you ending up ravenous.



You can opt to eat among the many restaurants near the station. Or, you can also explore a traditional kamameshi restaurant named Shizuka which is located in front of Nara Park, near the Nara National Museum and just 10 minutes’ walk from Todaiji Temple. 



More often than not, you may find a long queue in front of the restaurant. You may find yourself waiting some more once inside. But Shizuka also sell some interesting products which you might want to check out whilst waiting for your table.



You may opt to buy their special deer biscuits to feed the deer with later on in your walk.

Kamameshi is a Japanese traditional rice dish cooked over fire in an iron pot and cooked together with seafood or meat and vegetables. Shizuka has a wide range of regular kamameshi menu as well as seasonal menu to choose from.
During our visit, we ordered the Ebi Kamameshi ; rice cooked with prawns, burdocks, carrots, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms and peas.
Of course, we also ordered the seasonal menu, Matsutake Mushroom Kamameshi. Matsutake mushroom is considered the most expensive and delicious mushroom in Japan. 



The one special thing with Kamameshi, aside from the flavorful rice of course, is the “okoge” or lightly burnt rice. Very aromatic and considered the best part of the kamameshi, one needs to have a special technique in eating the kamameshi rice so as to maximize the okoge; the technique of which Shizuka very thoughtfully shared by putting up instruction manuals on the table and on their website. 
1. Remove the lid of the iron pot and scoop out a couple or so paddles of rice from the center of the pot. For the curious, rice paddle will be provided in your set.
2. Make sure, make sure (!) to put the lid back and that it is tightly sealed. The lid is designed such that the middle ridges can hold the rice paddle. 
3. By keeping the lid sealed, this will help the formation of steam which will make it easier for you to scrape off the okoge lining the inner side of the pot. 



It was only during my second bowl of soft rice that I noticed their instruction on how to properly eat the kamameshi hence I wasn’t able to maximize the okoge as should be. Nevetheless, when our meal was over, there was no okoge left on my pot. If there’s a will (the okoge’s so delicious you will definitely have a “will”!), there’s a way!

Information
Shizuka Kamameshi Kouen-ten
Address: 59 Noborioji-cho Nara (close to National Museum)
Website: http://www.kamameshi-shizuka.jp/eng.html

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