I had a solo dinner at Negibouzu (葱ぼうず), located near JR Niigata Station, to enjoy the delicious seafood from Niigata Prefecture. This restaurant is part of Yonekura (よね蔵) group, which mainly operates in Niigata. A friend recommended this place to me. I made a reservation shortly before heading to the restaurant after finishing some errands around 8 p.m. Luckily, they were able to accommodate me.
When I arrived around 9 p.m., the restaurant was bustling, and many people were waiting. Reservations seemed essential. Despite its large size with around 150 seats, including an upstairs area, the place was fully booked. I was seated at the counter on the first floor, right in front of the kitchen. The atmosphere felt cozy, almost like a traditional sushi restaurant.
While they have plenty of tables, Negibouzu is incredibly popular, and there aren’t many dining options around Niigata Station. It’s best to reserve in advance. If they’re fully booked, don’t worry—they have sister restaurants nearby, such as “Ikano sumi (いかの墨)” and “Ebi no hige (えびの髭)”.
The menu changes daily, focusing primarily on fresh seafood. They also offer a selection of regular dishes.
When I sat down, there was already a small grill on the table. I wasn’t planning to grill anything myself and initially thought it might be unnecessary, but I soon found out it was for the otoshi (a small starter, often paired with a table charge). At Negibouzu, the otoshi is grilled seafood. You can choose one item from a tray presented by the staff. The otoshi fee is 550 yen, which also covers the table charge.
The staff typically handle all the grilling for you, but they seemed quite busy that evening, and my scallop ended up overcooked.
In hindsight, I should have taken it off the grill myself. If you’re not used to grilling, I’d recommend avoiding shellfish, as they can easily become firm. That said, the scallop itself was still delicious.
Niigata is famous for blackthroat seaperch, or nodoguro in Japanese, which is considered a must-try delicacy. Although it’s an expensive fish, I couldn’t resist ordering it. The dish came with three slices of beautifully prepared nodoguro and sea bass. While the portion was small, the taste was extraordinary. The sea bass was also excellent.
Another dish I enjoyed was shiokara, a fermented squid dish made from squid and its innards, seasoned with salt. Shiokara is often quite salty for preservation purposes, but this one was surprisingly mild. I paired it with Japanese sake, and it was a perfect combination.
The standout dish of the evening was the soft roe tempura made from globe fish. The tempura coating was crisp, and the soft roe inside was creamy and rich. It was delightful.
Even though I was full, I couldn’t resist finishing the meal with some sushi. I ordered a set of five pieces, which included tuna, squid, sea urchin, yellowtail, and black rockfish (known as mebaru in Japanese). Each piece was incredibly fresh, and the accompanying soup was a nice touch. The quality of the seafood from Sado Island was outstanding, making the meal truly memorable.
Niigata’s fresh seafood is definitely worth the trip. I left the restaurant completely satisfied and already looking forward to my next visit!
About
Name Negibouzu (葱ぼうず)
Open Dinner
Reservation Available (Hotpepper)
Credit card Available
URL Website, Instagram
Google Map
