[Okutama Gourmet] Trying the Popular Kamameshi Nakai! Expect a Wait of an Hour or More on Weekends

This time I’m introducing Kamameshi Nakai in Okutama, Tokyo!

It’s a long-established kamameshi (rice-pot) restaurant in the house where the owner grew up, in Otanba village in Okutama, and they’ve been cooking kamameshi for more than 30 years.

As part of sightseeing in Okutama, I actually visited Kamameshi Nakai, so I’d like to share it as a food report.

What Is Kamameshi Nakai?

Kamameshi Nakai is a kamameshi restaurant in Okutama, Tokyo, and it’s also the home of its second-generation owner, Keiichi Miyano, built right after the war.

Carrying on the legacy of his father and first-generation owner, Yoichi, the kamameshi is characterized by the rich aroma of mushrooms.

Location of Kamameshi Nakai

First, let’s check the location of Kamameshi Nakai on the map!

The address is 175 Otanba, Okutama, Nishitama District, Tokyo 198-0101.

If you don’t have a car, you can also get to Kamameshi Nakai by train plus bus, but there are few buses, the restaurant gets crowded, and especially on the way back you can’t plan your ride, so I don’t recommend it.

If going by train plus bus, head to Kawai Station on the JR Ome Line, take a bus bound for “Seitobashi” or “Kamihinata” from platform 1, and get off at the nearest stop, “Minamidaira.”

Parking at Kamameshi Nakai

Kamameshi Nakai has 4 parking lots in total, including temporary ones.

All the lots together provide 54 spaces.

The temporary lots are available only in the March to November sightseeing season.

Crowding at Kamameshi Nakai

During Golden Week, the Obon holidays, and the autumn foliage season, the parking lots are jam-packed, staff sometimes direct parking, and during the daytime it’s so crowded that you can’t even park.

Many people are told “please come after 3 p.m.” and agonize over what to do about lunch.

I actually visited around 2 p.m. on a Saturday, but I’d underestimated it and couldn’t park even in the early afternoon, so I stopped by around 4 p.m. after going to Nippara Limestone Cave.

Even if you can park, there’s a long line in the garden in front of the shop!!

There are a few waiting chairs in front of the shop, but only so many.

I wrote my name on the list set out outside and was 15 groups back.

You have to stay nearby, so killing time isn’t easy. In extreme heat, heatstroke precautions are essential.

I wonder what time it’ll be by the time I get in.

Eating Report at Kamameshi Nakai

By the time I went in, it had gotten completely dark, but after waiting about an hour and a half, my name was finally called.

It had become practically last-order time.

You take off your shoes at the entrance and can enjoy your meal relaxing in bare feet.

First I ordered the classic signature “Mushroom Kamameshi Set” for 1,950 yen!!

It’s a set with mushroom kamameshi, mizutaki (chicken hot pot), pickles, sashimi konnyaku, and one sweet.

If you don’t want the mizutaki, you can switch to miso soup for -350 yen.

The umami of the mushrooms is thoroughly soaked into the rice, with a comforting deliciousness.

It was worth the wait~!!

The mizutaki that comes with the set. Squeeze lemon over it as you like.

It has plenty of napa cabbage, plus chicken, carrots, and konnyaku, with a gentle feel. Both the kamameshi and the mizutaki are piping hot, so be careful not to burn yourself.

The sashimi konnyaku is eaten with wasabi and has a refreshing texture.

Three kinds of pickles make for a generous portion. The cucumber was delicious.

The one sweet is a boiled manju, and it’s a normal, decent size.

Inside is bean paste, and the skin is chewy and delicious.

Okutama has delicious soba, so I also ordered the mountain vegetable soba on the side!
The soba slid down smoothly, and the broth was solid too.

The finishing touch: yakitori. I saw the notice saying you can order only one skewer per person, and couldn’t resist ordering.

Two big yakitori skewers with a nicely charred finish sit on cabbage and lettuce. They’re perfectly coated in sauce and delicious.

This is the kind that goes perfectly with beer.

The lady sitting next to me struck up a conversation; she apparently comes regularly from central Tokyo, and says the spring-only bamboo shoot kamameshi set and the autumn-only chestnut kamameshi set are not to be missed, so I’ll just have to come back!

Payment is self-service, and you can use transportation IC cards, barcode payment, or credit cards, but separate checks weren’t possible.

Takeout is also sold. Mushroom kamameshi is a reasonable 1,150 yen.

Eating it at nearby spots such as Mitake Gorge, Mitake Garden, or Lake Okutama is also recommended.

Thank you for the meal.