Uohana, Enoshima (魚華)

Enoshima in August isn’t a preferred destination as far as I’m concerned – because it’s a preferred destination for so many people. Last time I went, there was a line hundreds of people long to get on the Enoden at Fujisawa (no lie – all the way from that station, across the plaza, and into the other station). This time was different – a bit of bustle, a healthy number of people, but nothing unmanageable. The wind was blowing, skies were blue, the heat was also manageable…well, not really, but take it slow, drink water, and keep a towel around your neck, and everything will be fine. The Enoshima-Kamakura day trip is a great once-a-year mini-vacation, and this was a particularly good iteration thereof. Next time though, how about something in the mountains?

You’ll end up walking onto the island over the causeway, and immediately you’ll see the line of seafood restaurants to the left. Cheerful, rough, and semi-cheap, these must be the places to eat (there are plenty of shops on the shopping street, but who eats in them?). Uohana stands out a bit – it’s not just clams on a styrofoam plate to be eaten on public benches (not that there’s anything wrong with that). They have a nice display outside of all the seafood you could eat if you stopped in,

including the $15 oysters. Does the size perspective work for you? Depending on your age, gender and ethnicity, these could be bigger than your head. I would be too scared to attempt to eat one, but I did see a pair of women buy one each as lunch.

Thing is, everything is bound to taste good if you can get a table out back with a big green umbrella. Despite a line 30 people long at the famous place down the street, there was ample seating out here.

Tea is self service (if you squint, you can see someone in the background serving themselves). Enoshima Beer costs money, but it’s worth it. Good suds. Good brew. Good brewski. Good, strong ale, poured hard and clean from the tall brown bottles. Good cliches.

Lunch falls into the pattern familiar to all the places here – you could pick your seafood out front for grilling, or you could get a rice bowl. You could augment either with some sashimi. Either way, you should be sure to eat shirasu since they’re famous here – the tiny white fish, boiled or raw, served in the hard, clean, white bowls, [Have you read Naked Lunch? I don’t recommend it, fame or not.] It’s a tossup whether you get the raw one, where the fish will be silvery and squishy (because they’re raw and whole, after all), or this cooked one. If I was you, I’d get the cooked one. It’s pretty good.

If you get the mixed sashimi bowl, you’ll still get a healthy pile of cooked shirasu. You’ll also get some other fish. They’re all pretty good. The atmosphere is the thing though – you’ll like sitting out here, I promise.

I cannot tell a lie, this is their homepage.
0466-28-9570

Now that you’re fortified, it’s time to start your tour of the island. More on that later, but the first thing you’ll need to do is walk up the shopping street. Can anyone tell me what ‘Cheat Life’ is supposed to mean? The front of the shirt had a big happy face on it, and under that just a big ‘CHEAT’.