Enjoy Gourmet Dining in Nagahama with Peace of Mind

Welcome to a Dining Experience of Safety and Joy in Nagahama

Robata to Nihonshu Uomaru Nagahama is located in the heart of Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture, just a short walk from JR Nagahama Station. In our charming Japanese space, a renovated old building, we offer our guests a memorable time. Our signature dishes are sashimi, prepared by skilled chefs using fresh fish straight from the fishing port, and our dynamic straw-grilled dishes, featuring bonito from Kochi and Omi beef from Shiga Prefecture, grilled right before your eyes. Enjoy Nagahama's rich food culture with a selection of carefully chosen sake from all over Japan and local Shiga brews.

However, some may feel anxious when dining out, wondering if they can truly enjoy their meal. For those with food allergies or dietary restrictions, in particular, choosing from the menu and checking ingredients can be a significant burden. We want everyone to wholeheartedly enjoy the food and sake during their wonderful time in Nagahama. With this single-minded desire, our restaurant is taking various measures to ensure that our customers can dine with peace of mind. In this column, we will detail the considerations Uomaru Nagahama takes to alleviate customer concerns and provide a dining experience that brings a smile to everyone's face.

From solo dining at our lively counter seats to relaxed family meals in private rooms, company banquets, and even weekend day-drinking, we cater to a wide range of occasions. Please take your time and enjoy your stay with us.

Overcoming Food Anxiety When Dining Out

In recent years, the number of people with food allergies has been on the rise. In Japan, it is said that about 5–10% of children and 1–2% of adults have some form of food allergy. Furthermore, there are many people with diverse dietary needs, such as vegetarians, vegans, or those who avoid specific ingredients. In this context, the food service industry is required to provide more meticulous support than ever before.

• Anxiety from lack of information: When there are ingredients you cannot eat, it's often difficult to judge from the menu alone. The hassle of asking staff and the anxiety of not receiving a clear answer can be significant. A survey found that about 70% of people feel there is a lack of information regarding allergies when dining out.

• Concern about the risk of accidental ingestion: The risk of unintentionally consuming an allergen is something customers want to avoid most, especially as it can be life-threatening. Concerns about cross-contamination during cooking or the use of shared utensils are endless.

• Consideration and hesitation towards others: Some people feel hesitant, worrying that their dietary restrictions might inconvenience their dining companions or make them seem like they are demanding special treatment. This can turn what should be an enjoyable meal into a restrictive experience.

At Robata to Nihonshu Uomaru Nagahama, we take these customer food anxieties seriously and strive to provide as much support as possible so that everyone can enjoy our signature dishes, sake, and atmosphere without worry. We will propose concrete solutions so that you can have a gourmet experience to your heart's content, without feeling anxious about food, whether you're visiting for sightseeing or business in Nagahama, or for a special local occasion.

Uomaru Nagahama's Concrete Measures for a Safe Dining Experience

To provide meticulous service tailored to each customer, our restaurant addresses allergies and dietary restrictions based on the following three pillars.

Carefully Selected Ingredients and Efforts for Clear Information Disclosure

Our cuisine is centered on bringing out the maximum flavor of the ingredients themselves. We source the freshest fish of the day directly from the fishing port and offer it as sashimi meticulously prepared by our skilled chefs. Our straw-grilled dishes, featuring bonito from Kochi and Omi beef from Shiga, are simple yet exquisite, condensing the umami of the ingredients. A key advantage is that the origins of these main ingredients are clear, making it relatively easy to disclose information to our customers.

• Commitment to ingredients: By sourcing fresh seafood and local Shiga blessings directly, we strive to have a more detailed understanding of the ingredients we serve. For example, by directly offering specific types of fish, like yellowtail belly sashimi, it becomes easier for customers to confirm potential allergens.

• Simplicity in cooking: Cooking methods like straw-grilling and robata grilling bring out the natural flavor of the ingredients, so we primarily use simple seasonings without relying on complex sauces. This creates more options to reduce or adjust the use of seasonings that could be potential allergens.

• Efforts in providing information: While providing perfect information on all ingredients can be challenging, we have established a system for our staff to share information to respond as sincerely and promptly as possible to customer inquiries. Please feel free to ask if you have any questions.

Attentive Consultation by Knowledgeable Staff

The strength of our people is what supports our customers' peace of mind. At our restaurant, staff who have deepened their knowledge of allergies and dietary restrictions carefully listen to customer concerns and strive to offer the best suggestions.

• Allergy response training: Our staff regularly updates their knowledge about allergies and undergoes training to accurately answer specific questions from customers. They fully understand the importance of the 7 specified raw materials (eggs, milk, wheat, buckwheat, peanuts, shrimp, and crab).

• Individual consultation system: If you inform us when you visit or by phone (0749-63-6688) when making a reservation, a dedicated staff member will ask you in detail about your allergies or foods you dislike. By confirming not just I have an allergy, but specifically to what and to what extent, we gather crucial information to provide a safer meal.

• Proposing alternative menus and cooking methods: Through consultation, if there are ingredients you cannot eat, we are flexible in suggesting alternative menu items from our wide range of ingredients or modifying cooking methods where possible. For example, even for a dish like our Shrimp Cream Spring Rolls where specific ingredients are clear, there are many alternative possibilities among our other seafood and meat dishes.

Meticulous Care and Flexibility in the Cooking Process

Meticulous care in the kitchen is essential to ensure a safe dining experience for our customers. Our skilled chefs work daily to meet customer requests to the best of their ability.

1. Use of dedicated cooking utensils: For customers with severe allergies, we take measures to prevent cross-contamination by using dedicated cooking utensils and cutting boards whenever possible. This is a priority, especially when we are consulted by customers in advance.

2. Securing a separate cooking space: During preparation, we take care to cook in a space separate from other dishes as much as possible to prevent allergen cross-contamination.

3. Checking seasonings and dashi: We also check the raw materials of seasonings and dashi (broth) used in our dishes as much as possible, selecting options that accommodate customer allergies. For example, even for a simple dashi, we pay close attention to details like whether it is seafood-based or not.

4. Individual menu adjustments: When you book a banquet course (from ¥5000), if you consult with us in advance, we can adjust parts of the menu to suit your allergies. Approximately 90% of customers report that such advance coordination improves their dining experience.

5. Thorough final checks: Before serving a dish, we re-confirm its contents and take the utmost care to ensure our customers can dine with peace of mind.

Through these efforts, we at Robata to Nihonshu Uomaru Nagahama hope that our customers can enjoy Nagahama's delicious seafood and sake with confidence. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask our staff.

Steps for a Safe and Enjoyable Visit to Uomaru Nagahama

To ensure you enjoy our cuisine at its best, we would like to guide those considering a visit through the specific steps. Following these steps will allow you to use our services more smoothly and with greater peace of mind.

Before Your Visit

• Advance consultation by phone (recommended): If you have food allergies or dietary restrictions, we highly recommend calling us at 0749-63-6688 to consult before your visit. Sharing information in advance is particularly crucial for those with severe allergies or detailed requests. Our specialized staff can assist you during business hours and prepare for your visit, allowing us to welcome you with a fully prepared setup without making you wait.

• List your allergens: It would be very helpful if you could list the specific ingredients you are allergic to, such as eggs and dairy products or wheat and buckwheat. This will lead to a smoother consultation.

• Inform us when booking: When booking a banquet course or a private room, please include your allergy information. This allows for more detailed considerations, such as menu adjustments and seating arrangements. You can also add this information in the notes section when booking through our official website or affiliated sites by searching for Robata to Nihonshu Uomaru Nagahama reservation.

Upon Arrival

1. Inform the staff again upon entry: After entering, please re-inform the staff guiding you to your seat about your allergies or dietary restrictions. Even if you have consulted with us beforehand, we ask for your cooperation for a final confirmation. Please do not hesitate to mention this, whether you are at the counter, in a private room, or any other seat.

2. Communicate specific allergens: Our staff will ask for details again, so please tell us specifically which ingredients you cannot eat, including the severity of your symptoms. This helps in selecting dishes and adjusting cooking methods.

3. Ask if you have any concerns: If you feel uneasy about a dish that has been served, please do not hesitate to ask the staff before eating. We prioritize your peace of mind and will explain with care.

Special Initiatives for Peace of Mind

In addition to the above, we have our own unique initiatives to pursue food safety and peace of mind.

• A diverse sake selection: Our commitment extends beyond food to our beverages. We offer a wide selection of sake carefully chosen from across Japan and local Shiga brews, starting from ¥500, with various options to suit your taste. We can help you find a sake that pairs well even with an allergy-friendly meal. Enjoy a sake tasting experience unique to Nagahama.

• Bringing smiles with a unique service: Our chopstick wrappers double as omikuji (paper fortunes), and if you draw Daikichi (great good luck), you get one free drink. This unique service is popular. We strive to create enjoyment beyond the meal itself, even for those with dietary restrictions.

• A dining experience integrated with Nagahama tourism: Located just a 5-minute walk from the east exit of JR Nagahama Station, our restaurant is easy to visit during your Nagahama sightseeing. For those looking for a Nagahama sightseeing izakaya, we recommend our restaurant as a place where you can safely enjoy gourmet food and sake.

We sincerely wish to eliminate as many of your concerns as possible so that you can fully enjoy our signature dishes in Nagahama, including fresh fish from the port, Omi beef from Shiga, and straw-grilled bonito from Kochi. Please feel free to visit us at Robata to Nihonshu Uomaru Nagahama.

Savor the Flavors of Nagahama to Your Heart's Content at Uomaru

Robata to Nihonshu Uomaru Nagahama stands in the charming townscape of Nagahama. We don't just want to serve delicious food; we aspire to be a place where every single customer can spend their dining time with true peace of mind and a smile. Food allergies and dietary restrictions can sometimes raise the barrier to dining out, but with proper information sharing and our meticulous care, that barrier can be significantly lowered.

In our charming Japanese space, feel the energy of the chefs up close at the lively counter seats, or spend precious time with loved ones in a relaxing private room. Exquisite sashimi made from fish direct from the port, dynamic straw-grilled bonito and Omi beef cooked right before your eyes, and a selection of sake from across Japan and local Shiga brews, all chosen to complement the cuisine. Please enjoy this entire experience to your heart's content.

We are open from 1:00 PM on weekends, so you can fully enjoy day-drinking in Nagahama. The chopstick wrapper omikuji after your meal is also a popular little surprise. Our convenient location, a short walk from JR Nagahama Station, should also make us easy to visit. If you are seeking delicious seafood, robata-yaki, and sake in Nagahama, we invite you to Uomaru Nagahama, an izakaya in Nagahama that particularly pursues customer safety and satisfaction. We sincerely look forward to your visit.