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Just over an hour south of downtown Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture’s Enoshima Island and the nearby coastline are a prime summer destination. There’s a little something for everyone, whether you want to frolic in the water or on the sandy beach, visit a shrine hidden deep inside a cave and learn about the legend of the fearsome dragon who fell in love with a beautiful local girl, or just try out your pick-up lines at the numerous oceanfront bars.

This spring, the Aloha Beach Café opened up on Enoshima island. The restaurant specializes in the Hawaiian-style pancakes that are all the rage in Japan right now, but also offers one menu item you could only find on the Kanagawa coast.

Almost every place in Japan has some kind of food the locals claim they do better than anyone else, and for Enoshima it’s the tiny little fish known as shirasu.

One of the most traditional ways to eat shirasu is as a topping on a bowl of rice, but in Enoshima you can also find shirasu pizza, shirasu ice cream, and even beer made with shirasu extract. The fish are obviously too small to clean or cut, so they’re eaten whole.

▼ We’d ask them not to look at us as we eat them, but with so many of the things, there’s just not enough time

Aloha Beach Café wanted something on the menu that reflected the local gastronomic culture, so they created the 1,350 yen (US$13.90) shirasu pancakes.

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Aside from the crunchy little fish, the pancakes come with grated daikon radish, Japanese basil leaves, and a soy-based mousse.

Starting July 7, the restaurant will also be offering another fusion of pancakes and traditional Japanese food. Hiyashi chuka is a dish of chilled noodles accompanied by slices of cucumber, tomato, egg, and chicken seasoned with a light vinegary soy sauce. Its cooling effect makes it a popular summer meal, especially with beach goers.

From July 7 to September 8, the Aloha Beach Café will be offering hiyashi chuka pancakes, with the unique flourishes of avocado slices and a sesame tofu dressing.

The café’s pancakes come in less adventurous varieties too, of course, such as its popular macadamia nut sauce pancakes with banana.

The hiyashi chuka pancakes will be available only until September 8, so head down to Enoshima if you’re keen to try them. The shirasu pancakes are a permenant menu fixture though, so take all the time you need to work up the courage to order them. And if you’re not quite ready, you could always start small and work your way up from the shirasu popcorn (yes, they have that too).

Restaurant information
Aloha Beach Cafe
Address: Kanagawa Prefecture, Fujisawa City, Enoshima 1-6-8
神奈川県藤沢市江ノ島1-6-8
Open 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Website

Sources: Hatena, PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert image: Aloha Beach Café