MAU Japanese Restaurant & Sake

Tucked away at the end of a corridor that leads from the street to the back of a nondescript building in Hiroshima’s nightlife district, Mau reveals itself to be a stylishly traditional Washoku restaurant.

While the food is definitely of high calibre and the prices put it the upper-mid range category, MAU is quite relaxed and is equally a candidate for light dining accompanied by some drinks as it is for a special Washoku dinner treat. Although chef Hanbusa who single-handedly runs the kitchen speaks limited English, he is very amiable and welcoming.

We started with some pretty appetizers and an awesome sashimi selection served on crushed ice. The beer was also very well poured!

Chef’s o-makase course meals are available for ¥4500, ¥6500 and ¥8500 and all include the appetizer and sashimi staters shown above. The a la carte menu contains a selection of regular dishes as well as seasonal specialities. We sampled a delicious agedashi-dofu with ichijiku figs, dashi-maki-tamago rolled egg omlette with demi-glace sauce, a beautiful vegetable gelée with uni sea urchin and sanma sashimi.

The regular menu is currently being translated and there are often plates containing seasonal ingredients and dishes displayed along the top of the counter o-banzai style which can help as props in the performance art of non-verbal ordering.

For couples or group diners, Chef Hanabusa makes a point of serving the food ordered in a way that is as easy to share as possible, which is very welcome, especially if one’s chopstick skills are still being honed.

I very much enjoyed sitting at the counter and chatting with chef Hanabusa, but there area also two private rooms equipped with horigotatsu sunken floors below the low Japanese style tables that are a godsend for those not accustomed to sitting on the floor for extended periods of time. Smoking seems to be permitted in the restaurant, so those sensitive to tobacco smoke might prefer one of the private rooms rather than counter seating.

MAU serves well poured beers and other drinks, as well as a very good selection of Japanese sake, both from local breweries and from around Japan. The ¥780 3 glass Dassai sampler set is excellent value and will complement much of the food on the menu and Chef Hanabusa is happy to make further recommendations.

Choosing your own sake glass from MAU’s colorful selection of beautiful glasses is also a nice touch.

Address: 1F Nakashinchi Bldg, 4-3 Nagarekawa-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi
Tel: 082-240-9030
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MAU-Japanese-RestaurantSAKE-129181174327969/

 

To find MAU

1. Look for the Nakashinchi neon sign

 

2. Look for the white MAU sign on the street

 

3. Enter the Nakashinchi Building

 

4. Walk until you hit the Japanese garden style path that will take into MAU.