Drive In Kanaya – Try Their Incredible Kanimeshi (Crab Rice)

Kanaya began making their kanimeshi (crab rice) in 1950 as a bento to sell at train stations. The kanimeshi is made by stir-frying crab meat with bamboo shoots until all of the moisture has evaporated to draw out all the flavor, then placing the mixture on top of a warm bed of rice. Everything about the dish has been carefully thought out, from the seasoned shiitake mushroom topping to the tsukudani (food preserved in sweetened soy sauce) that comes on the side. The harmony amongst the different parts of the dish is why it’s had such a following for so many years.