SENDAI -- A signboard featuring an image of a hoya sea pineapple can be a clue to finding Maboya, an izakaya pub specializing in a food known for its distinctive flavor. The signboard can be seen from a pedestrian deck beside the west exit of Sendai Station.
Inside the establishment, red walls are lit by round-shaped lamps hung from the ceiling.
"They gradually look like real hoya," said Mio Matsuo, 39, president of the company that runs the izakaya.
The izakaya is named after the maboya species of hoya that is a specialty in the Sanriku region, which includes the coastal area of Miyagi Prefecture.
After graduating from high school, Matsuo helped out at izakaya pubs run by her father in Sendai. In the wake of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, Matsuo offered free meals to survivors for about a month, using ingredients the establishments had purchased and her suppliers had delivered.
Matsuo was moved when she heard words of appreciation from survivors and she wondered if there was anything she could do to help the reconstruction effort after the disaster.
Shipments of hoya caught in Miyagi Prefecture resumed in 2014, but large volumes of them were disposed of in 2016 and 2017 because of South Korea's import bans on some Japanese foods. News reports about these developments made Matsuo decide to open a pub specializing in hoya.
"I wanted to overturn an image of hoya as something consumed mainly by middle-aged or elderly men," she said. "I want more young people and women to try it."
Maboya opened in July 2017 and Matsuo initially developed about 50 items for the menu by, for example, making hoya into paste and serving it with something sweet. She continued her studies into hoya and now the establishment has developed an array of more than 100 recipes, including dishes with Italian and Chinese twists.
Maboya's menu displays a five-tier "hoya level" grading. Level 5 is for hoya lovers, while Level 1 is for those who may never have tried hoya.
For example, karaage deep-fried hoya, a Level 2 dish, is popular among neophytes. Priced at 780 yen before tax, the dish features hoya seasoned with soy sauce and ginger, which is coated with batter that includes a special "hoya powder" before being fried.
Another Level 2 dish is a soft boiled egg wrapped in hoya. This combination brings out a rich flavor, as the dual ingredients are simmered in a salty-sweet mixture. It is priced at 480 yen.
Maboya also offers an array of about 40 types of sake, mainly from the Tohoku region.
Many customers come to like hoya after visiting the izakaya, as they find it served there in quite different ways from what they have had before.
With the change of the season, Matsuo said customers can now enjoy the creamy texture of hoya that have eggs.
"Hoya caught in winter is less pungent and it's tasty in any dish, be it a hot pot or as sashimi," Matsuo said.
Maboya
Open: 5 p.m. to midnight
Closed: Mondays
Address: 3F, Kikusui Building, 1-6-39 Chuo, Aoba Ward, Sendai
Phone: (022) 796-6226
Credit cards accepted
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