Must try food recommendations around Okayama

Hi, I will be heading to Okayama for 1.5 days on 5 to 6 April and would love to hear from the Japan guide community on food recommendations as I have always been pleasantly surprised by the recommendations by foodies here.

We were supposed to have lunch at bricole on 6th but it just got cancelled as a staff is down with covid-19. So looking for other restaurants to try around the area and might as well as for 5th as well since we don't really have anything firmly planned in terms of food. We are staying at Hotel granvia (I read parfaits are a thing of Okayama and the ones at this hotel are good?). We'll also be visiting Okayama castle and korakuen garden and omotecho shopping arcade so food recommendations around any of these areas will be awesome. We are interested to try things unique to Okayama since it'll be our first time there but are pretty open in general. Budget wise, probably up to 5000+y is okay, if it's like 1000 to 2000y more casual kind of meals it's cool too!

We'll spend half a day walking around kurashiki so we'll need a lunch recommendation here too pls. And then we'll head to Hiroshima after lunch.

It's our first time in Japan during cherry blossoms so if there any other highly recommended spots that we ain't covering above feel free to share.

If anyone wants to give us Hiroshima recommendations we would gladly welcome that as well cos also our first time there. We will also have 3 meals in hiro. 2 dinners and a lunch. We'll be doing the customary tourist spots including miyajima.

Thanks so much in advance!!

In Kurashiki, I loved the cafe behind a kimono store Hashimaya.
https://goo.gl/maps/BBUS35Q1ZNg81bqq8

It's located behind the main store through an alley, what used to be their warehouse converted to a cafe. No, it's not a traditional Japanese or Okayama food, but the design and the atmosphere is super charming.

My favorite in Okayama is Marugo deli.
https://maru5deli.com/
A fruit juice stand.
In Kurashiki, I like El Greco next to the Ohara Museum of Art. (Cafe)
https://www.instagram.com/el_greco0011/
I didn't eat, but I went shopping at Miyake Shoten.
You can also eat parfait.
https://miyakeshouten.com/menu/index.html

By the way, Okayama's specialties are kibi dango(きびだんご,millet dumplings), Ｍatsuri zushi(祭り寿司,festival sushi), and Momo(桃,peaches,in season from June to December).
https://koeido.co.jp/products/kibidango/
https://local-cuisine.maff.go.jp/en/recipe/633/
https://ekiben.gr.jp/newitem.php?id=68
https://www.ja-hareoka.or.jp/specialty/hakutou.php
It's not Ｍatsuri zushi, but Bizen bara zushi （備前ばら寿司）can be eaten at these restaurants.
https://www.yozushi.com/dear/index.html#toVisitors
It seems that this barazushi can be purchased at Okayama Tenmaya（岡山天満屋） department store.
https://www.tenmaya.co.jp.e.tm.hp.transer.com/okayama/b1.html
It seems that you can eat it in limited quantity at "Japanese Cuisine Kibizen" on the 2nd floor of Hotel Granvia, but unfortunately you can't eat it because you need to make a reservation at least 3 days in advance. Kakushi sushi（隠し寿司）
https://www.granvia-oka.co.jp/restaurant/kibizen/lunch-kibizen/23683/
https://www.granvia-oka.co.jp/en/restaurant/#kib
Other lunch menus can be eaten without reservation.
https://www.granvia-oka.co.jp/restaurant/kibizen/lunch-kibizen/23683/
Here are the details.
https://gurutabi.gnavi.co.jp/a/a_403/
In Okayama, the legend of Momotaro remains.
Momotaro is said to have been born from a peach.
Kibi dango is his servant's favorite food.

I am very partial to Nagata-ya in Hiroshima. It is an okonomiyaki-ya next to the Genbaku Dome in Peace Park. The food is outstanding and Nagata-san is very welcoming.

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Hi @Uji. That worked. Just commenting in case the mods remove your post

Thanks for the recommendations in this post. I'm hoping to visit Okayama again this autumn & they are very useful.

Thanks :)

By the way, when looking for a restaurant, you can also refer to reviews on TripAdvisor.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant-g298134-Okayama_Okayama_Prefect...
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant-g298133-Kurashiki_Okayama_Prefe...