Okiu: Inari Sushi and Small-Dish Lunch at Nishi-Hiroshima
日本語版はこちら → https://ao-happy.net/okiu-lunch-nishi-hiroshima-ja/
In October, the two of us went out for lunch at Okiu, a small set-meal restaurant one flight of stairs above the street next to JR Nishi-Hiroshima Station. It is close to our Skyview Base and very easy to reach from the station. The lunch comes with many small dishes, and we found it stylish and delicious. Lunch is what this place is popular for, so here is what we ordered, how to read the menu, and how to get there.
A set-meal shop by day, an izakaya by night
The sign outside says it all: hiru teishoku, yoru izakaya, set meals at lunchtime and a Japanese pub in the evening. A teishoku is the classic Japanese set meal: a main dish or several small ones, served with rice and miso soup on a single tray. An izakaya is a casual place for drinks and shared plates.
Okiu is a young restaurant, opened around the turn of 2026. According to a local magazine, the owner worked at a meat-focused Japanese restaurant in Hiroshima before going independent. The name comes from the initials of his three children, and he told the magazine he wants to look after the shop and its customers as carefully as his own kids.
The Okiu set: nine small dishes on one tray
The Okiu teishoku is the classic order here, and the one the local press calls the most popular. It comes with nine small side dishes, called kobachi, that change daily, along with rice and miso soup.
On the day we went, the tray held mapo tofu topped with green onion, sliced fish in sauce, a green salad, dark hijiki seaweed and okra, among others, and no two bowls matched. What made it feel stylish to us was exactly this: so many small dishes, the bright mix of colors, and all the different bowls.
One honest note: the dishes are on the small side. If you are a big eater, this set may feel a little light. With nine dishes that change daily, though, it does let you try a little of many things in one meal.
Ao’s pick: the inari sushi set
The set Ao tried, and Ao’s top recommendation, is the Okiu inari-zushi teishoku. Inari sushi is rice packed into a pouch of seasoned fried tofu, a familiar snack all over Japan. Here the pouches are served open, with toppings on show, in a wooden box. The menu lists four kinds of inari that change daily, three small dishes, a salad and miso soup.
Ours were topped with grilled eel, a raw egg yolk over what we think was tuna, bright orange roe, and kinpira, a sweet-savory dish of burdock and other root vegetables. Of the four, the eel was Ao’s favorite.
How to read the lunch menu
Here are the sets we saw on the lunch menus in October, with the Japanese so that you can point. Menus change, so treat this as a guide. Prices are on the menu at the shop, and we saw children’s options too.
| Japanese | Dish | What comes with it |
|---|---|---|
| おきう定食 | Okiu set | 9 daily small dishes, rice, miso soup |
| おきう いなり寿司定食 | Inari sushi set | 4 daily inari, 3 small dishes, salad, miso soup |
| 鰻牛トロフレーク定食 | Eel and beef-flake rice bowl set | Bowl, 3 small dishes, salad, miso soup |
| だし巻き玉子定食 | Rolled dashi omelet set | 3 small dishes, rice, miso soup |
| 鰻ざく定食 | Eel with vinegared cucumber set | 3 small dishes, rice, miso soup |
| アジフライ定食 | Fried horse mackerel set | 3 small dishes, rice, miso soup |
| エビフライ定食 | Fried shrimp set | 3 small dishes, rice, miso soup |
| 炭焼き鶏ハラミのカレー | Curry with charcoal-grilled chicken | — |
| ふわとろ親子丼 | Soft chicken and egg rice bowl | — |
| ちょこ丼3種 | Three mini rice bowls | 3 small dishes, miso soup |
| 贅沢海鮮丼 | Deluxe seafood rice bowl | 3 small dishes, miso soup |
Before you go
Local reviewers say the seats fill up quickly after the 11:00 opening, even on a weekday, and a local magazine recommends booking ahead. We went without a reservation and were able to get in, but with a popular place like this, booking is the safer choice.
One practical point for travelers: the restaurant is up a narrow, steep staircase, and one local review noted no elevator. If you have heavy bags or anyone in your group finds stairs difficult, plan for that. There is no parking.
| Name | 昼定食・夜居酒屋 おきう (Okiu) |
|---|---|
| Address | Kowa 32 Bldg 2F, 1-13-11 Koi-honmachi, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima |
| Hours | Lunch 11:00–14:00 (last order 13:45), dinner 17:30–22:00 |
| Closed | Thursdays. One local magazine also lists Sunday evenings as closed, so check before planning dinner. |
| Phone | 090-3478-1206 (reservations recommended; Japanese) |
| Seats | Counter, tables and a raised area with a sunken foot well (shoes off) |
| @okiu1206 |
Getting there
The building is about a minute on foot from the south exit of JR Nishi-Hiroshima Station, and about three minutes from the Hiroden Nishi-Hiroshima tram stop. Look for it across the street from Kunugi, a well-known waffle shop. Times below are rough estimates: walking time to the stop, plus the ride, plus the walk to the shop. Waiting time is not included.
| From | Route | Approx. time |
|---|---|---|
| Ao’s Skyview Base (Koi) | Walk about 5 min to JR Nishi-Hiroshima Station, then about 1 min to the shop | About 5–10 min |
| Ao’s Retreat Base (Ushita) | Walk 6 min to Ushita-minami bus stop, bus No.5 to Hiroshima Station (12 min), JR Sanyo Line to Nishi-Hiroshima (about 10 min, plus about 5 min to change), walk about 1 min | About 35–40 min |
| Peace Memorial Park | Hiroden tram Line 2 from Genbaku-Dome-mae to Hiroden Nishi-Hiroshima (about 18 min), walk about 3 min | About 20–25 min |
| Hiroshima Station | JR Sanyo Line to Nishi-Hiroshima (about 10 min), walk about 1 min | About 10–15 min |
If you are building a food list for your trip, we have also written about Hiroshima okonomiyaki at Goku in Hatchobori and a relaxed teppan spot in Hakushima. Okiu is a good one to save for a day when you pass through Nishi-Hiroshima, or for lunch close to Skyview Base.
