Kamakura Surugaya Honpo

 

Another spot that offers up some really tasty treats, and a place that’s another local fav spot is right in the Kamakura Station on the Enoden Line side.  What initially got my attention  were these small cake or balls of minced meat, poultry, or fish, or of rice, potatoes or other food stuffs.   Often coated with beaten eggs and bread crumbs, and fried in deep fat are called croquette.    To be quite honest I wasn't just a curious passersby I was actually thinking this place was a branch outlet from another prefecture.  I was wrong, but pleased nevertheless at this discovery.

 

The Japanese use katakana (コロッケ）ko-ro-ke.  Croquette is a french word, actually.
It’s no surprise the Japanese take things from other countries and then add a Japanese element to it to give it a Japanese taste.   Croquette was originally invented by the French and is a dish that has reached ecumenical status over the years, there’s even croquette in North America.  

 

 

I have always loved the taste of hot, crispy, melt in your mouth meat cakes!  The store bought kind, the ones you find in the supermarket, are often times soft  oily, and uninspiring, a big difference from the kind you find at this shop.  The croquette here in Kamakura and Ibaraki are KING.   There’s even a city in Ibaraki prefecture that's known for making the best croquette in Japan and that city is  called Ryogasaki

 

here: http://www.ryugasaki.or.jp/koromatiokosi/korokkeclub/contest/jigyou.htm

 

Us folks in Kanagawa Prefecture can thank the Kamakurans for creating a croquette that can rival Ibaraki’s, so we don’t have to travel so far to appreciate this delicious treat.  

 

site: http://www.surugaya-honpo.com/enoden/index.html

What I love is getting there early in the morning and eating up freshly made croquette.  Great stuff.  Nice spot for eye candy too, since this walkway connects the JR and the Enoden lines, tons of foot/leg traffic every minute.  Women running, some stopping over to buy a croquette, then running off to catch their trains.  Some anorexic was sitting next to me giving me googly eyes.  I told her to eat a whole bag of these potatoes first and then call me in the morning.   Put on some pounds first before looking over here!  

Again, Kamakura croquettes, try em' you'll love em' as simple as they are.   One thing I wished they has was the bulldog sauce.  I highly recommend trying the pork variety!