Hirome-ichiba

Hirome-ichiba Review

The best place to mingle with the locals is at their two popular markets. Kochi goes for culinary treasure over material stuff, and while the busy, hivelike Hirome-ichiba has interesting pottery, jewelry, and photographs, everyone's really here for the food. This exciting maze of minirestaurants and food counters has enough strange, delicious foods that you couldn't try everything in a year. Displays, pictures, and abundant people traffic will help you ask for what you want, and you can always point to someone else's plate across the broad wooden tables. Open daily 11-11, it's at the western end of the main arcade, close to the castle. Look for the mass of bicycles hemming in a squat coffee stand beside the entrance, a big orange-and-green sign above the hangar-bay door, and a large crowd of well-fed locals.