Kanazawa is often called the "Jewel of Japan" for its rich history, vibrant culture and, above all, delicious food. The city boasts some of the Sea of Japan's best bounties and has spent years at the top of the rankings for seafood destinations. Like many who come to Japan, one of the main things you're looking for is probably a taste of the country's amazing food. While you're staying in this wonderful city, here are our recommendations for the best of Kanazawa's local foods.
Sushi
Sushi is synonymous with Japan. To Japanese people, few places are more known for sushi than Kanazawa. The city is a stone's throw away from the plentiful fish that live in the Sea of Japan. The conditions on this particular part of the strait bring a wide array of seafood to the region's fishermen. Most notable to Kanazawa are nodoguro, black throat seabass; yellowtail, which gets fattier in the winter months; and snow crab, which grow to massive sizes during their peak season lasting from November to February.
Of course, there's plenty more than that. Also passing through the port are unagi eel, sea urchin, oysters, shrimp, salmon, octopus and squid. Kanazawa is the perfect place to get your fill of fish.
Best Sushi Restaurants in Kanazawa
Ebisu Sushi
It might not look like much from the outside, but those who step inside Keiichi Wajima's Ebisu Sushi are sure to be delighted. The chef here, who only takes reservations, runs one of the highest-rated omakaze sushi restaurants in a city known for its highly-rated sushi restaurants.
Wajima lovingly prepares each piece of sushi to the point where it becomes an art form. Those who go to Ebisu are amazed by the food and charmed by Wajima himself, then blown away by how affordable the whole experience was.
Price per person: JPY 3000 - 5000
Omicho Market
Omicho Fish Market is the hub for seafood in the city and one of its main attractions. Here you can get a taste of all that Kanazawa has to offer. The market boasts nearly 200 eateries, all worth visiting, within a convenient walk of each other. Many of the restaurants offer kaisendon, rice topped with varieties of raw fish. Pick the one that calls out to you and eat your fill!
Price per person: Depends on where you go and how much you want to eat, but JPY 3000 is enough to get a good sample.
Mori Mori Sushi
Mori Mori Sushi is a beloved local conveyor belt chain with several restaurants around the city. Eating here is quick, affordable and offers a range of local specialities. If you only have one conveyor belt sushi experience in Japan, this is the place to do it!
The chain is a local favourite, so we recommend not going to the one in Omicho Market. Instead, there's a quieter outlet in the Forus shopping centre beside Kanazawa Station. If possible, make a reservation to save yourself a wait!
Price Per Person: JPY2000 - 6000
Mori Mori Sushi on Google Maps (Cross Gate branch)
Kanazawa Curry
Kanazawa Curry is a variant of the usual Japanese curry. The main difference is that the roux is much thicker and the taste much more rich compared to the standard. It is usually served with a side of sliced cabbage and topped with a fried pork or chicken katsu cutlet. Kanazawa curry is perfect for something ever so slightly Westernised but still authentically local!
Best Places to Eat Kanazawa Curry
Kanazawa Curry Lab
Our No. 1 pick for Kanazawa Curry is a restaurant inside Omicho Market: Kanazawa Curry Lab. This restaurant offers three curries but the Kanazawa Golden Curry is what it's known for. It has English menus and most of the staff speak enough English to guide you through your order. There is limited seating inside so you may have to wait. You can enjoy a look through some of the nearby shops while you do so.
To order, pick which type of curry you'd like, the rice (white, brown, or tumeric), and then add as many toppings as you like! If you're feeling fancy, the Noto pork cutlet is the way to go. The area, which is to the north of Kanazawa, is known for its pork products.
Price Per Person: JPY 1200 - 2000
Kanazawa Curry Lab on Google Maps
Champion's Curry
Champion's Curry lays the prestigious claim that they are the ones who first invented Kanazawa Curry more than 50 years ago. Ever since, they've been perfecting the recipe. This local chain has a few branches in Kanazawa, but the most accessible for most people is the one located in Omicho Market. It's hidden downstairs, though, and the slightly out-of-the-way location offers a bit of breathing room for people to escape the busy crowds that can mount up in the market. Use the vending machines to order, then give your ticket to the staff and they'll bring you your order.
Price Per Person: JPY1000 - 2000
Champion's Curry on Google Maps
Go Go Curry
While Champion's Curry may be the founder, Go Go Curry is the one locals think of as the home of Kanazawa Curry. The chain, with its bright yellow design and fierce gorilla logo exploded in popularity and has branches across Japan, Indonesia and the US.
The most convenient location for most visitors to Kanazawa is inside Kanazawa Station itself! If you're arriving and need a bite to eat straight away, or are looking for something to eat before setting off, Go Go Curry is in the perfect location. While it does serve considerable portions, you can challenge your inner warrior with some of their larger sets like the Kenrokuen (named after the garden). You'll get a good night sleep after putting it all away!
Price Per Person: JPY 1200 - 2500
Go Go Curry on Google Maps (Kanazawa Station)
Oden
Oden is a type of stew often eaten in winter. While the actual ingredients will differ quite a lot from place to place, it usually consists of seafood, tofu, eggs and vegetables boiled in a kelp-based broth. As Kanazawa can get quite cold in the winter, oden is a popular dish to chase away the chill after a long day in the snow.
Best Places to Eat Oden in Kanazawa
Kanazawa Kagami
This restaurant is just a five-minute walk from both Kanazawa Station and Omicho Market, which makes it a perfect place to grab some oden after you've seen all the sights!
The restaurant uses seasonal ingredients, so what's on the menu will depend on when you go. You could see crab, Noto beef, nodoguro, and a mix of sashimi!
While the restaurant has been frequented by more and more tourists, it is still immensely popular with locals and Japanese people visiting Kanazawa. Be sure to check it out!
Price Per Person: JPY3500 - 10,000
Kanazawa Kagami on Google Maps
Otori Chaya
Just a few minutes from the Omicho Market is Otori Chaya, another local favourite. As you sit at the counter, you can order from the big pots of obanzai, seasonal fish and vegetables freshly prepared and simmering. It's often very busy, so we recommend making a reservation if you can!
This restaurant sits in Betsuin Dori, one of Kanazawa's most scenic streets and was once the centre of nightlife in the city. It's much sleepier now, so you can enjoy the night air and walk the calories off with a relaxing stroll through the scenic streets.
Price Per Person: JPY1500 - 4000
Hanton Rice
Kanazawa is pretty much the only place in Japan where you'll get real authentic Hanton Rice. The dish itself is a smorgasbord, designed to be a one-plate food. Local legends say that its creator was inspired by dishes in Hungary. Determined to create a similar style of food, he adopted the recipe to suit the Japanese palette and the result is a popular local dish through to today.
It's a dish that is almost guaranteed to put you into a deep sleep after you're finished: Japanese runny omelette served over friend rice, topped with fried prawns and drizzled in ketchup and tartar sauce. Different restaurants all put their own spin on it; you can find variants with fried chicken or pork, or even served over curry.
Best Places to Eat Hanton Rice in Kanazawa
Grill Otsuka
Located near the Nagamachi Samurai District, Grill Otsuka lays claim to the invention of Hanton Rice and is often the first place that people will point to. Unfortunately, that also means there's a queue out the door. Get here early if you're raring for some of the original recipe!
Price Per Person: JPY 900 - 2000
Katsunoya
Located conveniently in the M'za shopping centre directly across from Omicho Market, Katsunoya is a local's favourite for Hanton Rice. It's very affordable and the service is quick, so it's a perfect spot to have a quick lunch while trying something new!
Katsunoya serves a variety of Hanton Rice dishes, so if you're not a fish fan or if you're just craving something specific, you can probably get it here! They also have Hanton Rice topped with steak, which is a unique find.
Price Per Person: JPY950 - 2000
NO SIDE
You'd almost walk past NO SIDE if you didn't know it was there. That's by design, as it was once a hidden restaurant. It has since become much more popular and is now only slightly obscured. The owner prepares each order personally, so eating here is always a curated experience!
Price Per Person: JPY 1000 - 3000
Gold Leaf Ice Cream
There are few foods in Kanazawa that spark more curiosity that gold leaf ice cream. We know what you're thinking and, yes, it really is edible! The edible gold leaf is made in special conditions that make it perfectly safe to eat. We're sad to say that it doesn't have a taste, though. The real taste is the luxury of eating actual gold.
Best Places to Eat Gold Leaf Ice Cream
Hakuichi
Situated in the Higashi Chaya District, Hakuichi is the perfect spot to get some gold leaf ice cream. While eating and walking is prohibited in the district, you can enjoy the historic atmosphere of the district while you eat your ice cream. Once you're finished, why not check out Shima, a former teahouse turned into a museum about the geisha!
Price Per Person: JPY900 - 1200
Kenjotei Tea House
During your time in Kanazawa, you are almost certainly going to visit the Kenrokuen Garden. Just outside the entrance is Kenjotei Tea House, a modern cafe serving some of Kanazawa's best sweets. While you absolutely can get a standard vanilla cone with gold leaf on it, why not lean into the gold leaf fantasy and try a parfait or shaved ice with gold leaf on it? Get a gold leaf coffee, too. Go big or go home, we say!
Price Per Person: JPY1200 - 3000
Visiting Kanazawa
Kanazawa is quite friendly for those who are looking to walk around the city and many of its sites can be visited in just a single day. The Kenrokuen Garden directly adjoins Kanazawa Castle Park at its entrance but also is next to the daimyo villa of Seisonkaku and Ishiura shrine, famous for its pond and tunnel of torii gates. The Higashichaya Teahouse District, Oyama Shrine, DT Suzuki Museum, 21st Century Museum and Kazuemachi Geisha District are all also within a comfortable walk and help you dive even deeper into this fascinating city.
For those interested in getting the best of Kanazawa, why not check out our highly-rated one day tour: Samurai, Matcha, Gardens and Geisha?
KANAZAWA MAIN SIGHTS TOUR / all year round
This tour has you walk in the same streets as those from times past. Walk the streets the samurai of the Kaga clan and see a warrior's house from the Edo period. Relax and enjoy matcha in a tea house overlooking a beautiful garden next to the impressive castle walls. Stroll through the Kenroku-en garden like the daimyos of the Edo period and admire the artistry of the landscaping of not just the land but of the trees as well. Finally, walk through Higashi Chayamachi, the old geisha district, where you can shop, snack and take a tour of an opulent former tea house that was used by actual geisha in the past.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have allergies, should I be worried about eating food in Kanazawa?
Because seafood is so popular here, many of the restaurants around Kanazawa use seafood in their cooking. Be especially careful around soups, broths and sauces. Like most Japanese food, egg is also a common ingredient.
If you have any food requirements, take special care as you travel around Japan! If necessary, make a card explaining your allergy and shops will be able to advise you on what is and isn't safe.
Is Hanton Rice actually good?
Like all food, it's hanton rice isn't for everyone, and that's ok! If you enjoy typical omurice, you're certain to also enjoy hanton rice.
Does gold leaf ice cream have a taste?
Well, no. Not really. But the taste isn't the point. The gold leaf adds an extravagant flair to the ice cream. Besides, it makes for a great picture!
