Discover what to eat in Kanazawa, the city of gold, where a thriving food culture honors both age-old recipes and contemporary culinary trends. Come join us as we indulge in exquisite seafood, comforting ramen, and famous gold leaf-adorned treats.
Perched along the Sea of Japan, Kanazawa is well known for its rich cultural heritage, breathtaking landscapes, and, most notably, its exceptional cuisine. The city’s culinary scene rivals its historical charm, offering everything from the freshest seafood to gold-adorned sweets and regional delights like Noto Beef. Let us show you the nine must-try dishes that will make your trip to Kanazawa one to remember!
We also have a fully dedicated Kanazawa travel guide and a cherry blossom guide to help you plan your visit.
Gold Leaf
One of the symbols of Kanazawa is gold leaf, which is used to decorate ornaments, handicrafts, and even foods. But why is it so famous in Kanazawa?
A key reason is the city’s high humidity. Located in the center of Honshu and facing the Sea of Japan, Ishikawa Prefecture experiences low sunshine and frequent rain. The interplay between seasonal winds, mountain ranges, and the warm currents from seawater heated near the equator keeps the humidity above 70% throughout the year. These humid conditions are perfect for producing gold leaf, which is sensitive to static electricity and thrives in moist environments.
Furthermore, Kanazawa has a long history of skilled artisans who have helped develop and preserve the city’s prestigious gold leaf tradition. Today, Kanazawa produces 99% of the gold leaf in Japan, which is even featured in iconic monuments such as Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto.
You can experience using gold leaf in various specialty stores or indulge in some gold leaf-topped treats! While enjoying the beautiful scenery of one of Japan’s “three most beautiful landscape gardens,” Kenrokuen, head to Horaido Cafe and pick up a gold leaf ice cream! Savor the earthy matcha flavor with the exquisite gold leaf while enjoying the nighttime sakura. It doesn’t get any more luxurious than that!
Snow Crab
Omicho Market’s vibrant network of streets has proudly stood as Kanazawa’s largest fresh food market for over 300 years. The bustling market is lined with around 200 stores offering local goods, produce, and, above all, fresh seafood. Located next to the Sea of Japan, the market receives freshly caught seafood daily. Here, you can find everything from oysters and scallops to the finest pieces of sashimi.
As the winter season begins, buri (yellowtail), amaebi (sweet shrimp), and the coveted snow crab are particularly popular among locals and travelers alike. Many of the stalls and shops not only sell fresh seafood to take home but also offer a unique dining experience where you can immerse yourself in the market’s buzzy atmosphere and savor the freshness of the seafood.
Despite traveling in spring, I found a stall offering portions of snow crabs. Simply boiled, the crab has a delectable sweetness balanced with a hint of ocean saltiness, a taste that can only be experienced with the freshest seafood. Its fibrous yet soft and meaty texture provides a highly satisfying mouthfeel. To balance all these flavors and their meatiness, they serve housemade ponzu, which has a pleasant sharp tang to it.
If you’re feeling indulgent, you can eat the crab by itself as I did, or head to one of the many kaitenzushi (conveyor belt sushi restaurants) to try small bites alongside Kanazawa’s other delicious seafood.
Nodoguro
Speaking of Kanazawa’s bountiful array of seafood, nodoguro (blackthroat seapearch) is another must-try delicacy in the area. The fish is known for its white flesh, rich flavor, and fat that melts on the tongue, which can be enjoyed in a multitude of ways, from sashimi and shabu shabu to simply grilled over charcoal.
At Itaru, indulge in nodoguromeshi, a nodoguro-style hitsumabushi. The rice is cooked in an iron pot known as kamameshi and topped with seared nodoguro and nori.
How to Eat Nodoguro Hitsumabushi
- Use the wooden spoon to divide the Nodoguromeshi into quarters and scoop it into the small bowl. Eat the first portion as it is, then savor the delicate fish’s flavor on its own.
- For the second portion, add a little negi, wasabi, and seaweed.
- For the third portion, add negi and wasabi, and pour in the dashi broth to enjoy it as ochazuke.
- Finally, enjoy the last quarter as you prefer.
There is only one word to describe this dish: delicious. From the perfectly cooked rice, with just the right amount of bite, to the nodoguro, which seems to have been kissed with a blowtorch, imparting a slight smokiness. Each mouthful keeps getting better. With the ability to enjoy Nodoguromeshi in various ways, it never gets boring!
Kanazawa Curry
One dish that has recently become popular is Kanazawa Curry. However, it’s hard to describe and define what it actually is.
The origins of Kanazawa Curry date back to 1955 when Yoshikazu Tanaka first created it in a specialty yoshoku (Western-style) restaurant. This culinary creation quickly won over customers’ hearts, but it wasn’t until 2005 that the term “Kanazawa Curry” was officially coined. Tanaka, now a curry specialist, even changed the name of his restaurant to Champion Curry.
What sets Kanazawa Curry apart is its unique flavor profile. The thick and rich curry sauce boasts a deep brown color. It’s accompanied by thinly sliced cabbage and served with tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlet). The taste is a delightful blend of depth, boldness, and spice that is different from traditional Japanese curry that keeps you craving more with every bite.
There are several Champion’s Curry chains throughout the city, which are very popular. If you find long queues there, try Kanazawa Curry Laboratory in Omicho Market, a small counter restaurant. While the curry is traditionally served on a stainless steel plate, here it is presented in a wooden bowl with various toppings, including karaage, ebi fry, and tonkatsu. You can also choose from small, medium, and large portions of white, brown, or turmeric rice.
Immediately, you can feel the richness and depth of flavor in the curry. It’s hearty, yet with such a myriad of flavors, you won’t want to stop. The cabbage adds a refreshing bite, breaking the monotony of flavors, while the tonkatsu contributes an important ‘meaty’ flavor to the curry.
Noto Beef
Noto Beef is Ishikawa Prefecture’s premium brand of beef, famously known for its tenderness and texture, attributed to its high percentage of oleic acid in the fat. It achieved special recognition for these qualities at the 9th National Wagyu Beef Competition. Despite these accolades, Noto Beef is in low supply, earning it the nickname ‘Phantom Wagyu.’
To get a taste of the prized wagyu, head to Ushijyu Teraoka, where you can savor strips of perfectly cooked Noto beef on top of a bed of rice. It’s luxuriously tender, with a rich meat aroma and flavor. Atop the beef is a special housemade sauce and an egg yolk that bring the dish together, making it even more decadent and indulgent.
Oden
Kanazawa Oden was the standout dish of the city for me. Oden can be found across all of Japan, but what makes Kanazawa’s version so exceptional? While there is no defining factor for ‘Kanazawa Oden,’ its notable feature is the use of local ingredients and a deep dashi broth made from kombu, bonito flakes, and dried sardines. In some cases, Ono soy sauce from Kanazawa is added to further enrich the broth.
Compared to typical oden, which includes ingredients like beef tendons, daikon, and konnyaku, Kanazawa oden features more unique additions. The first is akamaki, a kamaboko (fish cake) characterized by its vivid red and white swirl pattern. Another is kurumafu, a large round wheat gluten resembling a donut with a hole in the middle. Kurumafu absorbs a lot of the broth, softening to a gooey-like texture. Other ingredients include Kaga vegetables, crab noodles (a blend of hairy crab roe and meat stuffed into a shell), and lotus root dumplings.
Restaurant Miyuki Kanazawa
Restaurant Miyuki is often considered the go-to oden spot in Kanazawa. However, it was temporarily closed during my visit, so I decided on a small izakaya called Bancho-san, tucked away in a small alley on the second floor. It turns out my experience at Bancho-san became the highlight of my trip. The quaint izakaya offered the best oden I have ever had, with its unique akamaki and kurumafu. The broth was rich but not overpowering, and it infused each ingredient perfectly.
The staff was extremely friendly. They explained the different oden ingredients and even offered a gin made in the Noto Peninsula! To finish, I had their recommended matcha crème brûlée, which was topped with speckles of gold leaf to keep with the Kanazawa theme.
Hanton Rice
Kanazawa’s soul food, Hanton Rice, originated in the late 1960s by a Tokyo-trained chef. Inspired by Hungarian cuisine, the original dish consisted of rice seasoned with paprika and butter, topped with fried tuna. ‘Hanton’ was derived from the Hungarian word ‘han’ and the French word for tuna, ‘ton.’ It was considered a convenient meal for employees so they could eat both the food and the rice on one plate, even when the kitchen was busy.
To adapt to Japanese tastes, the chef replaced the tuna with deep-fried shrimp, tartar sauce, and ketchup. Grill Otsuka is the go-to place in Kanazawa, marked by its retro style and, more often than not, long lines.
The hearty dish is similar to omurice in some ways and is perfect if you crave Western-style food flavors. The large portions are filling, calorie-dense, and, above all, tasty!
Jibuni
For a taste of Kanazawa’s history, indulge in Jibuni, a simmered dish of duck or chicken and seasonal vegetables. The duck is coated in flour and simmered with the vegetables in a stock made of dashi, mirin, sake, soy sauce, and sugar until tender. The flour helps thicken the stock, seals in the meat’s flavor, and gives it a soft texture.
Jibuni is believed to have been popular with the samurai and has been enjoyed since the Edo period. There are many theories about its origin, but many believe it was created and named after Okabe Jibuemon, who served as Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s food service officer and introduced it from Korea. Others believe its name derives from the onomatopoeic word ‘jibu jibu,’ which refers to the sound of simmering.
As Jibuni is a small dish, heading to an izakaya will allow you to enjoy various other classic Japanese foods. I went to Gen-zae-mon, a popular spot in the city center. The Jibuni was rich, thick, and packed full of flavor. The duck was irresistibly tender and paired well with the bite and crunch of the taro, bamboo shoot, and shiitake mushroom.
On top was a small knob of wasabi, adding a gentle heat and subtle aroma to the dish. I couldn’t resist ordering some of Kanazawa’s seafood, so I got a plate of sashimi and a bowl of rice!
Hachiban Ramen
Last, but by no means least, is one of Kanazawa’s most popular comfort foods.
On February 11, 1967, a ramen shop opened in the middle of a rice field along National Route 8 in Kaga City. Topped with a mound of stir-fried vegetables, the ramen dish was a hit and is said to have sold 1,300 bowls of ramen a day.
Hachiban (number 8) is not just a name; it’s a symbol of its origins in Kaga City. When turned sideways, it resembles “∞” (infinity), reflecting customers’ desire to enjoy it again and again, a testament to its enduring popularity.
The store’s signature dish is vegetable ramen, topped with stir-fried cabbage, carrots, onions, and bean sprouts. These vegetables are first parboiled in the broth and then stir-fried, adding a satisfying crunch to the comforting noodle dish. The thick, curly noodles allow the broth to wrap around and cling to them, maximizing flavor with each mouthful. To keep with the shop’s theme, it’s topped with a kamaboko featuring the number eight!
After speaking to a Kanazawa local, they said, “If we want to eat a delicious bowl of ramen, we don’t go to Hachiban Ramen. We only go when we crave it. It’s a whole entire dish in itself.” This perfectly captures the experience of enjoying Hachiban Ramen. It may not be the tastiest bowl of ramen you’ve ever had, but it is definitely a comforting dish you could imagine wanting to eat every once in a while.
While I initially visited Kanazawa to learn about its rich history and famous landmarks, it was the food that stole the show for me. Each dish was as good as the last, and I can’t wait to go back and visit!
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