6 recommended lunches in Higashi Chaya-gai and Shukkeicho Chaya-gai
Higashi Chaya-gai,Kazue-machi Chaya-gai, andNishi Chaya-gai are popular tourist destinations in Kanazawa, and are known as Kanazawa's three chaya-gai, or teahouse streets, and are lined with stores that use old buildings. Among them, "Higashi Chaya-gai" and "Shukkeicho Chaya-gai" are located across the Asano River, making it possible to come and go on foot. Here are some lunch spots where you can experience the unique atmosphere of the teahouse district.
Higashi Chayamachi Area
1Jiyuuken
Kanazawa's soy sauce is the key ingredient in their famous omelet rice.
A Western-style restaurant in the teahouse district established in 1909. Since it has long been a purveyor to geiko, many of its menu items are elegantly seasoned, and are popular with everyone from children to the elderly. The "old-style pork cutlet bowl" covered with cucumber and cabbage was once served separately with beef cutlet, salad, and rice, but at the request of a geiko, it is now served in a single bowl. The specialty omelet rice is also a rare dish based on soy sauce flavor. The rice mixed with beef, pork, and onions cooked in slightly sweet Kanazawa soy sauce and sugar is savory and has a relaxing Japanese taste.
Enjoy the traditional taste loved for more than a century in the teahouse district
The restaurant is located at the entrance of Higashi Chaya-gai. The retro western-style stone building stands out among the teahouses in the teahouse district, which is full of machiya (traditional townhouses). Currently standing in the store are the fourth and fifth generations. Working in tandem with the Staff/staff members, they deftly prepare and quickly serve more than 50 menu items. The menu includes traditional Western dishes such as hamburger steak, tongue stew, spaghetti, and Neapolitan. Don't miss the "Plate Set," which includes a small omelet and cream croquette, and other set menus that are twice as tasty in one dish.
- Jiyuken
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1-6-6 Higashiyama, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
From JR Kanazawa Station East Exit, take the Hokutetsu Bus (clockwise route) around Kanazawa Castle Town. 10 minutes by bus. 3 minutes walk from Hashiba-cho stop.
Open 11:30-15:00 (L.O.), 17:00-21:00 (L.O.), Saturdays, Sundays, holidays from 16:30
Tuesdays, 3rd Monday of the month
076-252-1996
Free of charge (2 cars)
2Buemon
Fragrant tea soba made with Kaga-bocha tea
The specialty of this restaurant is its original tea buckwheat noodles kneaded with Kaga-bocha tea. Cold soba noodles are first tasted with coarse salt from the Noto Peninsula to enhance the flavor, and the aromatic stick tea flavor can be enjoyed. The hot soba noodles also have an aromatic flavor that fills the mouth when combined with the elegant broth and stick tea soba. Soba made with buckwheat flour from Okunoto is also available, and creative dishes such as "Tsuke Tororo Soba," inspired by Kanazawa's snowy climate, are also popular. Another typical Kanazawa dish is "Kamo Jibu-ni Seiro," which is cold buckwheat noodles served with warm dipping sauce resembling Kanazawa's local dish, "Jibu-ni.
A soba noodle specialty restaurant by day, transformed into a champagne bar by night
The interior of the restaurant, a renovated machiya (townhouse) that was once a public bathhouse, has a high ceiling and a spacious feel. The high ceiling gives the restaurant a spacious feel, and jazz music plays quietly in the background, creating a relaxing atmosphere in which to enjoy a leisurely meal. After the daytime business is over, the restaurant is transformed into a champagne bar "SO-BAR OTOYU" at night. The entrance is changed from day to night, giving it a completely different look. Located on a back street in the teahouse district, the atmosphere at night is more of a hideaway, a social gathering place for adults to enjoy drinks and jazz music. You can enjoy a variety of champagnes by the glass as well as by the bottle. Soba noodles can be enjoyed at night as well, and is a must-try dish to end the meal.
- Buemon
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- 1-15-5 Higashiyama, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa MAP
- From JR Kanazawa Station East Exit, take the Hokutetsu Bus (clockwise route) around Kanazawa Castle Town. 10 minutes by bus. 3 minutes walk from Hashiba-cho stop.
- 11:30-16:00 *Open as "SO-BAR OTOYU" from 18:30 to 1:00 the next day
- Thursdays
- 076-251-7557
- None
3Higashiyama Mizuho
A set meal featuring rice cooked in an earthenware pot that makes your body happy
Dining Area specializes in rice produced in Ishikawa Prefecture. The owner, a native of Kanazawa and a rice sommelier, carefully selects the rice and offers a daily selection of six different varieties. Each grain of rice cooked in an earthenware pot is fluffy and has a strong presence, with exceptional sweetness and flavor. The main dish of the set meal is a choice of meat or fish, and the rice is served with a variety of side dishes such as simmered Kaga vegetables, vinegared vegetables, "Goroshima kintoki" sesame paste, homemade koji pickles, and miso soup containing Noto seaweed. The homemade soy milk pudding made with Nakajimana, a Noto vegetable, served for dessert is also a gentle dish that is good for the body.
A space where freshly cooked rice brings a smile to your face
The name of the restaurant is derived from "Mizuho-no-kuni," another name for Japan. The store is decorated with objects of lush ears of rice, which show the owner's love of rice. The kitchen, which can be seen from the counter, is lined with earthenware pots specially ordered from the Banko-yaki pottery in Mie Prefecture and the Suzu-yaki pottery in Okunoto. When asked how to cook delicious rice, he replied, "The key is to soak the rice in water and cool it in the refrigerator. It makes all the difference in taste. You are sure to find hints to enrich your daily dining experience.
- Higashiyama Mizuho
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- 1-26-7 Higashiyama, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa MAP
- From JR Kanazawa Station East Exit, take the Hokutetsu Bus (Kanazawa Castle Town Circular Bus "clockwise route"). 10 min. ride, 5 min. walk from Hashiba-machi Bus Stop.
- 10:30-16:00 (L.O.15:30)
- Closed on weekends and holidays
- 076-251-7666
- None
4Yoshi Higashiyama
A bowl of rice topped with a sumptuous bowl of nodoguro (bluefin tuna) is a specialty of the restaurant.
This Japanese restaurant was opened in July 2018 by a young chef from Kanazawa. The lunch menu, limited to 10 servings a day, includes "Nodoguro Aburi Ishiyaki-don", a bowl of rice topped with seared stone-roasted Nodoguro, a premium fish, "Noto Wagyu A5 Suki Ishiyaki-don", "Hyakumangoku Kaisen-don" with Nodoguro and fresh sea urchin, and more. You can enjoy Kanazawa's gastronomic delights to the fullest. Some menu items sell out in the morning on weekends, so be sure to arrive at the restaurant when it opens.
A rising star of Japanese cuisine with a young chef
Located on the second floor of a building on Higashi Chaya-gai, the restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere even though it faces the main street. The chef, who is in his twenties but has been trained for eight years in Japanese restaurants, runs the restaurant, and the counter seats offer a live chef's kitchen atmosphere where you can watch him carefully at work. Table seating overlooking the teahouse district is perfect for a leisurely meal with friends and family. You can take off your shoes in the restaurant, which is also a great way to relax. For those who want to plan their sightseeing, we recommend the lunch course, which can be reserved.
- Yoshi Higashiyama
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- 1-4-42-1 Higashiyama, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa MAP
- From JR Kanazawa Station East Exit, take the Hokutetsu Bus (clockwise route) around Kanazawa Castle Town. 10 minutes by bus. 3 minutes walk from Hashiba-cho stop.
- 11:30-16:00 (L.O.15:30), 18:00-22:00
- Thursdays
- 050-3314-3012
- None
Kazue-machi Area
5Goryori Kibune
A famous restaurant representing Kanazawa where reservations are not taken until six months in advance
This Japanese restaurant is listed in the "Michelin Guide Toyama/Ishikawa (Kanazawa)" and is open by reservation only. Limited to four groups for both lunch and dinner, reservations are accepted from 10:00 a.m. on the first day of each month for the next six months. In other words, the restaurant is so popular that it is fully booked up to six months in advance. The cuisine is a course only, and since about 90% of Guest/customers are repeat customers, even the same ingredients are served with a different approach each year. The restaurant does not limit itself to Kanazawa ingredients, but also imports good ingredients from all over Japan to provide a blend of Japanese and Western cuisine that is not bound by the framework of kaiseki.
Enjoy seasonal kaiseki in a machiya facing the Asano River
The building is a renovated machiya (townhouse) built in the Taisho era. The first floor is casual table seating, while the second floor is a calm Japanese-style room with a view of the Asano River. All rooms are private rooms, so you can enjoy your private time. The cuisine is renewed on the 15th of each month, and all the dishes are replaced accordingly, welcoming guests with a new spirit each month. It's worth planning a trip to coincide with your reservation at Kibune, and it's a must-visit restaurant.
- Goryori Kibune
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- 1-9-69 Hikosan-cho, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
- From JR Kanazawa Station East Exit, take the Hokutetsu Bus (Kanazawa Castle Town Circular Bus "clockwise route"). 10 min. ride, 5 min. walk from Hashiba-machi Bus Stop.
- 11:30-15:00 (last entry at 13:00), 17:30-22:30 (last entry at 20:00)
- Wednesdays and the 1st Tuesday of the month
- 076-220-6131
- Free (1 car)
6Ichirin
Colorful bento boxes filled with seasonal ingredients
Culinary Tea House is a renovated machiya (townhouse) where American printmaker Clifton Calf spent the last years of his life. Upon entering the restaurant, you will find an artistic space decorated with prints, inviting you to an extraordinary experience. The main dishes are seasonal courses using fresh seafood and other local ingredients such as Kaga vegetables. The Kutani ware and Wajima-nuri tableware also reflect the spirit of hospitality that is unique to Kanazawa. The lunch "Ichirin bento" is a healthy lunch box that uses more than 30 ingredients and is meatless. It also comes with yuba rice, steamed egg custard, and soup.
A high quality machiya townhouse with fine furnishings and space.
Located along the riverside of the Shukkeicho Chaya-gai, the first floor is a modern Japanese-style space with red walls. When you ascend to the second floor, led by a print by Clifton Calf, you will find a private room surrounded by traditional Kanazawa blue walls, creating a contrasting atmosphere from the first floor. In the Japanese-style room facing the river, diners can enjoy a relaxing meal with a view of the Asano Bridge; counter seating is also available on the first floor, and a la carte dishes are available in the evening, making it possible to use the restaurant alone or casually. You can enjoy a blissful time tasting local sake with dishes using seasonal ingredients.
Local Guide who was in charge of this article
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