The 10 Best Places to Eat in Nagasaki, Japan

Nagasaki faces ocean so they have lots of seafood. But not only seafood. They have good food that you can grab and walk, or luxurious food too. Today, we would like to introduce good food in Nagasaki top 10. Enjoy sightseeing eating good food.

1. Champon

There are more than 1000 places that serve champon in Nagasaki city, so when you want to eat you can find everywhere. “Chinese restaurant Shikairou” is in Nagasaki city and where it started champon and sara udon.

The owner came to Nagasaki from China in 1892 when he was 19, and saved money. Then he opened Chinese restaurant that has a hotel in 1899. That time, there were lots of Chinese students who were poor and hungry. Then the owner made up Champon for them.

They make soup taking 3~4 hours with chicken and pork and put lots of vegetables like cabbage, pork, shrimp and squid. And put slice of egg on top of the bowl. The whole building is a restaurant.

From 5th floor, you can see Nagasaki port and Mt. Inasa, on the 2nd floor, there is a champon museum, and on the 1st floor, they have a gift shop, so you can buy souvenir.

2. Lemon steak

There is no one who doesn’t know about Lemon steak in Sasebo. It was made up by one brothers. They thought about if there was anything that is easy to eat even in summer.

Thick meat is too much so they decided to use slice of meat. And they put soy sauce and garlic for sauce and add lemon, then the brothers opened their own restaurant in 1972.

In 1986, younger brother opened his own restaurant called “Shitamachi-no-yochoku Jidaiya”, and now his son owns the restaurant. There are lots of menu but 70% of customers order lemon steak.

They will bring the steak after several minutes after you order. Please eat with vegetables before it is cooked too much. They use Auggie beef so it is not that expensive. If you go to Sasebo, please visit!

3. Kanzarashi

There is a summer food in Shimabara that is known as a city of castle and water. It is called “Kanzarashi” that is a rice cake that is put in cold syrup. There are several places that serve Kanzarashi but our suggestion is “Shimabara mizuyashiki”.

They use a building that was built in early Meiji period. They make about 4000tons of water in a pond at garden every day and the temperature stays 15 degrees through a year.

To make Kanzarashi, they need lots of water but they could make it since it is a city of water. If you come for sightseeing, how about enjoying Kanzarashi too?

4. Shippoku food

Do you know Shippoku food? Shippoku means a cloth that cover table and that turned into meaning food on table. Just like Chinese food, they surround table and take food on each plate and eat.

The food is affected by Chinese food and Dutch food. You can eat at restaurant or hotel in the city but our suggestion is “Ryotei Ichiriki”.

It opened in 1813 by Yamamoto Yasusuke and it has history for more than 200 years. They use seasonal food and you see colorful food on the plate.

It is expensive but if you go for lunch, you can eat “Himeshige shippoku” for 2700 yen, and “Ayumi” for 3240 yen. It is luxurious moment to eat traditional food in historical Japanese room.

5. Hirato beef

If you are a person who wants to eat beef everywhere you go, we suggest “Hirato beef”. In Nagasaki, they breed cow a lot in HIrato, Unzen, Iki, and Goto.

It is called four local beef and Hirato has been known as where they breed black Japanese beef. You can eat it at restaurants in the city.

But how about eating Yakiniku? Yakiniku Ichiyama is where has been opened for more than 80 years.

At lunch time, you can eat Yakiniku teishoku for 1050 yen, lunch set for 2100 yen, steak lunch for 2000 yen and up and hamburger beef teishoku for 1050 yen and up. You can’t eat Hirato beef at any other places so if you come to Hirato, you should eat it!

6. Shimabara somen

Somen is famous food from Shimabara. Most of people were gone after Shimabara-no-ran in 1637 and people moved to Shimabara from Shodoshima island and they spread somen in Shimabara.

The weather in Shimabara and water were good for somen. If you come to Shimabara for sightseeing, you may want to eat.

We introduce you “ Minami Shimabara shokudo” that uses the building of school that was built in 1912 and closed after.

The school closed in 2013 and opened as a restaurant in 2016. They use school stuff like black board, desk and chair. It is a good place to visit.

7. Hatoshi Roll

There is a meal called Hatoshi that is told from China to Nagasaki in Meiji period. It is what shrimp is put between white bread and fry.

You may see them at stores in the city or China town. But if you want to buy for gift, you don’t want to buy already fried, so we suggest Hatoshi Roll.

Nagasaki is one of the city that makes seafood in Japan the most. Hatoshi Roll is what horse mackerel is mushed and wrapped with onion.

It is frozen so people who get them can fry whenever they want. You can buy it at the airport too. Don’t forget to buy after sightseeing.

8. Rokubee

You may not be able to imagine what it is by name but it is noodle using sweet potato that is eaten in Shimabara or Tsushima. It is said a man named Rokubee made when people didn’t have food in Edo period.

You can eat this Rokubee at “Rokubee jaya”. It looks old house. Lunch is reasonable that is 750 yen with rice and meal. And another bowl of rice is free.

Once you bite the black noodle, you can taste the sweetness of sweet potato. You can eat Rokubee only in Nagasaki, so don’t forget to try when you come to Nagasaki.

9. Saba sand

“Saba sand” is what they use fish. It is still new so many people don’t know. There are lots of seafood in Nagasaki. What is Saba sand?

They have burger or Panini but it is what they put mackerel into bread with fresh vegetables. You can eat at restaurants in the city. Our suggestion is “Tia Nagasaki doza-ten”.

They use organic food. They serve Saba sand only for lunch. If you eat inside the restaurant, it is 700 yen that comes with side meal, soup and drink.

You can also buy to go for 350 yen. It is good to eat when you want during driving. If you come for sightseeing, please stop by!

10. Turkey rice

“Turkey rice” is famous food in Nagasaki just like Champon and Sara udon. You may not hear in other prefectures but in Nagasaki city, you will see everywhere.

So if you have never tried, please try. Turkey rice comes with tonkatsu, neapolitan, curry pilaf and salad. You may mind the calories but walk more when you go sightseeing.

“Yoshokuya Himawari-tei” is where a half of customers order Turkey rice. They also have seasonal menu so please check their website.

Let’s eat good food in Nagasaki!

Today, we introduced 10 places to eat when you come to Nagasaki for sightseeing. You might think different kinds of food when you hear food in Nagasaki but you won’t know what it is like until you actually eat it. There are lots of foods you can eat only in Nagasaki. Please make yourself full when you come to Nagasaki.