Top 10 Must-Try Restaurants to Enjoy Local Dishes in Aichi

Aichi prefecture is located between 2 big cities of Japan, Tokyo and Osaka. They have a variety of delicious local food from gorgeous breakfast sets to B-kyu gourmet [casual gourmet cuisines], and local specialties. Though Nagoya City is famous for its unique food culture, in Aichi, there are many other places that have delicious local food. Here are the 10 best places to eat in Aichi. Try them when you visit this area.

“Top Fruit Yaobun”

In Aichi, if you order just a cup of coffee or a glass of juice at coffee shop, extra dishes such as toasted bread and salad come with it for free, which is pretty unique in Japan. There are many places you can enjoy Aichi’s breakfast hospitality. However, “Top Fruit Yaobun” is a bit different from others.

Their characteristic is that they serve really delicious fresh fruits for breakfast since it is originally a fruit shop. They do not have coffee but various kinds of fresh fruit juices are on offer. Pick one, and you will get a boiled egg, toasted bread, a variety of fruits chunks for free. Great breakfast place for those who want to take lots of vitamins.

“Kissa Prince”

Coffee, toasted bread, boiled eggs are typical breakfast food, but “Kissa [Coffee shop] Prince” serves a bit different breakfast. At this coffee shop, a unique dish for breakfast such as “soba noodles” or “chawan-mushi [a small bowl of smooth steamed eggs]” is on offer as a daily changing dish. Of course, toasted bread (hot sandwich) comes with them. It is nice to get both soba noodles and bread by ordering a cup of coffee and paying just 300 JPY.

Inside the house, there is a nostalgic atmosphere of good old days of Showa era, which allows people to have a relaxing morning. Perfect place for anybody who doesn’t want only bread but something more. Get there a bit earlier since this place gets full easily. One of the best recommended breakfast in Aichi!

“Okitsune Honpo”

B-kyu gourmet food is very popular in Japan. Aichi has many kinds, too. One of the recommended food is “Okitsune [fox] Burger”, but that doesn’t mean it is cooked with fox meat. They use abura-age (fried tofu) as buns for burgers. In Japan, it is said that foxes like abura-age. That is the reason why it is called “Okitsune Burger”.

“Okitsune Honpo” is a takeaway store of Okitsube Burger. Former udon noodles shop that invented the fried tofu dish. Letuce and tonkatsu [fried pork cutlet] are put between crispy fried tofu buns. Seasoned with ketchup and sauce made from noodles sauce, taking advantage of the skill from when they were a noodles shop. Eat it as soon as possible. The crispy texture is awesome right after being made.

“Misen”

“Misen” is a “Taiwan Ramen” restaurant, whose owner is from Taiwan and originally stared the noodle dish based on Taiwanese noodles. You must have thought “Taiwanese noodles for B-kyu Gourmet of Aichi, Japan?” Well, that’s how the name came about. Now Taiwan Ramen is popular enough to be sold as an instant food product at many stores in Japan.

Though there are many other noodles restaurants of hot spicy Taiwan Ramen with lots of red peppers, you will not want to miss the one of this original restaurant. Really hot. You’ve got to try if you are a hot food lover. With many seats, they also have other Taiwanese dishes whose hotness can be adjusted. Good place for family meal.

“Tamagawa”

Udon noodles in curry soup are so familiar to Japanese people that they think they are available everywhere in Japan. But Aichi’s Toyohashi Curry Udon is not the case. They put “tororo gohan [rice with grated Japanese yam]” under curry udon. You can enjoy finishing the delicious soup with the rice. Wasteless and delicious way to eat.

“Tamagawa” is one of the fantastic Toyohashi Curry Udon’s restaurants. One of the reason of its popularity is their chicken cutlet on the udon noodles in curry. Despite the big portion, most people easily eat it up with curry taste. Great local food of Aichi, that satiates glutton’s desire for udon noodles, rice, and curry.

“Gohei”

Many of the recent local gourmet foods in Japan are invented for regional vitalization. However, there must be people who still want to eat traditional local cuisines. Well, “goheimochi” is one of the tradional local specialties. It is grilled flat shaped mashed cooked rice seasoned with miso (fermented salted soy bean paste) or soy sauce. Some people say it was an offering for God in the days when rice was very valuable.

“Gohei” is a goheimochi specialty shop, which doesn’t grill in advance to serve freshly grilled ones. Goheimochi with their special miso seasoning is so delicious that once you start eating, you cannot stop until finishing them all. The shop is operated only by the owner, and closes when everything is sold out. So, you should visit early in the day. It keeps you full long. Might have been a power food in old days. Try if you are in Aichi.

“Atsuta Houraiken”

Among many Aichi’s local food, “Hitsumabushi” is especially famous. It is a rice dish with grilled eel on top. The best point is there is not just one way of eating at one meal. You can enjoy changing its taste by adding some spices on the rice with eel, or by pouring dashi soup over the rice with eel and spices to eat in ochazuke style.

“Atsuta Horaiken” is a 140 years old restaurant that serves Hitsumabushi. Also said to be the parent of this traditional dish. Well known in Aichi, and gets so crowded on hoildays. Visit early in the day when you have extra time, and put your name in a waiting list.The exterior of this restaurant is built in a traditional Japanese style, and the interior offers you an enjoyment of classic Japanese room with tatami (rush plant mats) and shouji (wooden and paper door). Worth a trip for exceptional Hitsumabushi seasoned with delicious secret sauce. Enjoy an excellent Japanese atmosphere.

“Torisige”

“Nagoya Cochin” is a brand name of chicken that represents Aichi. Quality of both its eggs and meat is excellent. If you want to know the taste, you must visit “Nagoya Cochin Torisige”. It is one of the best.

Since it’s a chicken wholesaler, they serve delicious quality chicken. Menu includes various chicken dishes such as Oyako-don (rice dish topped with simmered chicken and eggs) with creamy half cooked eggs, hot pots with a deep chicken flavor, charcoal grilled chicken skewers, etc. Too many choices to choose. With their strong love for Aichi, they use not only food ingredients, but building materials and tablewares that are produced in Aichi.Their modern Japanese interior is a great match for dating. You’d better book since it’s really popular. Try when you feel like having a luxrious local meal at a comfortable place.

“Torisanwa”

Being estimated as a costly ingredient, Ngoya Cochin tends to make people hesitate about going to its specialty restaurants. However, there is a reasonable place,”Torisanwa”, which is directly managed by Sanwa Group. This corporation started raising Nagoya Cochin in early Showa era. Such background enables them to offer an excellent Nagoya Cochin full-course meal at a reasonable price.

Various chicken dishes includes grilled, fried, and seared chicken are availble. One of the best is Tamagokake Gohan (rice with raw egg). It is so rich because they use just egg yolk for it. Private rooms are facilitated. Great place for a family meal. It would be better if you book in advance. You should visit when you are in Aichi!

“Tsutaya Seikaho”

Sweets make people happier. Of course many of them want something sweet even while on trip. “Tsutaya Seikaho” has a unique specialty confection, called “Monaka (crispy wafers filled with azuki bean jam)”.

To many Japanese people, monaka is not so special, but this shop makes different one. It has a shape of Toyota’s famous car, “Crown”, and has been their specialty since Showa 30 (1955). Filled with azuki bean jam. Basic choices include Tsubu-an (coarse bean jam) and Matcha-an (green tea flavored bean jam). Currently, there is one more choice, a peach taste pink crown is on offer. Also, they have (Toyota’s) Crown-shaped rice flour sable. Lovely and perfect for souvenirs. Stop in when you visit Aichi!

Enjoy local specialties in Aichi!

How did you like it? This article was about the 10 Best Places to Eat in Aichi. Along with the restaurants, delicious local foods in Aichi has just been listed up. Having local foods would be one of the highlights of trip. Touring attractions is fun for sure. Enjoy excellent local cuisines and make your travel memorable.