This is the Specialty of Fukui prefecture! The 10 Must-visit Local Gourmet Restaurants!

Fukui prefecture may remind you of seafood cuisine and Soba as its specialty. Besides those, Sauce Katsu-don (Worcestershire sauce Pork Cutlet Rice bowl) is well-known as it has its origin in Fukui. Fukui has many restaurants offering the local specialties. Let’s walk through the 10 must-visit outstanding local gourmet restaurants which have been loved by the local.

Enjoy Kaisen-don with Sea urchin and Salmon roe! [Kanematsu]

Go straight along the main street north from JR Obama station, cross the Shiyakusho-mae crossing and find Ote building. Then go upstairs to the 2nd floor. Now you are at “Kanematsu”. You will see various shellfish and fresh fish at the entrance of the restaurant, which shows how confident it is about the quality. The most famous dish here is Kaisen-don (Seafood Rice bowl). There are different types of bowls such as “Kanematsu-don” and “Toku-don”.

Each of Kaisen-don comes with thick-sliced fresh fish, which totally satisfies you. It includes expensive sea urchin and salmon roe, but the price is reasonably set. Many customers from a distance often visit to have this budget-friendly treasure. Worth having fresh seafood of Fukui!

Taste the Local Gourmet of Fukui. Try freshly fried Abura-age at [Taniguchiya]

“Taniguchiya” is the Tofu shop with a long history since 1925, located in the mountain of Fujisyagadake. You can visit there by taking the Keifuku bus to “Takeda” bus stop at JR Fukui station, Maruoka station, Ashihara-onsen station and walking 12 minutes from the bus stop. Fukui is known as the top consumption of Abura-age (deep fried tofu) in Japan. Among various tofu shops, “Taniguchiya” has been popular because it serves freshly fried Abura-age.

The most popular dish is “Abura-age Gozen”, which you can have mentioned freshly fried Abura-age. You can enjoy the big size of Abura-age simply with salt and shaved daikon radish. It offers “Tofu ice cream” made from soy milk as dessert, which has gained high reputations too.

Enjoy the Very Local dish of Fukui, Sauce Katsu-don at [Restaurant Fukushin]

With blue roofing and white walls, “Restaurant Fukushin” looks like a cottage house. It is a bit far from the nearest station, but a plenty of visitors from a distance frequently come to have the budget-friendly local dish, “Sauce Katsu-don”.

Sauce Katsu-don (Worcestershire sauce pork cutlet rice bowl) comes with many big-sized pork cutlets covered with freshly sour Worcestershire sauce, which goes perfectly with crispy texture of cutlets. It is rather a big portion, but the light taste and texture have you eat it up for sure. You cannot miss it.

Taste the Traditional Shoyu Ramen at the Popular Ramen restaurant in Fukui, “Ichiriki”

“Ichiriki” is the Chuka Soba (Chinese noodle, similar to Ramen) restaurant with a more than 50 year history in Fukui, located in the building with pink wall near the crossing of the northeast of Tsuruga City Hall. The founder started from a food stall and has developed to the current form, which clearly shows how good it is.

The soup of the “Chuka Soba” is made from pork bones and chicken bones, and is mixed with soy sauce based soup, which creates traditional Ramen taste somehow. Toppings are thinly sliced roast pork, leek and red pickled ginger. The soup matches perfectly with the waved noodles. Not only tourists but also the local visit here to enjoy it for long. This is the must-have dish in Fukui.

This is the Local Gourmet of Fukui! Quick meal at [Konjo Soba Fukui station]

“Konjo Soba Fukui station” is located near the ticket gate and platform of JR Fukui station. It is very popular Soba restaurant because of its good access and reasonable price for stand-up eating.

Fukui prefecture has gained high reputations for Soba, which is called Echizen Soba. This restaurant serves thick and soft Soba noodles with lightly sweet soup and a massive amount of chopped leak and dried bonito flakes. The “Kake Soba” costs only 300 yen! Best for a quick meal before and after your sightseeing of Fukui. Worth dropping by!

Enjoy Fresh Fish Locally caught in Fukui at [Jizakana Marusanya]

“Jizakana Marusanya” is the seafood restaurant with the huge deep blue signboard, which is located at the corner of the second crossing northwest straight from JR Tsuruga station. It has the gift section on the first floor of the restaurant, where you can enjoy shopping.

It serves a variety of dishes with local fishes in season such as sashimi, Tempura, grilled fish. Each dish is of the outstanding quality. You can enjoy having either lunch or dinner. Lunch menu is especially popular. You can have the Sashimi set, the Tempura set, as such, which is absolutely delicious and is for reasonable prices.

Taste the Authentic Pizza by the chef trained in Naples! Italian food in Fukui at [Birdland]

“Birdland” is the Italian restaurant with woody and warm log-house-style exterior, which is located near the Kakuzen crossing in the north of Mikuni-jinja station. You can have delicious pizza viewing pizza-making in a relaxing atmosphere. It offers various pizzas with handmade cheese from 100% Brown Swiss Milk by the farmer.

The authentic pizza baked by the master well-trained in Naples in Italy, has been highly evaluated for its fluffy and chunky crust with milky cheese.

Taste Towari Soba in a Modern atmosphere at [Yubuan]

Go out from the West exit of Fukui station, turn left at “Kencho Iriguchi” crossing, and cross the railway of Fukui Railway Fukubu line. Now you are at “Yubuan”. This Soba restaurant has the shop curtain on the front and modern and classy exterior. They serves Soba, which is the specialty of Fukui prefecture. It is noteworthy that it serves only one dish, “Oroshi Soba”. The Soba here is Towari Soba, which is kneaded only with Soba (buckwheat) flour.

You have the flat Soba noodles with the hot-flavored soup full of grated daikon radish. Soba noodles with firm texture and hot-flavored soup match perfectly. You can choose the portion from 3 sizes; Large, Regular and Small. The presentation of Soba is stylish, which also matches the atmosphere of the restaurant.

Feel the Belief of the Founder. Sauce Katsu-don in Fukui at [Europe-ken]

“Europe-ken” is the Western food restaurant claimed it served the original Sauce Katsu-don, located in the brown building 5 minutes walk straight to the west of Shiyakusho-mae station of Fukui Railway. Takabatake Masutaro, the founder of this restaurant, studied in Germany for 6 years to research on cooking. He met the Worcestershire sauce there and created Sauce Katsudon to spread this sauce in Japan.

Pork cutlet is fried with the special-ordered bread crumbs and soaked into the special-made Worcestershire sauce. The Sauce Katsu-don served by the 90 year history restaurant is extraordinary, which you can eat up easily despite its portion.

Enjoy Towari Soba at the Old Private House. Fukui’s Specialty “Kenzo Soba”

“Kenzo Soba” is the unique Soba restaurant with the old-private-house-like exterior, located near Tenryu-ji Temple and Tsurugi-jinja Shrine in the southwest of Matsuoka station. Towari Soba served here is made from mixed Soba flour produced in Fukui and Hokkaido. The master of this restaurant won the first prize 2 years in row at the”National Amatuer Soba Making Competition” with more than 20 year history, which proves its outstanding quality.

You can have only two styles of Soba here, either popular “Oroshi Soba” or “Kenzo Soba” named after the restaurant. Both Soba uses thin Soba noodles with firm texture and boiled water as the soup. You cannot miss it!

Eat up the Local Gourmet of Fukui!

Here is the 10 must-visit local gourmet restaurants in Fukui. Making the most of its location facing the Sea of Japan, there are a plenty of gorgeous gourmet with fresh seafood. Explore more in Fukui to find hidden gems! Enjoy both gourmet and sightseeing in Fukui!