The 10 Best Places to Eat in Saga, Japan

Saga is not as famous as Fukuoka or Nagasaki in Kyushu. But they have lots of good food in Saga. Today, we would like to introduce good food that local people suggest in saga. Please enjoy!

1. Shishirian rice

Shishirian rice is said it started in about 1975 as stuff meal at a restaurant. Then café in the city started serve it and now it became famous food from Saga. But you may not be able to imagine what it is just to hear the name.

It is very simple so it often is served at home too. You put warm rice on the flat plate and put cooked meat, vegetables like lettuce or tomato, and put mayonnaise on top. It depends on restaurant if they use beef or chicken, and sauce for vegetables.

There are more than 30 places that serve Shishirian rice in the city but our suggestion is “Romanza”. You can eat Shishirian rice that uses roast beef from Saga. They put 7 seasonal vegetables and original sauce and mayonnaise. Please try!

2. Chanpon

If you hear Chanpon in Kyushu, you might think Nagasaki. But if you say Chanpon in Saga, that means “Ide chanpon”. It is started as a restaurant that serves noodle and rice bowl. Then second owner started as “Ide chanpon” in 1949.

The owner made original chanpon after eating in Nagasaki. They use tonkotsu soup. They mix the soup with cabbage, onion and green onion so you can taste vegetables in soup.

And they put lots of vegetables on noodle, so when you see it, you can’t see the noodle. They also serve Katsudon too. It is a big bowl so you should go when you are really hungry!

3. Onsen yudofu

It is Yudofu that uses hot spring water from Ureshino onsen and it is famous food from Ureshino. You can eat it at hotels or restaurant in the city but “Soan Yokocho” is said where it started.

The owner noticed that tofu that cooks with hot spring water melt in 1957 and used it for cook. “Soan Yokocho” has own factory and they use only soy beans from Ureshino.

If you go for lunch, you can eat Yudofu teishoku. Also you can buy gift at the restaurant or the factory too. Please introduce to your family or friends if you like it!

4. Saga ramen

There are lots of local ramen in Kyushu. They have Saga ramen, of course. It is based on Kurume ramen, and it is strong ramen. “Koyokaku” is where used to be Yakiniku restaurant and they don’t have counter seats.

There are only two menu, Ramen and ramen with egg. And they have rice, alcohol like beer and sake and soft drink. They don’t have kaedama which is you can add noodle or big bowl, so if you want to be full, you should order with rice. And order with egg. They usually serve raw egg for Saga ramen.

If you like hard noodle, you should tell them when you order. It is always crowded with local people but they don’t have lots of menu so you won’t wait too long. Please try once!

5. Aritayaki curry

Arita is famous as the city for ceramic. There are 22 stores that sell and show gift or expensive art at Arita togeinosato plaza. It is popular as sightseeing spot but we would like you to stop at “So gallery ota” for lunch.

You can eat Aritayaki curry here. They use 28 spices and cook for a week and put on rice from Saga and put cheese on it and bake. They use Aritayaki plate of course, so please order one with plate.

We suggest cheese cake as dessert. If you don’t have time to eat, you can buy obento called Aritayaki curry bento that got 1st place on Kyushu no ekiben ranking in 2011 by JR Kyushu. If you come to Saga for sightseeing, please try!

6. Kanzaki somen

“Kanzaki somen” that has 380 years of history has been making in Kanzaki. There used to be more than 300 places that make it since they have lots of good water and flour but now there are only 15 places, but they still make original somen.

“Hyakunenan” is owned by Inoue seimen that has more than 130 years of history. They use organic flour and use water from 100m deep.

Their main menu is somen but in winter, you can eat hot somen. They also have udon or soba. And they have factory next to restaurant so you can buy as gift. Please try!

7. Imari beef

Saga is famous for Japanese beef. There are lots of brands in Saga. Imari beef is black hair cow where they are produced in JA Imari area. Don’t you want to eat burger beef that uses 100% Imari beef?

You can eat it at “Jun kissa Rosier” that is located at 5 minutes from JR Imari station and was opened in 1963. You can eat 100% Imari beef burger beef with soup, salad and drink for 1650 yen. It got 1st place at Kyushu gotochi gourmet competition for 3 years in row.

They use Imariyaki or Aritayaki for plate. How about spend some time at here?

8. Takesaki kani

Taracho is the city that is along ocean and next to Nagasaki. “Takesaki kani” is name of the brand that crab is caught near Takesaki area. Crab is winter food but you can eat Takesaki kani through a year.

It is said especially from summer to autumn is the best season to eat, and you can eat as boiled with salt, tempura, or zousui. In the city, there are lots of hotels and you can eat Takesaki kani there.

If you don’t have time to stay, please go to “Oshokuji dokoro Sanpou”. You can eat course for from 4000yen to 6000yen. If you want just small plate, it will be 1000 yen to 1500 yen. It might be a little too expensive for lunch but it worth it.

9. Omachi Taromen

Omachi is where prospered as coal mine city. “Taromen” was food for people who were working there. It was noodle that Chinese restaurant called “Chugokuhanten” was serving. But when coal mine was closed, restaurants that serve Taromen were closed too.

But as people said they wanted to eat Taromen again, it started serving again in 2010. Now, you can eat at 6 restaurants in the city. Our suggestion is a restaurant in “Omachi plaza, Hijiri-no-sato”.

They serve only Omachi Taromen, Omachi Taromen omori , rice and beer. It looks like champon. They also sell Taromen for souvenir. If you come to Saga, please stop by!

10. Yobuko ika

Yobuko is famous for row squid. Not only local people but lots of tourists visit as it was introduced in magazine or TV many times.

There are lots of places that you can eat fresh raw squid in Yobuko so it might be hard on you to choose one. Our suggestion is “Osakana dokoro Genkai” that is opened in 1969 and said where it started.

In Yobuko, they can get different kinds of squid in each season, so you can eat squid through a year. They also serve another fish too. Please try!

Let’s eat good food in Saga!

There might be something you hear for the first time but you might want to eat good food when you go on a trip. In Saga, not only where we introduced today, but there are more places to go that you might regret that you didn’t know. Please enjoy sightseeing after enjoying good food in Saga!