Izakaya: Miyuki Honten!
Service: Very friendly, informative and always ready for a great chat!
Equipment and facilities: Very clean overall. Excellent washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Local gastronomy. Oden. Great sake and drinks list. Great use of local products. Long history and faithful local clientele.
Miyuki Honten is a true Kanazawa City izakaya with a small entrance easy to miss!
The reason is simple enough: like many such establishments in this cold part of Japan, it is all in length with a narrow entrance to keep the cold out!
Even at 17:00 it is a busy place and you had better reserve in advance, not like us who were very lucky to find once again the best seats at the counter because we entered very early!
They certainly need a many staff with so much on the menus!
We were told they use 14 part-timers in shifts of threes to be added to the husband, wife and son team (and probably a hidden cook or two!)!
like all good izakayas you will have a good idea of the gastronomy served with all the appetizers lined up in front of the counter!
Mind you you can take a seat at a table or away from the crowd on a tatami!
But again like in any good izakayas conversation with the owners can be so great fun!
have a good look at the exhibited food before delving into the menu!
And you must try the local oden, an unending conversation topic!
The place was opened 46 years ago. The original owner is still alive and at 87 decided to open his own little karaoke bar for his personal fun and leave everything to the very capable second generation!
As for the many sake don’t hesitate to consult the owners or staff if you are tourists like us!
lightly cooked local na no hana/rape flowers as the appetizer with the first drink!
Already a good sign of the above-average quality!
Simmered cuttle fish!
They do serve excellent sashimi, but as a non Japanese their cooked seafood should be a delight if you are not keen on anything raw!
Great oden!
A local discovery: they serve shumai in oden in Kanazawa City!
Now, we parctically heard all the customers order the above steamed grated lotus root ball!
Delicious and very local in concept!
Home-made potato and vegetables salad!
Perfect with beer or sake!
One my favorites!
Cod milt tempura, another specialty of the house!
Home-made specialty that everyone ordered too: white satsuma age/deep-fried fish paste! A must!
Beef suji/tendons and tofu nikomi/stew!
Nanban-style deep-fried chicken!
Pity there was a limit on our stomachs and that we had to go home the next day!
I plan to come back to Kanazawa City again and Miyuki Honten is first on my list!
One of the very best izakayas in all Japan!
MIYUKI HONTEN
920-0981 Kanazawa City, Kata machi, 1-10-3 金沢市片町１丁目１０－３
Tel.: 076-222-6117
Opening hours: 17:00~23:00
Closed on Sundays and national Holidays
Cash only
Reservations recommended!
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Itaru (Honten) Izakaya!
Sashimi plate, all local fish!
Service: Friendly and very attentive
Facilities and equipment: Very clean overall. Excellent washroom
Prices: Reasonable (considering the quality)
Strong points: Local fish, sashimi or cooked, crab and seafood, local vegetables. Great sake list!
In Kanazawa City winter means early and cold nights.
People tend to go earlier to their favorite haunts and it is always a good idea to reserve as good or popular establishments are full by 6:00 p.m.!
For our first night we chose to visit Itaru (Honten, there is another one)!
We came early enough and were lucky actually to get the best seat at the corner of the counter with a full view of the kitchen!
In such a cold part of Japan, entrances are deceptively narrow to keep the cold out, but once inside you usually find yourself with plenty of space!
But it is still cold for some and knee blankets are available!
Such a spot by the counter does not seem that popular there and we were really glad to grab it, which allowed us not only to watch the chefs at work but to share a chat with them!
Of course I ordered local sake!
In Kamazawa City, izakayas are proud of their heritage and always have plenty of local sake on their menu!
The above was Tengu no Mai!
O-shino/home-made pickles!
Kanazawa is also famous for its countryside providing a wealth of vegetables!
Local seafood for our sashimi plate:
Octopus, tuna, sweet shrimps, yellow tail and seaweed marinated seabream!
Interestingly enough the freshly grated wasabi is made with roots from Izu peninsula!
from another angle!
A local grilled fish: Nodokuro/Black throat!
Expensive, even in Kanazawa!
Another local specialty: Lotus root chawanmushi!
Another local sake. Sorry, I forgot to note down the name!
Another local specialty: hako crab sushi donburi!
And to finish pork and vegetable stew!
tasty, comforting and healthy!
ITARU (Hontenn)
Kanazawa City, Kakinokibatake, 3-8
Tel.: 076-221-4194
Opening hours: 17:30~23:00
Closed Sundays
Cash only
English menus available
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Ohmichou Market-近江町マーケット!
Crabs, crabs, crabs!
The Ohmichou market is certainly one of the most famous spots in Kanazawa City!
It was established 300 odd years ago during the Japan Feudal Times and is still striving!
For more information read one of their homepages I included at the bottom of this article! No less than 5 languages! Great promotion that some places should take good note of!
Alright, let me take you along during my first ever visit last week!
One of the many entrances to the market. Note the curtain to keep the cold out!
Past the entrance!
Naturally, Tengu, the biggest meat company in town has its shop inside!
Ishikawa Prefecture is famous for its vegetables!
But seafood is the main attraction!
Very expensive crabs, many of them still alive!
More crabs and shrimps!
Sweet shrimps!
Enormous oysters!
Aori Ika/Bigfin Reef Squid!
Big and fresh shiitake mushrooms!
Yellowtail/Buri!
Boiled octopus!
Local vegetables for every day food!
aturally
Naturally, there are many restaurants inside, especially on the second floor, offering super fresh seafood in particular!
Wasabi from Shizuoka (cheap variety from Izu, though!)!
Beautifully colored cute little cauliflowers!
Lily roots and taro roots/satoimo!
All kinds of freshly fried food are available for immediate consumption and enjoyment!
We were particularly interested in this famous shop for a quick morning snack!
Octopus and beef Croquettes!
Remember this noren/curtain! We definitely recommend the place!
Hot sweet shrimp croquette!
Hot beef croquette!
OHMICHOU MARKET/近江町マーケット
JAPANESE HOMEPGAE</strong>
ENGLISH HOMEPAGE
CHINESE HOMEPAGE</strong>
CHINESE (TAIWANESE) HOMEPAGE
KOREAN HOMEPAGE
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Mori Mori Sushi!
Service: Easy-going and friendly
Facilities and Equipment: Overall very clean. Very clean wasroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Very good value for many local fish and seafood! Better than average conveyor belt sushi! Entirely non-smoking!
Usually I’m not so keen on kaiten sushi/回転すし/Conveyor belt sushi, but when you happen to enjoy food in a Prefecture and City famed for their fish and seaood I’m willing to make a concession, with a few conditions attached that is!
Mori Mori Sushi is a big sushi restaurant chain in Japan, with no less than 15 establishments allowing them to make extensive use of computerized service.
It is a busy place, but you do not have to sit elbow to elbow with other customers as the “belts” also run along the booth-style table seatings!
The table we were offered was the epitome of sushi high tech!
You can choose your morsels in two different manners:
via the computer digital screen or by picking plates running along on belts!
Now I must admit that this system should appeal to non-Japanese speaking tourists as you can switch to English, Korean, Chinese and Mandarin (Taiwan) Chinese!
The lid covered plates running along is a show by itself!
Plenty of simple instructions:
Smoking prohibited!
Do not ride the belts (that’s for silly kids!)!
Mind your sleeves!
Do not return a plate onto the belt!
You are free to collect leftovers to take back home! (no waste!)
Pay your bill to the staff at your table (no need to search for the register. You can pay by card at your table!)!
Refrain from drinking alcohol if you are driving!
No pets allowed!
Do not block large trays on the belt (such large trays are private oreders, anyway!)!
The belt move slowly enough for you to look and pick up an individual plate!
Yummy!
These trays on the train are private orders that will be delivered at only one table. Don’t try to block it!
Don’t worry, there are plenty of cartes on hands for the analogs like me to have a good look at the offereings!
have a good look at the sets, too!
Gunkans/ships and Rolls!
There is also a special additional daily menu! You might need some help there!
Our first set, all different shrimps!
Our second set!
We had just disembarked from a 4-hour train trip and were very hungry at this first lunch so we ordered some extra!
“Gasuebi sshrimps”!
Sea urchin and salmon roe!
Shiroebi shrimps”!
Scallops!
Natto and cuttle fish/squid!
Negitoro and quail eggs!
Our last order came by train!
Tamagoyaki nigiri!
When you call for your bills the staff will pass a computer reader along them and voila, your bill will be ready!
Note that the plates are of different colors indicating a pre-ordained price including drinks. So do not worry if you are served empty colored plates with your drinks!
Tea is free and you can mix it and serve it yourself thanks to a hot water tap at your table!
MORI MORI SUSHI (Conveyor Belt Sushi Restaurant)
Ishikawa Prefecture, Kanzawa City, Horikawa Shin Cho, 3-1, Kanazawa Forus Department Store, 6 F (near Kanazawa JR Station)
Te.: 076-265-3510
Opening hours: Forus Department Store opening hours
Credit Cards OK
Entirely non-smoking!
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HIRAI HONTEN
Service: Kind and attentive. Easy-going and smiling!
Equipment & Facilities: very clean overall. Excellent washroom
Prices: Reasonable to slightly expensive
Strong points: Sushi and tuna. Great lunch sets. Entirely non-smoking!
for our last meal in kanazawa City, we decided to have d\fish again and more precisely sushi!
Hirai Honten is conveniently located on the second floor about the great Ohmicho Market whose fish only has to travel upstairs to be served on your plate!
Visitors who do not like raw fish should be discouraged (overawed? LOL) as they also serve some great cooked seafood sets!
We chose two fairly similar sets!
My donburi set, quite extravagant!
Can you spot the salmon roe with real gold flakes, the sea urchin, the oyster, the conger eel, the yellowtail and crab?
Can you spot the tuna, negitoro and sweet shrimps?
Another view of the crab!
The Dragon’s donburi set!
Can you spot the oyster, negitoro, salmon roe with gold flakes, and cuttle fish?
Can you spot the octopus, salmon, yellow tail and sweet shrimp?
Can you spot the marinated mackerel, tamagoyaki, tuna among the rest?
This was our first visit to Kanazawa City, but expect at least two more!
There were just too many good things for a single trip!
HIRAI HONTEN
920-0905 Kanazawa City, Kami ohmicho, 29 (2nd floor of Ohmicho Market)
Tel./fax: 076-222-5887
“http://www.kaisen-hirai.com/”>HOMEPAGE
Opening hours: 11:00~15:30, 17:00~21:30
Closed on Wednesdays
Entirely non-smoking!
SHIZUOKA GOURMET 