Nagasaki is known to most people for the deadly atomic bomb dropped by the Americans in August 1945. However, the city has a long and intriguing history. For 218 years – until 1853 – Japan enacted a policy of complete isolation and during this time Nagasaki was the only port allowed to trade with foreigners. This made Nagasaki a multicultural city, with Westerner (mostly Dutch) and Chinese merchants interacting with locals and even living in the city. It was unavoidable that this interactions would influence its cuisine. One of the distinctive features of Nagasaki is its fusion dishes where you can see these influences at work.
Fresh seafood
As a port, you can expect to find fresh seafood. You can try a sashimi platter from a friendly izakaya to taste the freshness of the local catch.
Shippoku “fusion” high-cuisine
Shippoku is unique to Nagasaki and is a form of high-cuisine combining Japanese, Chinese, and Westerner elements. The result is beautifully presented dishes. We tried Ichiriki that has some very affordable menus to try this cuisine.
Champon noodles
Every city in Japan seems to have its own noodle dish. For Nagasaki it is Champon, a creamy noodle with pork, shrimps, squid, and much more that was influenced by Chinese cuisine. We tried it at Shikairo, a restaurant that even has a museum dedicated to Champon noodles. Otherwise just look for a place in Chinatown.
Toruko rice and its endless combinations
Toruko (Turkish) rice is a Nagasaki dish combining pilaf rice, tonkatsu (pork cutlet), spaghetti (and more depending on the place), all covered in demi-glace. Why it is called Turkish is a mystery, but it is a very popular dish found in cafes around Nagasaki. We recommend a cafe called Nicky Arnstein that offers hundreds of permutations in the ingredients of the dish.
A quality Japanese hamburger chez Gyumaru
Gyumaru is a small chain of hamburger shops from Saga prefecture. They do a terrific job in serving quality Japanese hamburgers, which are nothing like the Westerner counterpart. We enjoyed the Nagasaki branch in Mirai Cocowalk.
Nagasaki beef
Nagasaki is famous for its beef (wagyu). Why not trying it as a beef cutlet? We found a lovely little restaurant serving quality gyukatsu, the Japanese beef cutlet.
Refreshing with a milk seki
Milk seki is the Nagasaki’s version of milk shake (with condensed milk) and is typically eaten, not drunk. It was invented in a cafe called Tsuruchan that is regarded as the first modern cafe in Kyushu, dating back to the 1920s, another testament of Nagasaki’s modernity.
Castella cake to finish with a dessert
The Portuguese were among the first to trade with Nagasaki and the delicious Castella cake is regarded as a legacy of theirs. We tried it from Fukusaya, the oldest shop selling it in Nagasaki. Or you can try a Western cake from Baigetsudo or even the Chinese-inspired fried-dough called yori yori (if you have good teeth). Nagasaki is as international as it gets when it comes to its desserts.