Category: City: Nagasaki

What to eat in Nagasaki

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.

Delicious gyukatsu in Nagasaki

Gyukatsu (a fried beef cutlet with the beef rare inside) is one of my favorite dishes. It is not so popular though. I will share my visit to a simple shop in Nagasaki (only with a Japanese name, 勝鹿 かつしか) that served an excellent specimen of this dish.

The visit

I came across the shop on a Sunday. I was the first customer for a very early lunch.

The menu was in Japanese but quite simple to decode. I asked for the gyukatsu set (the one with one portion and half) and an iced tea.

The spectacular set had the gyukatsu, juicy and rare, miso soup, rice, cabbage salad, pickles.

The check

I paid 2,009 yen (18.65 USD), not the cheapest lunch set, but the quality was there. They also specialized in tonkatsu that would have been interesting to try.

Where in Nagasaki:
5-25, 1F, Kagomachi.
In Japanese: 〒850-0905 長崎県長崎市籠町５−25 1F.

Castella cake and other sweets in Nagasaki

The international nature of Nagasaki also emerges from its dessert culture. I have written about its milk seki in another post, clearly showing Western influence. This review will focus on the famous castella cake (kasutera) and some other sweets like yori yori.

The classic castella from Fukusaya

Regarded as a specialty of Nagasaki, castella cake was brought to Japan by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. The name is derived from Portuguese Pão de Castela, meaning “bread from Castile”. It is a sponge-cake.

Fukusaya is the most famous producer of catella cake in Nagasaki (along with Bunmeido) and has branches also in other cities. Their symbol is the bat. I went to their main store in central Nagasaki.

The cake is usually sold in boxes as a gift. Fukusaya also has a chocolate castella called Hollander cake. Unfortunately their shop is not a cafe.

I decided to buy the mini-box (called Fukusaya cube) that carries two pieces of castella. It was very good, fluffy, and sugary.

The small box was just 270 yen (a little bit more than 2 USD).

Where in Nagasaki: 3-1 Funadaikumachi.

Ice cream castella sandwich at the Foreign Settlement Cafe

Up on the Hollander Slope (one of Nagasaki’s landmark) there is a lovely cafe housed in a traditional Western House open to the public. I would not call it a gourmet destination, however they had vanilla ice cream sandwiched in two slices of castella cake that was quite nice. It is a good place where to have a coffee and relax.

Where in Nagasaki: House 13, Holander Slope.

Baigetsudo’s cakes

Baigetsudo is one of the oldest pastry shops in Nagasaki and has multiple outlets. They of course sell castella (one with green tea flavor is unique to their store) and other Western cakes. In their main store they have a tea room upstairs where I tried one of their cakes. If you go, you might want to try their sponge cake with peach and pineapple; it is their signature.

Where in Nagasaki: 7-3 Hamamachi (inside the covered shopping street).

Yori Yori bakery

Not far away from Ichiriki I stepped into a bakery selling yori yori, twisted fried dough that is regarded as a perfect souvenir for people visiting Nagasaki. The Chinese influence here is clear, in China they ave the exact same thing.

I was amazed at the price of some of the packaged yori yori. I snagged a cheap bag and this was quite disappointing. It was hard as stone. They also sell castella cake, probably a better bet.

Where in Nagasaki: 7-28 Suwamachi. (Store name: 萬順製菓 工場直売店).

Nagasaki’s own noodles: lunch at the Champon Museum (Shikairo)

Champon or Chanpon (ちゃんぽん) is a noodle dish that originated in Nagasaki. Lore has it that it was introduced by Chinese students (or merchants). The dish is made by frying pork, seafood and vegetables with lard; a soup made with chicken and pig bones is then added. Unlike other ramen dishes, only one pan is needed as the noodles are boiled in the soup.

I am not a fan of noodles, but I decided to try it while in Nagasaki in a trip in the summer 2019. I went to Shikairo (四海樓), a restaurant that has been serving champon since 1899 and even has a small museum on its premises.

The visit

The restaurant is occupies a massive five-story building overlooking the port. It is an ugly building… you won’t miss it.

The proper restaurant is located on the 5th floor.

As soon I as stepped inside the crowded dining room (I had to queue 10 minutes or so), I immediately felt that it was a touristy place. It was. But it was not a tourist trap. This was a very well-oiled and efficient operations satisfying hundreds of customers every day. I have a lot of respect for this kind of operations. Once I sat, my bowl of noodles came quickly.

I had their house Champon. Also a number of other Chinese side-dishes was available, but I just wanted the noodles.

Here they were. The stock was quite creamy. The shredded egg yolk was another of the characteristic features of the dish. I did not find it particularly good, but it was a filling bowl of noodles.

Before leaving I took a stroll in the museum (free of charge) on the second floor. On the ground floor you can buy the Champon noodles and soup stock if you wish to do so.

The check

I paid 1,080 yen (10 USD). Considering the nice (even if crowded) dining room, I did not mind paying this price. I am pretty sure that we were all tourists in this restaurant. If you wish to try a Champon that locals like, ask someone in Nagasaki for a pointer.

Where in Nagasaki:
4-5 Matsugaemachi.
In Japanese: 長崎県長崎市松が枝町4-5.

A visit to the original Gyumaru in Nagasaki

I was familiar with Gyumaru – a Japanese hamburger joint – thanks to its branch in Ho Chi Minh City. The restaurant is originally from Saga prefecture and is a chain with several branches in Kyushu. I went to their Nagasaki restaurant to make a comparison. There were subtle differences with their overseas location.

The visit

The restaurant was located in a shopping mall. The plastic food models were in display.

It looked like a popular restaurant. There are many hamburger chains in Japan. Gyumary seems to offer a quality product.

I started with their creamy (and super hot) corn soup that comes with a pastry.

There were instructions on how to enjoy the soup… that I did not follow. But they show that this is a signature dish for the chain. It is also available in Ho Chi Minh City.

Of the various hamburger dishes, I had one with soft-boiled egg (this side is not available in Ho Chi Minh City). It was the 140-gram size (they also had a 180-gram version). It came with a plate of steamed rice. In Ho Chi Minh City you can choose between rice and bread and you also get a free salad.

The hamburger was soft and super juicy… actually the juice would come out by cutting it. It was remarkably similar to their hamburger in Ho Chi Minh City. They did not have any burger on the menu as in Vietnam.

The check

Total check 1,660 yen (15.4 USD), the hamburger set was 1,280 and the soup 380 yen. In Ho Chi Minh City a 150-gram hamburger was 172,000 VND or 7.4 USD (vs. 11.88 for the set in Japan). The set in Vietnam also came with a free soup (not the premium corn soup though) and salad. The set in Japan came with the soft-boiled egg. Clearly, the Vietnamese branch is really a bargain.

Where in Nagasaki:
1-55 Morimachi, 4F (shop 410) Mirai Cocowalk.
Website: gyumaru.net.

Fresh sashimi in a gaijin-friendly izakaya in Nagasaki

There are a lot of izakayas in Nagasaki. And they serve fresh sashimi. Of course. Unfortunately I did not find the good deals that I found in Hakodate, but I had at least a good sashimi platter in an izakaya called Ichiba-Kaisen Nagasakirou with English menu (there are not many in Nagaski).

The visit

The izakaya is located in the downtown wharf (Dejima).

It is a large izakaya with an essential decor.

Their sashimi platter had sakae (turban shell) and various types of seafood including fatty tuna. The big fish was hiramasa (yellowtail amberjack), a local catch. On the top of the platter, you can see a silver-striped fish: it is silver-stripe round herring, another local catch.

Miso soup.

And finally the silver-stripe round herrings tempura style.

The check

The big sashimi platter was 3030 yen. The total check was 4,210 yen (39 USD). Not a bad value for this kind of fresh sashimi.

I will also mention that I tried to get a seat at Dejima dining that to me seemed an even better izakaya, but on a Saturday evening it was full.

Where in Nagasaki:
1-1 Dejimamachi | Dejima Wharf 1F.
In Japanese: 長崎市出島町1-1 長崎出島ワーフ 1F.
Website: nagasakikou.com (they also have other two locations with the same menu).

Toruko rice in a traditional cafe in Nagasaki

Toruko rice is a popular dish in Nagasaki. It brings together pilaf rice, pork cutlet (tonkatsu), spaghetti, and, for good measure, everything is covered with demi glace sauce. How it came about and why the name included “Toruko” (Turkish) will remain a mystery.* Nevertheless, it is one of those Western-inspired dishes that found in Nagasaki the perfect ground thanks to centuries of foreign influences. It can be found in every cafe in town and there are infinite variations.

The visit

I tried the dish in a cafe called Nicky Arnstein (or Nicky Earth Tin Hamamachi in the backtranslation from Japanese ニッキー・アースティン浜町店 that you can find sometimes on the web, including on Google Map) in a side street of the Hamamachi covered shopping street. The cafe was started in 1973 and apparently it was named after the owner’s favorite character (from Funny Girl musical).

The cafe is quite old and at dinner time it was empty. What was remarkable was the phone-directory-size menu with hundreds of permutations in the ingredients of the dish.

They only have a Japanese menu, but they show some exemplars in the shop window. I opted for one version with a fried pork meatball, potato croquettes (I asked for an additional one), beef strips and the rest. It was a filling dish as you can imagine; my spaghetti were under-cooked though.

The check

It cost me 1,108 yen (a little over 10 USD), including 100 yen for the extra croquette. It is the cost of a normal lunch set in most places. Should I visit Nagasaki again, I will probably keep room in my belly for something more interesting.

Where in Nagasaki:
2-20 Hamamachi.
In Japanese: 長崎県長崎市浜町2-20.

*This blogger seems to have a rational explanation for the name… but it is all speculation anyway.

Nagasaki’s milk seki

Milk seki is one of those unique Nagasaki dishes. It is a milkshake made with condensed milk, but it is supposed to be eaten with a spoon, not drunk. I tried it in two cafes during my summer 2019 trip to Nagasaki.

Tsuruchan: Where milk seki was invented

This was actually my second milk seki, but I will start with this because it was the classic version in the cafe that is said to have invented it: Tsuruchan, an old cafe in Nagasaki that opened in 1925 and is regarded as the oldest known cafe in Kyushu.

I easily reached the cafe from the nearby covered shopping arcade.

Inside it is pretty dark, full of memorabilia and antiques. It looks old, more than vintage, in sharp contrast with the colorful cafes nearby.

The menu was in Japanese but the milk seki was displayed with a picture. They also have other cafe food like toruko rice. But I was there just for the milk seki.

It came with the classic glazed cherry on top and a spoon. I wish I could say that it was great, but it was just bland. There were Japanese customers enjoying it. I think it is still a popular treat, especially during the heat of the summer.

It cost me 680 yen (6.35 USD). Also an half portion for 350 yen was available. If you visit Nagasaki, try it at least once.

Where in Nagasaki:
2-47 Aburayamachi
In Japanese: 長崎県 長崎市 油屋町 2-47.

Milk seki at Cafe & Bar Umino

I had a chance to try a milk seki also in the shopping mall attached to Nagasaki railway station (AMU Plaza).

In this cafe they had milk seki in different flavors.

I had one with chocolate and it was also quite forgettable. Nothing to do with some contemporary decadent desserts you find in Japan nowadays.

In this case the chocolate milk seki was 770 yen (7.20 USD).

Where in Nagasaki:
Amu Plaza Nagasaki 5F, 1-1 Onouemachi.

Nagasaki’s shippoku cuisine at Ichiriki

Shippoku is a hybrid cuisine that combines elements of Chinese, Japanese and some European styles and is unique to Nagasaki. The city for over two centuries was the only port open to foreign trade in Japan. This meant Chinese and Westerner (mostly Dutch) merchants set shop in the city with their own traditions. Some fusion was inevitable.

Shippoku is today a type of high-end cuisine best enjoyed in banquets. Usually, six or seven people take seats around a round table and eat a variety of dishes together from various sized bowls. During my summer 2019 trip to Nagasaki I found a shippoku restaurant that also accepted single diners: Ichiriki.

The visit

The restaurant is located in a traditional Japanese house in front of a Shinto shrine. The day before my intended lunch I went there to make a reservation. They only serve set menus by reservation.

On the day of my lunch I followed a staff member to the communal dining room walking through a long corridor from which I could notice the various private rooms.

They had a shared dining room with three tables for diners like me. During my visit there was also a couple from Tokyo.

Food arrived quite quickly.

One bowl had some fresh sashimi.

The most interesting food was in the bowls. One for cold food and one for warm bites. In the cold box there was some ham, an egg omelet with spinach, black beans in a plum broth, jelly (I think from stock), a piece of white fish in a multicolored crust.

The warm box contained: a potato croquet, tofu, yam, a caramelized shrimp, braised pork belly (maybe with sake), a dumpling, a pie with pork meat, a mushroom, peas, and tofu skin. In this potpourri you could start seeing the Chinese influence.

The rice was presented in a way to resemble a pumpkin.

The pickles were pretty ordinary.

There was a clear-broth soup with some tofu and other ingredients I could not fully identify.

I was not finished yet, but the waitress decided that was time to bring the dessert. Service was a bit rushed. It was a jelly, some watermelon and cold green tea. Nice but quite ordinary. The all lunch lasted just 30 minutes.

The check

The check was 5,400 net (around 50 USD). Tea was included. The menu was called Hime-Jyu Shippoku Zanmai. The same menu without the sashimi and the dessert was only 3.240 yen (Hime-Jyu Shippoku). If you are alone and just wish to have a quick introduction to shippoku, the lower price menu is enough in my opinion. If you are in a group and are in for a splurge, this and other shippoku restaurants in Nagasaki can provide you with the experience of a full round table full of this kind of fusion dishes.

Where in Nagasaki:
8-20 Suwa-Machi, Nagasaki (Tera-Machi Street).
In Japanese: 長崎市諏訪町8-20(寺町通り).
Website (for menus): www.ichiriki.jp/top-e.