Local Guide
6 famous restaurants renowned for their delicious Kanazawa oden, a representative Kanazawa dish

Kanazawa is one of the leading oden towns in Japan, and oden is a staple gourmet dish enjoyed all year round. A unique oden culture has developed in the area known as "Kanazawa oden," and there are a variety of oden dishes that incorporate plenty of local ingredients, from the specialty kurumafu (car-shaped gluten), to seafood such as clams and crab noodles, and even Kaga vegetables.
There are many famous restaurants scattered throughout the city. We will introduce recommended restaurants that are frequented by locals, from long-established establishments to restaurants that boast delicious food.

A long-established Kanazawa oden restaurant that has been in business for over 80 years and has been run by three generations.

Clockwise from the front: "Suji" (2 skewered fish) for 350 yen, "Baigai" (clams) at market price (700-900 yen), "Fukashi" (puffed fish) for 300 yen, etc.
Clockwise from the front: "Suji" (2 skewered fish) for 350 yen, "Baigai" (clams) at market price (700-900 yen), "Fukashi" (puffed fish) for 300 yen, etc.

This oden izakaya was founded in 1936 (Showa 11). You can enjoy Kanto-style oden made with shaved bonito flakes of sardines and horse mackerel, Rishiri kelp broth, and seasoned with soy sauce. There are about 25 types of dishes that are typical of Kanazawa, including the "baigai" type of snail shell and the traditional "fukashi" food, which is steamed fish paste.
The recommended dish is the special ganmodoki called "Kanazawa Hirozu," which is filled with ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms, a local specialty, and Kaga lotus root. The miso sauce, inherited from the founder, is also a specialty. It is made by mixing grated ginger into white miso, and goes exceptionally well with beef tendon and radish.

Original menu items such as "curry oden" are also popular

A restaurant with a Showa-era atmosphere. A famous restaurant that was selected as a Bib Gourmand in the "Michelin Guide Toyama/Ishikawa (Kanazawa) 2016 Special Edition."
A restaurant with a Showa-era atmosphere. A famous restaurant that was selected as a Bib Gourmand in the "Michelin Guide Toyama/Ishikawa (Kanazawa) 2016 Special Edition."

In addition to the ginger miso that has been handed down for generations, the restaurant is also popular for its original menu items created by the third-generation owner, such as "gyomen," a noodle-shaped fish paste, and "negima," tuna and green onions skewered on a stick.
Among them, the "Curry Oden" is a dish based on the local specialty "Kanazawa Curry". It has a Japanese taste, with rich curry and oden soup added to add flavor, and contains oden ingredients such as chikuwa, konnyaku noodles, grilled tofu, daikon, and kurumafu. You can also add rice or somen noodles (additional charge) and it is a popular final dish.

Oden Takasago
  • URLhttp://www.facebook.com/kanazawa.oden.takasago
  • 住所1-3-29 Katamachi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
  • アクセスJR金沢駅から車で約10分
  • バスアクセスTake the sightseeing bus from JR Kanazawa Station, get off at "Korinbo (Atorio front)" and walk for about 3 minutes
  • 営業時間16:00-22:00 (Ends when oden runs out)
  • 定休日Sundays and holidays
  • TEL076-231-1018
  • 駐車場None
  • メモCredit cards not accepted

A Kanazawa oden restaurant highly recommended by locals. The most popular item is the winter-only "crab noodles."

The oden dishes are, clockwise from the front, "Shiitake" for 200 yen, "Goshoguruma" for 300 yen, etc. The dish in the back is "Tororo Teppan" for 700 yen (tax not included).
The oden dishes are, clockwise from the front, "Shiitake" for 200 yen, "Goshoguruma" for 300 yen, etc. The dish in the back is "Tororo Teppan" for 700 yen (tax not included).

This popular local restaurant has 80% regular customers. You can enjoy about 40 kinds of oden, from Kanazawa oden staples such as "Goshoguruma", which is made of wheel-shaped gluten stuffed with cod paste and vegetables, and "akamakihaben", a kamaboko with a red spiral pattern, to more unusual varieties such as "dashimaki tamago". The broth, which has onions as a secret ingredient, is slightly sweet and goes well with any ingredient.
Especially in winter, there are many recommended dishes such as "milt" and Kaga vegetable "Gensuke daikon". Among them, "Crab noodles" made by stuffing crab legs into the shell of a hairy crab are available only from mid-November to the end of the year, and are so delicious that reservations are made several months in advance.

Also check out the seafood dishes made with natural ingredients and the diverse original menu

This restaurant has a casual and comfortable atmosphere. In addition to the main tatami seating area, there are also counter seats.
This restaurant has a casual and comfortable atmosphere. In addition to the main tatami seating area, there are also counter seats.

In this folk art-style restaurant decorated with masks and kites, you can enjoy not only oden, but also a wide variety of homemade dishes and a la carte dishes made by the proprietress. In particular, the seafood is only natural, and a chef with over 20 years of experience in a fish store will treat you to carefully selected seasonal ingredients such as conger eel, white shrimp, and tiger pufferfish.
Other popular dishes include the "Sankouage" homemade fried fish cakes, and the "Tororo Teppan" grilled grated yam with shrimp and octopus. The "Oden Ramen" is an original dish made with oden broth, and is always sold out.
There are also over 10 types of Ishikawa Prefecture sake on offer.

Oden, a la carte dishes, Miyuki, Saikawa branch
  • 住所Bergamo Building 102, 1-9-8 Katamachi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa PrefectureMAP
  • アクセスJR金沢駅から車で約10分
  • バスアクセスTake the sightseeing bus from JR Kanazawa Station, get off at "Katamachi (in front of Passion)" and walk for about 2 minutes
  • 営業時間18:00～23:00（L.O.）
  • 定休日Sundays and holidays
  • TEL076-262-1332
  • 駐車場None
  • メモCredit cards not accepted. Reservations required for "Crab noodles."

A restaurant said to be the birthplace of Kanazawa's gorgeous oden dish, "Kanimen."

"Three-colored Namafu" 200 yen, "Kaga Futo" 100 yen and up, available only from May to August. In the back, "Doteyaki" 250 yen each (tax not included)
"Three-colored Namafu" 200 yen, "Kaga Futo" 100 yen and up, available only from May to August. In the back, "Doteyaki" 250 yen each (tax not included)

"Kobakogani" is a winter specialty of the Hokuriku region and is a female snow crab. "Kanimen," which is made by stuffing the crab legs tightly into the shell, is a particularly luxurious oden ingredient. This restaurant is known as the birthplace of crab noodles, and serves them lavishly with the crab meat topped with both the roe and the roe, allowing you to fully enjoy the charms of the kobako crab, which can also be enjoyed with eggs and crab miso (from mid-November to the end of the year). In addition, the unique oden ingredients, such as the Kaga vegetable "kinjiso" kneaded into the standard "steamed fishcake" of Kanazawa oden, and the use of local seasonal vegetables, are also popular.

A pioneering Kanazawa oden restaurant, the hostess's smile will warm your heart

The nostalgic atmosphere and homely hospitality will warm your heart. Most of the seats are at the counter.
The nostalgic atmosphere and homely hospitality will warm your heart. Most of the seats are at the counter.

Opened in 1934 (Showa 9), this is one of Kanazawa's oldest oden restaurants. The walls are decorated with black-and-white photographs that tell the story of the store's history, giving it a nostalgic feel. The store is run by a second-generation mother and her two daughters. They welcome you with warm smiles, and the atmosphere is homely, making it easy for women to enter alone.
The seafood-based Kansai-style soup stock is a traditional taste that has been preserved since the restaurant opened. Oden soaked in the soup stock goes perfectly with hot sake.
The a la carte dish "Doteyaki" is also a popular dish. Steamed pork heart and loin are coated with white miso, making for a delicious dish.

Oden Kikuichi
  • 住所2-1-23 Katamachi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
  • アクセスJR金沢駅から車で約9分
  • バスアクセスTake the sightseeing bus from JR Kanazawa Station, get off at "Korinbo (Atorio front)" and walk for about 2 minutes
  • 営業時間17:30-22:30 (last orders 22:00, ends when oden runs out)
  • 定休日Tuesday and Wednesday
  • TEL076-221-4676
  • 駐車場None
  • メモNo reservations accepted

An oden specialty restaurant located inside Kanazawa Station, the gateway to Kanazawa

Clockwise from the front, the oden is "Shumai" for 200 yen, "Daikon" for 280 yen, etc. In the back is "Hakusan Kentofu" for 450 yen.
Clockwise from the front, the oden is "Shumai" for 200 yen, "Daikon" for 280 yen, etc. In the back is "Hakusan Kentofu" for 450 yen.

This oden restaurant is located in a commercial Property inside Kanazawa Station. The soup stock, which has been added to for over 60 years since the restaurant opened, is made in the Kansai style using dried bonito and mackerel, dried sardines, and kelp. There are about 30 types of oden ingredients, ranging from traditional Kanazawa items such as "akamaki" and "umegai" to unique items such as "shumai". Among the most recommended items are the "kurumafu" which has absorbed plenty of the restaurant's proud soup stock, and the moist "sardine meatballs".
Other local seasonal flavors include wild vegetables in spring, crab noodles from late autumn to the end of the year, and octopus and sweet potato in winter.

You can also enjoy Ishikawa Prefecture's local delicacies and fine sake.

The counter seats 25 people. This is a special seating area where you can dine while watching the rows of oden.
The counter seats 25 people. This is a special seating area where you can dine while watching the rows of oden.

The interior of the restaurant is centered around a U-shaped counter, where you can watch the oden simmering away over the counter, which is sure to whet your appetite.
In addition, there are plenty of local Ishikawa dishes, such as "Jibuni," a soup dish with ingredients such as duck meat and Kaga gluten, "Heshiko," pickled mackerel, "Hakusan hard tofu," which is made by placing a weight on it to remove moisture, and more. There is also a wide selection of izakaya menu items, such as the specialty "Doteyaki" (after 4 p.m.) and fresh local seafood.
They also have a wide selection of local Ishikawa sake, making it the perfect place to end your trip to Kanazawa while waiting for your Shinkansen train.

Seasonal dishes and oden Kuroyuri
  • URLhttp://www.oden-kuroyuri.com/
  • 住所Ishikawa Prefecture Kanazawa City Kinoshinbocho 1-1 Kanazawa Hyakubangai "Anto" MAP
  • アクセスDirectly connected to JR Kanazawa Station
  • 営業時間11:00-22:00 (last orders 21:30, or until oden runs out)
  • 定休日Open daily
  • TEL076-260-3722
  • 駐車場None (discounts available at Kanazawa Hyakubangai affiliated Parking)
  • メモReservations can only be made on weekdays (up to the day before)

Oden made with plenty of ingredients from Kanazawa's Omicho Market

Oden starts at 100 yen. The plate in front of you is "Bakudan" for 390 yen. The plate in the back is "Ebimen" for 600 yen.
Oden starts at 100 yen. The plate in front of you is "Bakudan" for 390 yen. The plate in the back is "Ebimen" for 600 yen.

This shop is located in the food court "Ippuku Yokocho" in Omicho Market, the kitchen of Kanazawa citizens. Most of the ingredients are sourced from shops within the market, and you can enjoy products made with great care by specialty shops such as tofu and kamaboko.
One of the most eye-catching dishes is the "bakudan," a whole boiled egg wrapped in fish paste and deep-fried. It's the size of a baseball and is very filling. Another popular original dish is the "shrimp noodles," made by stuffing a crab shell with sweet shrimp and then covering it with more sweet shrimp paste. The "nodoguro noodles," made with blackthroat seaperch, are also very popular.

There are also restaurants serving seafood and local sake in the food court. On weekends and holidays, you can enjoy standing drinks.

A rare spot where you can enjoy alcoholic drinks from 8:30 in the morning. In addition to oden, you can enjoy a variety of Kanazawa delicacies such as seafood grilling and sushi.
A rare spot where you can enjoy alcoholic drinks from 8:30 in the morning. In addition to oden, you can enjoy a variety of Kanazawa delicacies such as seafood grilling and sushi.

There are three shops in Ippuku Yokocho, including this one. At Ichiba no Hamayaki/Ichiba Meshi Shichifukumaru, where you can taste fresh seafood from the market, in addition to sashimi and sushi, there is a wide variety of a la carte dishes such as grilled oysters, deep-fried white shrimp, and fish soup.
In addition, Hokuriku no Sakagura Rokkaku has a selection of around 50 types of local sake from the Hokuriku region. A connoisseur's way to enjoy sake is to have it mixed with dashi at Omicho Market Kanazawa Oden Ippukuya, and the combination of the delicious dashi stock made with kelp and bonito is exceptional.
The alley is especially lively on weekends and holidays, when all seating is standing-only.

Omicho Market Kanazawa Oden Ippukuya
  • URLhttp://www.kachigumi.co.jp/ippukuya
  • 住所50 Kamiomicho, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture (inside Omicho Market) MAP
  • アクセスJR金沢駅から徒歩約16分
  • バスアクセスTake the sightseeing bus from JR Kanazawa Station, get off at "Musashi-ga-tsuji/Omicho Market (Ichibakan-mae)" and walk for about 2 minutes
  • 営業時間8:30-18:30 (Ends when oden runs out)
  • 定休日Wednesdays (open on public holidays and the days before public holidays)
  • TEL076-223-3789
  • 駐車場None
  • メモAll seats are standing on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays

The appeal is the originality of the homemade oden ingredients

Oden starts at 100 yen. On the far right is "soup rice" for 250 yen, and on the far left is "new Wajima female diver hand-picked natural wakame" for 300 yen (tax not included).
Oden starts at 100 yen. On the far right is "soup rice" for 250 yen, and on the far left is "new Wajima female diver hand-picked natural wakame" for 300 yen (tax not included).

This oden izakaya is run by the proprietress and her son. They value the taste of homemade food and offer oden that is unique to this restaurant, such as "Mochikinchaku," deep-fried inari filled with mugwort mochi made from brown rice (sticky rice), and "Yoseito Konnyaku," square pieces of itokonnyaku. Daily specials include homemade ganmo with broad beans, "steamed chicken thighs with salt and koji," and rare oden ingredients such as hand-picked wakame seaweed from Hegura Island in Noto. The broth, made from fish such as mackerel, sardines, and horse mackerel, shiitake mushrooms, and kelp, has a gentle flavor, and the "soup over rice" with plenty of this broth is also popular.

We also recommend the homemade dishes made with fresh ingredients from Ishikawa Prefecture and the local sake.

At the counter seats, regular customers chat with one another, creating a friendly atmosphere.
At the counter seats, regular customers chat with one another, creating a friendly atmosphere.

The restaurant has counter seats and a raised area on the first floor, and a large hall on the second floor. At the counter are lined with homemade smoked foods such as firefly squid, octopus, and figs, as well as the proprietress's pride and joy, such as pickled gand (small yellowtail) and stir-fried sweet shrimp. Although the menu changes every day, you can enjoy about 10 dishes, including dishes made with fresh ingredients such as seafood landed at Kanazawa Port and freshly picked vegetables.
Many of the dishes are seasoned to go well with alcohol, so you can enjoy pairing them with Ishikawa's famous sake brands such as "Tengumai," "Kikuhime," and "Tedorigawa."

Oden Yoshibo
  • URLhttp://www.facebook.com/odenyosibou
  • 住所2-4-21 Korinbo, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
  • アクセスJR金沢駅から車で約7分
  • バスアクセスTake the sightseeing bus from JR Kanazawa Station, get off at "Korinbo (Atorio front)" and walk for about 3 minutes
  • 営業時間17:30～22:00（L.O.21:30）
  • 定休日Sundays, holidays (irregular holidays)
  • TEL076-221-8048
  • 駐車場None
  • メモReservations for counter seats are required to drink alcohol, and are only accepted between 17:30 and 18:00. Credit cards not accepted.
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