What to Eat in Fukui Prefecture


2019.01.14

NAVITIME TRAVEL EDITOR

What to Eat in Fukui Prefecture

Fukui Prefecture boasts some of the most fertile farmland and richest fisheries in the country, lush green mountains that are blanketed with snow in the winter months, and waterways fed by ice cold mountain runoff.

Fukui also has a deep well of culture and history to draw from. The history of the prefecture is marked by warfare—ancient battles, as well as aerial bombardment during the Second World War—and trade—the kitamaebune went to the untamed north and other ships went west to Korea and China. The people of Fukui take great pride in their food and the city’s off-the-tourist-track status means that every dish is an undiscovered gem. Here are five options (and one bonus) to get you started.

  • 01

    Sample Lake Kuzuryu’s famous soba

    Sample Lake Kuzuryu’s famous soba

    Sample Lake Kuzuryu’s famous soba

    It seems as if every region of Japan touts a famous soba. That’s no reason to write off the brand of buckwheat noodles that are famously served along Lake Kuzuryu. Soba noodles are the perfect showcase for a region’s agricultural riches. At Lake Kuzuryu’s soba shops, the emphasis is on mushrooms, in particular the Kuzuryu maitake. The delicate yet meaty mushroom is the perfect earthy foil for the region’s soba, served at shops like Michi no Eki at Kuzuryuko Station on JR West's Etsumi Hoku.

    Roadside Station Kuzuryu
    rating

    3.5

    55 Reviews
    place
    Fukui Pref. Onoshi Asahi 26-30-1
    phone
    0779782300
    opening-hour
    [Fureai Hall] 8:30-17:00 *S…
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  • 02

    Crunch through Yoroppaken’s katsudon in Fukui City

    Crunch through Yoroppaken’s katsudon in Fukui City

    Crunch through Yoroppaken’s katsudon in Fukui City

    Yoroppaken is a local chain that started with a single shop in Fukui City a century ago. The shop’s name, a transliteration of “Europa,” hints at the origins of the menu’s superstar tonkatsu in European-influence yoshoku cuisine. The shop’s founder Takahata Masutaro founded the shop after a stint in Germany, and his tonkatsu’s schitzel DNA is clear. The katsudon which lays just-fried tonkatsu on rice, alongside a dank, sweet sauce is the clear choice at Yoroppaken. There are many locations but many would recommend the main branch in the Junka neighborhood.

    Yoroppaken Main Shop
    rating

    4.0

    213 Reviews
    place
    Fukui Pref. Fukuishi Junka 1-7-4
    phone
    0776214681
    opening-hour
    11:00-19:50
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    APA Hotel Fukui-Katamachi

    1-16-7 Junka Fukui

    Agoda
    • APA Hotel Fukui-Katamachi
    • APA Hotel Fukui-Katamachi
    • APA Hotel Fukui-Katamachi
    • APA Hotel Fukui-Katamachi
    • APA Hotel Fukui-Katamachi
  • 03

    Sip Bon Coffee’s macha frappe near Fukui Station

    Sip Bon Coffee’s macha frappe near Fukui Station

    Sip Bon Coffee’s macha frappe near Fukui Station

    Bon Coffee's cafe occupies a narrow, minimalist space just outside the west gates of Fukui Station. The tidy downtown neighborhood of department stores and lunchtime salaryman restaurants is fairly generic Urban Japan—a hip coffee bar fits in nicely. They make a fine espresso and take their beans seriously (they sell their own blends from a separate location), but it doesn’t get much better than a sweet, syrupy mocha frappe on a hot summer day.

    BON COFFEE -BEANS STORE-
    place
    福井県福井市中央1-4-12 大廻店舗
    phone
    0776-97-9974
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    no image
  • 04

    Slurp ramen at Tsuruga’s Ichiriki

    Slurp ramen at Tsuruga’s Ichiriki

    Slurp ramen at Tsuruga’s Ichiriki

    Occupying a modest building in the coastal town of Tsuruga, Ichiriki has an outsized reputation. Like most ramen shops with a lengthy history, Ichiriki started as a postwar yatai, slanging from a cart near the train station with noodles made from grey market flour. The specialty is old school chuka soba, a basic ramen with pork broth, and there is also a limited menu with dumplings, wonton noodles, and cold noodles.

    Chinese Noodles Ichiriki
    place
    Fukui Tsuruga-shi Chuocho 1-13-21
    phone
    0770225368
    opening-hour
    11:00-19:00
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  • 05

    Experience Shojin Ryori and soba in Eiheiji

    Experience Shojin Ryori and soba in Eiheiji

    Experience Shojin Ryori and soba in Eiheiji

    If you’re planning a trip to the famous main temple of Eiheiji, stop in on the road along the way to sample the traditional Buddhist shojin ryori. This Kiseki-style collection of vegetarian dishes are presented with the special sesame seed based soft tofu as the centerpiece. Also on offer are a range of locally sourced buckwheat soba dishes, made with soba handmade using traditional methods. There is also an on-site museum operated in conjunction with Eiheiji Temple, with ancient books, images, and statues on display. To ensure the shojin ryori is as fresh as possible, reservations are necessary and can be made via the email address on their website.

    Kosekikan Riuzen
    rating

    3.5

    13 Reviews
    place
    Fukui Pref. Yoshidaguneiheijichou Aratani 37-10
    phone
    0776633137
    opening-hour
    10:00-17:00
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  • 06

    Take a bite out of Mikuni

    Mikuni Burger

    Mikuni Burger

    Carna

    Carna

    Mikuni is known for its historic edifices left over from its heyday as a locus of trade and commerce. Mikuni Minatoza, located in one of those old buildings, is part of the movement to revitalize the town. The building now functions as a cultural hub and dining room, selling homey dishes and the Mikuni Burger. After the burger, stop by nearby Gelato & Sweets Carna for dessert. Carna makes gelato from ingredients mostly sourced from the surrounding area, with an emphasis on seasonal produce. The founders traveled to Italy for research and came back to found the shop in 2005.

    Mikuni Minatoza
    rating

    3.5

    20 Reviews
    place
    Fukui Sakai-shi Mikunicho Kitahonmachi 4-6-48
    phone
    0776813921
    opening-hour
    10:00-17:00
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    Auberge Homachi Mikuniminato

    3 Chome Mikunicho Minamihonmachi, Sakai Sakai-shi Fukui

    Agoda
    • Auberge Homachi Mikuniminato
    • Auberge Homachi Mikuniminato
    • Auberge Homachi Mikuniminato
    • Auberge Homachi Mikuniminato
    • Auberge Homachi Mikuniminato
    ジェラート・カルナ
    place
    福井県坂井市三国町南本町3-4-34
    phone
    0776813225
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    no image
  • 07

    Try Fukui Soba at Yubuan near Fukui Station

    Try Fukui Soba at Yubuan near Fukui Station

    Try Fukui Soba at Yubuan near Fukui Station

    For a fix of wholesome soba - authentic buckwheat noodles - served in the local way head to Yubuan. Just a stone’s throw from Fukui Station, this soba shop doesn’t take any reservations as they serve only until their stock of soba for the day runs out. The restaurant uses a special buckwheat flour which is prepared with Fukui sake giving their noodles a subtle taste.

    Yuubuan Soba noodles restaurant
    rating

    4.0

    35 Reviews
    place
    Fukui Pref. Fukuishi Chuou 1-9-1 (inside the galleria arcade)
    phone
    0776763519
    opening-hour
    11:30-14:00 (until sold out)
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  • 08

    Eat Crab at Kani no Bo in Sakai City

    Eat Crab at Kani no Bo in Sakai City

    Eat Crab at Kani no Bo in Sakai City

    If you want to pretend being attacked by a giant crab as you feast on its smaller brethren, Kani no Bo in Sakai City is a must-visit. Located right beside the Kuzuryu River just as it flows into the Sea of Japan, Kani no Bo is a charming seafood restaurant reminiscent of a beach hut. They serve traditional Japanese seafood meals including some of the best crab in the area, all at fair prices. It’s one of the most Instagram worthy places around and definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area.

    Echizen Kaninobo
    rating

    4.0

    30 Reviews
    place
    Fukui Pref. Sakaishi Mikunichoushuku 1-16
    phone
    0776823925
    opening-hour
    [Weekday]11:00-15:00(LO14:30…
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  • 09

    Bonus: try Volga Rice at Yokogawa Bunten

    Bonus: try Volga Rice at Yokogawa Bunten

    Bonus: try Volga Rice at Yokogawa Bunten

    Not far from Soja Daijingu in Echizen City, Yokogawa Bunten takes yoshoku to the next level, and reflects the region’s long history of Europhile cuisine (see also: the tonkatsu at Yoroppaken). The origins of Volga Rice’s name remain unclear (perhaps a Japanese chef took the boat from Tsuruga to Vladivostok and came back inspired), but the idea is fairly simple: omurice (fried rice in a parcel of omelet), a pork cutlet, and a Worcestershire sauce-heavy gravy.

    ヨコガワ分店
    place
    福井県越前市京町1-4-35
    phone
    0778227172
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    no image

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