Nagoya, in my opinion, is the most underrated big cities in Japan. Nagoya was voted as the most boring major city in Japan but I think Nagoya is a good city to visit. One of the good things in Nagoya is the food culture. Nagoya cuisine is served in Nagoya in Aichi prefecture and the surrounding prefectures such as Gifu and Mie. Nagoya cuisine is usually derived from popular Japanese cuisine and sweets. The dishes are usually flavored with miso so comparing food in other regions, the flavor is strong. Nagoya cuisine is not as main stream as the food in Osaka but it is gaining popularity in recent years.

Morning (Affordable Breakfast)

You can’t start your morning in Nagoya without cheap breakfast service called Morning. Kissatens, quiet cafes, in Nagoya service breakfast with toast, hardboiled egg and coffee for around 300-400 yen. The Morning service is offered at almost any Kissatens in Nagoya and the surrounding region. Each Kissaten serves different Morning service menus so you can find your favorite Kissaten for the breakfast service. Nagoya has the most Kissatens per capital so it is easy to find a Kissaten around the corner. One thing you should try at kissaten is the Ogura toast. It is a toast that is topped with sweet redbean paste and it was originated in Nagoya.

• Komeda (multiple locations in Nagoya)
• Kato Coffee
• Bucyo
• Riyon
• CafedeSara
• Bon Bon
• Kissa Morning

Misonikomi Udon

Misonikomi udon is a version of Udon that broth is made of Miso from the region. Misonikomi udon might be eaten in other locations but it is not as common as in Nagoya. It is a popular local cuisine in Nagoya. Chicken thigh, shitake mushroom, eggs, scallion and bean curd and other vegetables are cooked with udon noodles in the miso broth and served in a hot pot. Some restaurants serve Kishimen, flat Udon noodle, instead of regular Udon. I personally never tried the Kishimen version of Misonikomi

• Kadomaru
• Yamamotoya Okute (Halal)
• Yamamotoya Honten

Miso Oden

Oden is a hot pot food with a variety of ingredients cooked in fish and soy sauce broth. Like other food, Oden gets a miso treatment in Nagoya. Miso Oden broth is miso based and ingredients are cooked in the broth so the flavor is much stronger than regular Odens you would typically eat. If you go to any Izakaya bars in Nagoya, they will most likely serve Miso Oden.

• Shimasho
• Kamoshiya
• Miyuki

Miso Katsu

When Tonkatsu, pork cutlet, came to Nagoya, the locals started top it with miso. Miso Katsu is commonly eaten in the region, and people who grew up around Nagoya think it is normal to put miso on Tonkatsu. There are several restaurants that serve Miso Katsu but Yabaton is the most famous of all.

• Yabaton

Nagoya Cochin

Cochin is a breed of chicken that originated in China. In the late 1800s many samurais in the Nagoya area were raising chicken as side gig and some of them imported Cochin chickens from China. The Cochins from China were bred with local chickens to create the Nagoya Cochin. Nagoya Cochin grows much slower than broiler chickens, and farmers must adhere strict guidelines to raise a Nagoya Cochin. People often call Nagoya Cochin tastes like what traditional Chicken tastes like. In my opinion the meat was more dense than the typical mass produced broiler chicken you would eat elsewhere. There are restaurants that specialized in Nagoya Cochin in Nagoya. Also some restaurants serves Misonikomi Udon with Nagoya Cochin as main protein so you get to experience both.

• Ichiou
• Toriyou
• Kantora

Hitsumabushi

It is a grilled eel dish that originated in either Nagoya or Tsu in nearby Mie prefecture. Unlike other eel dishes, eel is cut into small pieces and the “tare” sauce is mixed in rice. Hitsumabushi comes with ground herbs and bonito flavored soup stock. You can eat the eel with rice, sprinkle ground herbs or dip in the soup, however you like it. Horaiken is the most famous restaurants in the city. There are several Horaiken restaurants in Nagoya but the main restaurants by Atsuta Shrine is the most popular one among all.

• Horaiken (multiple locations)
• Maruya
• Shirakawa
• Hanaoka

Taiwan Ramen

Created by the Taiwanese chef in Nagoya, Taiwan ramen is a spicy ramen dish that topped with stir fried ground meat, scallion, bean sprout, chile pepper and other spices. Unlike the topping the broth is chicken and soy sauce based. Even though the name is Taiwan ramen, it is considered as part of Nagoya cuisine. Misen is a Chinese restaurant that owned by the aforementioned chef, usually known as the origin of Taiwan Ramen. There are 3 levels of spiciness that are not listed on the menu. If you just order Taiwan ramen, it is the “regular” spicy. If you order the “American” Taiwan ramen, then it will be mild. Then there is the “Italian” Taiwan ramen, the spiciest version you can order. There are several Misen restaurants in Nagoya but I listed the original location for the experience.

• Misen

Conclusion

Nagoya cuisine is quirky and fun, but less known to people outside of Nagoya because not many people visit the city other than business. As you can see when you know that Nagoya has great food culture, the city is not as bad as people claim. The city is not just about business but it has unique food scene, history and culture.