Kabuto: Izakaya food is izakaya food!!

Area:  Mei-eki (The FRONT or east side of JR Station)
Restaurant: Kabuto かぶと
Web: http://www.hotpepper.jp/strJ000989800/

It's a bit difficult to explain where this restaurant is, but it's on the north side of sakura-dori and it looks like an old Japanese house (check out the website I posted).  Surrounding it are CoCo Curry House and Trident School.

Ok, so I took my brother and his wife when they came to visit me in Japan.  It seems to have some Nagoya flavours as well as some new flavours such as the ankake omuraisu (omlette rice, in the top photo), or the fish wrapped in slightly grilled rice (in the background of the 3rd photo).  The 2nd photo shows hanpen (fish cake).

The flavours were all very izakaya-like, delicious and a bit on the salty side to make you drink more!  But in Japan, I find many izakayas to be very similar.  I have yet to say that one izakaya stands out from another.  The Japanese do Japanese flavours well....keyword is CONSISTANTLY.  Please comment if you also find this, or if you have suggestions of an izakaya that stands out!!!
On the other hand, I have considered the possibility that I did not order a dish that blew my mind (izakayas often have extensive menus).

The atmosphere of this place is definitely good for showing off Japan though. The second floor is the traditional low table, floor seating and one can say that the building just `looks Japanese'.  In summer the lower floor is open concept so it's a nice on a slightly cool summer night.

Tenpachi: Tempura craving, but don't feel like cooking?

Area: JR Station (Sunroad underground shopping area)
Restaurant: Tenpachi 天八
Website: http://www.hassyu.co.jp/cgi-bin/hassyu/siteup.cgi?category=1&page=2

This restaurant specializes in tempura, but they don't only serve tempura.  There is a wide variety of Nagoya specialties such as miso katsu, tebasaki, doteni, ebi furai, histumabushi, etc. But if you're looking for hitsumabushi (eel) I'd suggest another restaurant that specializes in that.  The one here is soft and doesn't have the crispy outer layer that makes nagoya's eel the best.

Of course, the tempura is done well, but it's nothing special I would say... The volume of the veggie tempura doesn't show in the photo, but it's huge!!!  The size is the entertaining part!!
I ordered a shirasu donburi (little fish), with daikon oroshi (grated radish) and mentaiko (spicy cod roe) on top of rice.  It's a nice for a light meal, and gave me a good idea of what to make at home (really, you can easily put together this combo on your own).

It is however, I find, difficult and time consuming to make tempura at home.  Which is why this restaurant is good if you're craving tempura.

Not the typical kara-age but even more delicious!!

Area: There are several around JR Station (Unimall, Horuichi Building, Sunroad are probably the easiest locations to find)
Restaurant: Maguro-Goya 鮪小屋
Map: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/n569901/lang/en/map


As the name suggests, this restaurant specializes in Tuna.  Of course they have maguro sashimi, but it's their other non-raw menu that makes it kind of unique.  Kara-age is usually fried chicken or squid, Misokatsu is usually made from pork, gyoza is usually stuffed with ground pork/beef, right??  BUT here, it is all tuna.

The most popular menu item seems to be the maguro kara-age teishoku.  A set that comes with rice, miso soup and maguro sashimi.  The first time I had it, I wasn't aware that it was fried tuna. When I bit into it, I thought this is the best kara-age I've ever had!  No wonder...the texture, flavour and juiciness of tuna makes it addictive!

The aburi-don is also very tasty...if your looking for something more fresh.  It seared tuna, but unlike the seared tuna I've had in fancy restaurants in Canada, this one uses a more fatty cut making it melt-in-your mouth deliciousness!  And the best part is it's under 1000 yen for most of their tuna and rice bowls, or their set meals.

Furaibo: Nagoya's Japanese Pub Food

Area: Various (It's a big chain Izakaya and it seems like it's everywhere)
Restaurant: Furaibo 風来坊
Website: www.furaibou.com

I'm not a huge fan of this izakaya, probably because I worked there and had some bad experiences with the manager who fit my expectation of a typical strict, power-seeking boss.  BUT that's another story.

I must admit that this restaurants's Tebasaki (or fried chicken wings) are one of the best.  It's a Nagoya specialty and it's what Furaibo is known for.  The skin is crispy and it's flavoured nicely with a nice blend of salt and white pepper.  Furaibo's version uses smaller wings, with less meat, but that's perfect for the crispy to juicy meat ratio!  They are a bit salty, but that's expected at an Izakaya where you're meant to drink lots.

Other yummy menu items are the Teba-gyoza.  It's the same fried wings but stuffed with gyoza stuffing (not all the shops carry this one).  Also try the dashi-maki-tamago (like a juicy omlette).

A warning:  when you go to an izakaya, usually you're given an oto-shi.  It's basically a small dish that you didn't order but costs about 250 yen.  It's like a service or seating fee.

If you're around Nagoya Station, there's one open for lunch and dinner in ESCA (Taiko dori side underground).  Across from Bic Camera and Hongo-tei there is an izakaya verion with a more extensive menu (including teba-gyoza).

Hongo-tei: Just when you thought ramen couldn't get any better....

Area: Near JR Station (Taiko-dori, Bic Camera side)
Restaurant: Hongo-Tei
Where to find it: Look for the Mini-Stop Convenience store by Bic Camera.  Hongo-tei is almost right beside it.

This is one of the best ramen shops around in my opinion.
Well, it at least stands out (many ramen shops are delicious, but are quite similar).  It's the pork belly cha-shu that is the reason I keep going back.  The thickness of this cha-shu is perfect if you want a meaty ramen, and it's a change from the thin slices that usually accompany ramen.
But beware, being the belly meat, it is quite fatty...there is the option of up-sizing the number of pieces, but after the regular 3 slices, I feel more than satisfied already.

You can choose from a lighter soy sauce soup base or go for a thicker, oilier tonkotsu (pork-bone) base, but with that delectable pork in there, it doesn't make a difference....it's still a lot of fat!  The noodles are also made well in my opinion with the right amount of thickness and chewiness when you bite in to them.

If you like ramen, you'll like it even more at Hongo-Tei!!

Travel Cafe: One slice of this ROLL CAKE is not enough

Area: Fushimi Station, or Nagoya Station (Midland Square building basement floor)

Cafe: Mon Cher Travel Cafe  (Mon Chou Chou is the old name!!)

Website: http://www.mon-cher.com/top.html

Roll Cake seems to be the IN-thing along with shu-cream (cream puffs) here in Japan.  I must admit they do it well...the ratio of cream to cake is just perfect (cream being the majority).  

This cafe's cream is to die for!  It's got just the right amount of sweetness, so that it still tastes milky.  It's light, but not too airy (probably because it's real cream and not the fake stuff!).  

The atmosphere...very...grown-up.  Being a cafe in Midland Square, it's gotta have that bit of upper class feeling, right?

Yabaton: Succulent Pork...My mouth is watering...

Area: Various (Nagoya station's ESCA, Meitetsu deparment store, Yaba-cho Station, etc.)
Restaurant: Yabaton
Website:  http://www.english.yabaton.com/

I was never a really big fan of Tonkatsu (panko crusted pork)....but that's probably because in Canada, the pork has less fat and any tonkatsu made from it comes out dry and hard.
In Japan, however, they like the flavour of fat in their meat, so naturally their tonkatsu comes out tender and juicy!  The sweet miso flavoured sauce at this restaurant somehow makes it more succulent.  And it's a plus that you're given a bottle of the sauce to douse your pork freely!!

The photo only shows a small donburi, but they have hot plates of much larger pieces of pork and different cuts of pork as well.  YUM!

Fortisssimo H: Lovely and more importantly DELICIOUS bakery!

Area: Near Ikeshita Station
Cafe: Fortissimo H
Website and Map: http://www.fortissimo-h.jp/

DEVINE!!!  This is basically a bakery with a section where you can receive full service like a cafe.   I'm so glad I picked out 2 desserts because they were both so satisfying!  Matched perfectly well with my coffee.

The store also sells already packaged cookies and sweets, perfect for omiyage.
Although the shop and take-out area is busy with customers, the seating area is very quiet and peaceful.  Its modern decor makes it very easy to enjoy the experience.