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.

Ciao: Nagoya`s Specialty Pasta

Area: Mei-eki (the Takashimaya side of JR Station)
Restaurant: Ciao
Address: 名古屋市中村区名駅４丁目５番１９号　第５堀内ビル１階 
Website:  http://www.ciao-morita.co.jp/ciao/

This looks like Italian food, but I don't know if I'd dare to call it that!  Sure it's made from spaghetti pasta, but the sauce has some Asian flair.  It's actually a Nagoya specialty called Ankake pasta.  I don't know exactly what the sauce is made from, but it tastes like it could be a soup for instant ramen or something like that, just thicker.

What I like about the spaghetti in Japan is the chewiness of the pasta.  It must be the water here....even the dried pasta from the supermarket can me made to perfect al dente!

This restaurant also has pizza which is also different from regular pizza.  The crust is very soft and flimsy, but with the cheese and prociutto and arugula....it still satisfies my cravings for pizza.  For the price, I'd give the pizza and Nagoya pasta at Ciao a thumbs up.

Okinawa Cafe: A bit of Okinawa in Nagoya

Area: Osu Kannon
Restaurant: Okinawa Cafe
Address: 中区大須3-30-40万松寺ビル１階, Nagoya-shi, Aichi, Japan 460-0011
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/okinawa-cafe-Nagoya-/131448386941131


Ok, so it's not a Nagoya specialty, but I didn't say this blog is about Nagoya food only!
As I was walking around Osu Kannon, I came across Okinawa Cafe and since I've never been to Okinawa (yet), I thought this was closest I could be to being there.

Apparently Okinawa is known for delicious pork dishes, so I tried this popular dish called Rafute.
It uses the wonderful (always goes well together) marriage of a teriyaki sauce and mayonnaise.
You can't see it, but underneath the mountain of seaweed is mouth-watering pork belly.
The rice krispy-looking things are like fried tempura bits, and they're mixed with green onion.  I love the crunchy texture it brings...
The accompanying soup is like drinking bacon!  Yum!