AMIYA — Restaurant in Kanazawa

Amiya is cozy izakaya (maybe 12 seats?) located on the northern edge of the Higashi Chayagai district. They specialize in Kanazawa oden, fugu (aka pufferfish), and nodoguro (blackthroat sea perch). We came here for lunch and meals ranged from $10-$20. At night, they offer course meals, but those need to be reserved ahead of time. Everything we ate was fresh and tasty, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Nodoguro Mabushidon (aka Nodoguro rice bowl) - it’s not only delicious, but also a very interesting way of eating. They provided instructions, but they verbally explained it to me like this…

The nodoguro is seasoned with Oku-Noto sea salt (from the Noto Peninsula area), so try the dish without adding anything first. Add the local Kanazawa Ōno soy sauce and try the dish again. Once you have about ¼ of the rice and toppings left, add the wasabi and the soup stock. Mix it together and finish the dish.

They also have a nice sake list that focuses on local producers. They serve both by the glass (60ml) and by the “gō” (180ml), but I went with the sake tasting that featured three local (Ishikawa) sakes - they were all delicious and for under $8, it’s a pretty great deal. The restaurant provides English explanations for all the dishes and beverages, but there is a part of the menu that is not translated which is probably important for foreign customers. Essentially, it’s three points - 1. They request that all customers order something and if you don’t, you will be charged a 500 yen fee. 2. Everything is made-to-order so during peak times, it may take time for food to come out. 3. No separate checks.

It’s not a big place, so I would recommend going early if you can. Regardless, it’s a great place to have a nice lunch/dinner if you are...

This was without a doubt the best chashu I’ve had in Japan. It tasted like it was slightly smoked and every part of the rice bowl had a unique flavor. Even the egg was better than normal. They toasted the top of the bowl with a torch which probably helped add in some smoky flavor. It was so good that I found myself craving it for...

Really lovely place. Great place to try the local quisine. Good food, sake and beer. A mixture of rice dishes, tempura and local broth dishes. Really nice ambiance and very...