Want to Enjoy Local Food Too? 11 Popular Restaurants to Try Fukushima’s Signature Dishes
Fed by snowmelt waters, Lake Inawashiro and the towering Mt. Bandai are among Fukushima’s iconic sights.
With historic Aizu and the charming post town of Ouchi-juku, Fukushima is a fascinating destination where nature and culture exist in harmony.
Along the way, be sure to try local specialties such as Fukushima City’s beloved “Enban Gyoza,” Kitakata’s famous “Kitakata Ramen,” and Aizu favorites like “horse meat dishes” and “sauce katsudon.”
In this article, we carefully introduce Fukushima’s signature dishes and popular restaurants.
Savor flavors shaped by each area’s rich nature and history, and make your trip to Fukushima truly memorable.
Fukushima’s Signature Local Foods
Surrounded by the rough waves of the Pacific Ocean and the Ou Mountains, Fukushima is a place where nature’s blessings and history live on.
Its local food culture is represented by a wide variety of specialties, including “Enban Gyoza,” “Kitakata Ramen,” one of Japan’s three great ramen styles, Aizu’s beloved “horse meat dishes,” and the hearty “sauce katsudon.”
“Enban Gyoza” is known for its distinctive style, with dumplings arranged in a circle, pan-fried, and cut into easy-to-eat portions, making it one of Fukushima City’s unique food experiences.
With thick, flat, curly noodles and a light soy sauce-based soup, “Kitakata Ramen” is a flavor loved by many throughout the year.
In Aizu, “horse meat dishes” are enjoyed for their rich lean-meat flavor and can be savored in many forms, including steak and sashimi.
“Sauce katsudon” is a hearty Aizu specialty featuring meat coated in a sweet-savory sauce and served over rice.
Enjoy the flavors of each region while taking in Fukushima’s unique nature and history, and make lasting memories on your trip.
Not Sure Where to Go? 11 Popular Restaurants to Try Fukushima’s Local Food
From the Abukuma Highlands and Lake Inawashiro to seafood from the Pacific coast, Fukushima offers a wide range of great food.
This article introduces 11 especially popular restaurants, carefully selected for you.
Explore Fukushima’s flavors shaped by history and nature, and fully enjoy food experiences unique to each region.
1. Ganso Enban Gyoza Manpuku
“Ganso Enban Gyoza Manpuku” is in Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture. It is a specialty restaurant for enban gyoza founded in 1953.
It is known as the birthplace of “Enban Gyoza,” which has been selected as one of Japan’s three great gyoza styles.
Rather than serving rice or noodles, the restaurant has stayed true to its gyoza-focused style.
Its “Enban Gyoza” is light yet juicy. The house style at “Ganso Enban Gyoza Manpuku” is to enjoy it with homemade chili oil, vinegar, and soy sauce from Kitakata.
2. Gyoza no Mise Yamame
Since opening in September 1964, this restaurant has been serving Fukushima’s soul food, “Enban Gyoza.”
Its special commitment is that each wrapper for the “Enban Gyoza” is hand-stretched one by one after an order is placed.
This careful process creates the pleasantly chewy texture unique to hand-stretched wrappers.
The filling is 70% vegetables and 30% meat, giving it a light flavor. It is also characterized by a unique cooking method that is almost like shallow-frying in oil.
3. Kitakata Ramen Raimu Kitakata Main Store
“Kitakata Ramen Raimu Main Store” is located in Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture.
It is known for its traditional golden soup, unchanged since its founding in 1983, and its medium-thick flat curly noodles.
Especially popular is the “Kitakata Chashu Ramen,” topped generously with house-made chashu pork.
The noodles are high-hydration noodles aged for two days after production.
You can enjoy their smooth texture and pleasantly chewy bite.
4. Ramen Ippei
“Ramen Ippei” is a ramen shop in Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture.
Since opening in 1994, it has carried on the tradition of “Kitakata Ramen,” one of Japan’s three great ramen styles.
Its standard “Ramen” features medium-thick curly noodles and a crisp soy sauce-based soup.
The house-made chashu, simmered for three hours, is also an excellent match. With its light finish, it is an easy bowl to enjoy even in the morning.
5. Bannai Shokudo Main Store
A hugely popular restaurant known for its long lines and counted among the three leading Kitakata ramen shops.
Among the many Kitakata ramen restaurants, what sets this shop, founded in 1958, apart is its hand-kneaded noodles.
They create an exceptional texture that is both springy and pleasantly chewy.
The clear soup, made by slowly simmering pork bones over time, is light yet full of richness and pairs perfectly with the noodles.
6. Aizu Kyodo-shoku Tsuruga Koriyama Ekimae Branch
“Aizu Kyodo-shoku Tsuruga Koriyama Ekimae Branch” is a Japanese restaurant specializing in Aizu local cuisine and horse meat.
Its signature dish is “Sakura Nabe,” prepared sukiyaki-style. Its distinctive style features top-grade horse short rib paired with a special spicy miso.
It also offers a wide variety of dishes, including the “Aizu Brand Sakura Otsukuri 8-Item Assortment,” which includes rare cuts. One of its highlights is the chance to enjoy horse meat of the highest quality, which is not generally distributed on the market.
7. Aizu Brand Basashi Senmon Okubo Shoten
A specialty shop for domestic horse sashimi run by “Niku no Okubo,” a long-established butcher shop with a history of 80 years.
A standard favorite is the “Aizu Brand Basashi Lunch.”
It uses the rump cut, known for its excellent flavor and tenderness among the cuts from the thigh.
The horse sashimi is sliced by hand one piece at a time only after an order is placed, making its texture and flavor exceptional.
8. Tonkatsu Banban
A tonkatsu specialty restaurant founded in 1978, located along Sengoku-dori in Aizuwakamatsu City.
It is known for its slightly sweet secret sauce, passed down since the restaurant first opened. It pairs perfectly with crispy breaded pork cutlet and fresh cabbage.
Popular items include the “Sauce Katsudon” and “Simmered Sauce Katsudon,” made with house-made breadcrumbs and juicy, tender pork.
9. Jumonjiya
“Jumonjiya” in Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, is a dining spot where you can enjoy the Aizu specialty “Sauce Katsudon” as well as ramen.
Its signature menu item is the “Bandai Katsudon,” made with Approx. 450g of thick-cut pork cutlet. Its impressive size is said to rival the grandeur of Mt. Bandai.
Crispy fried cutlet is topped with a sweet-savory original sauce and served with cabbage and rice, making it a hearty and satisfying dish.
10. Tontei
“Tontei” is a sauce katsu specialty restaurant founded in 1972 in Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture.
Since opening, its secret “Tontei Special Sauce,” continually added to over the years, has been the key to its flavor.
The rich and savory “Sauce Katsu-ju” and “Sauce Katsudon” are both popular.
In both dishes, the flavor of the pork is made even richer by the “Tontei Special Sauce,” infused with the meat’s deliciousness. Both are generously portioned and highly satisfying.
11. Rest House Busan
“Rest House Busan” operates as a rest stop at “Abukuma-do Cave.”
It is a casual eatery offering a lineup of dishes made with local ingredients.
One of its standout menu items is the “Sauce Katsudon,” topped with a thick, generously sized pork cutlet for a filling and satisfying meal.
FAQ about Fukushima’s Food
Q
Which areas in Fukushima have many restaurants?
A
Around Fukushima City and Koriyama City.
Q
Are there places around Koriyama Station where I can try local food?
A
Yes, you’ll find restaurants serving Fukushima local favorites such as Kitakata ramen, enban gyoza, and sauce katsudon.
Summary
Fukushima is full of diverse attractions, from Mt. Bandai and Lake Inawashiro to Tsuruga Castle and Ouchi-juku.
It also offers famous local foods, including Fukushima City’s “Enban Gyoza,” Kitakata’s “Kitakata Ramen,” and Aizu specialties such as “horse meat dishes” and “sauce katsudon.”
Enjoy Fukushima’s unique flavors while taking in the scenery.
If you want to make your trip even more rewarding, check out our article featuring recommended sightseeing spots as well.