Enjoy Seafood Dishes in Ishikawa: 10 Seafood Restaurants Recommended by Top Chefs Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Guide-

Update-date: Jun 06 2020

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

Enjoy Seafood Dishes in Ishikawa: 10 Seafood Restaurants Recommended by Top Chefs

Ishikawa is naturally blessed with delicious seafood since it faces the sea. That's why it's very important to choose the right restaurant when in Ishikawa, right? With this in mind, this article will introduce 10 restaurants recommended by top chefs. Savor the flavors and bask in the beauty of their dishes!

See full listings of restaurants found in and around Ishikawa.

1. Kofuku Yokoyama

Kofuku Yokoyama is a restaurant adorned with a noren (shop curtain) run by a chef who trained in high-class, traditional Japanese restaurants in Kanazawa and Kyoto. The owner thoroughly prepares fresh, first-rate ingredients, drawing out their flavors. There is no menu, only the [Omakase Course] (10,800 JPY) that includes dishes like [Kyoto Kujo Green Onions and Yuriage Red Clam Nuta] (with a miso and vinegar based dressing) and [Seared Maesawa Beef Top Sirloin Cap]. The contents of this course changes depending on the ingredients stocked. This small restaurant can accommodate 14 people with counter seats, tables, and a private room for four people. Since this is a small restaurant, you will feel the warm hospitality of the owner, even if you're a first-timer or alone.

Kofuku Yokoyama

Open: [Weekdays, Saturday, Holidays, Day Before Holidays] 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Closed: Sunday
Average price: [Dinner] 15,000 JPY
Access: From Nomachi Station (Hokuriku Railroad Ishikawa Line), take the bus to Katamachi and walk 3 minutes. From Kanazawa Station (JR lines), it is about a 10-minute drive.
Address: 2-30-9 Kata-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa (Map)
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2. Kanazawa Sekitei

In addition to traditional Kaga dishes, Kanazawa Sekitei serves dishes made with local ingredients such as Kanazawa and Kaga vegetables and Kanazawa seafood. Here, you can savor Kanazawa's iconic dish [Salt-Grilled Nodoguro]. The nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) is grilled with Noto's natural salt and has a fluffy and juicy texture. This restaurant is said to be the first one to serve shabu-shabu (sliced meat parboiled with vegetables) in the side of Japan facing the Sea of Japan. It is located in the heart of downtown Kanazawa, equipped with private rooms that have tatami or table seating. Enjoy the taste of Kanazawa along with their meticulous customer service!

Kanazawa Sekitei

Open: [Weekdays] Lunch From 11:30 am (L.O. 2:30 pm) Dinner 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
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3. Kusunoki

This restaurant serves dishes made from local ingredients like seasonal wild-caught fishes, as well as Hokuriku sake (Japanese alcohol). Their [Steamed Nodoguro Sushi] (2,000 JPY) has a mild taste and is served warm. Rarely found outside the prefecture, their [Gasu Ebi Sashimi] (1,500 JPY) is also a must-try due to its firm meat, addicting sweet taste, and umami (Japanese savory taste). In addition, their superb [Fermented Natural Amberjack Shabu] (2,800 JPY) is made by fermenting natural amberjack for over five days before making it into a shabu-shabu. This modern Japanese restaurant is the perfect place to visit if you're looking to enjoy plenty of seafood!

Kusunoki

Open: [Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - Sunday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] Lunch 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm *Open only for reservations (reserve one day ahead), Dinner 6:00 pm - 12:00 am (L.O. 11:30 pm)
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 6,000 JPY / [Lunch] 3,000 JPY (reservation only)
Address: 2F, AD Bldg., Musashi-machi, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Map
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4. Gyoshoan

Gyoshoan is best known for its fresh seafood, mainly procured from the local sea. Enjoy the flavor of seasonal fish with their [10 Local Fish Sushi with Nodoguro] (3,480 JPY). There's also the [Seasonal Feast Course] (5,000 JPY), their number one course which features 9 dishes including nodoguro sushi. Fish is directly delivered from fishing ports three times a day, so you can enjoy fresh fish at any time. They have horigotatsu (sunken kotatsu table) seats, so people of all ages can spend their time here in comfort.

Gyoshoan

Open: Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm (L.O. 2:30 pm), Dinner 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm (L.O. 10:00 pm)
Closed: Irregular (twice a year)
*Also closed on New Year's Day
Average price: [Dinner] 6,000 JPY / [Lunch] 2,000 JPY
Address: 3-13-17, Ekinishi Shin-machi, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa

5. Mekumi

Mekumi is a restaurant frequented by sushi connoisseurs from all over Japan. Their [Steamed Abalone] is a must-eat if you're here during the summer. This is said to be the owner's specialty and features an addicting melt-in-your-mouth texture and umami. Why don't you try the seasonal toppings at this restaurant, which doesn't compromise anything from its tableware to its decorations?

Mekumi

Open: [Tuesday - Sunday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] Dinner from 6:00 pm or 10:30 pm (two parts)
[Sunday] Lunch 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Closed: Monday, Tuesday
*Irregularly closed on Tuesday
Average price: [Dinner] 23,000 JPY *24,000 JPY during crab season / [Lunch] 10,000 JPY
Address: 4-48, Shimobayashi, Nonoichi-shi, Ishikawa Map
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6. Ikiya

The chefs at Ikiya have polished their skills at hotel restaurants. Their [Sashimi Assortment] (2,800 JPY for M size) made from seafood caught from the Sea of Japan and delivered on the same day, is a recommended and superb dish. The [Battera] (950 JPY) is a must-eat dish as it features a great balance between the vinegar-pickled fatty mackerel, the first-class shiroita seaweed, and the sushi rice. The umami-rich mackerel melts inside your mouth. It is also recommended to try their stock of sake, as they have an abundance of seasonal sake like [Ken] and [Manzairaku].

Ikiya

Open: [Weekdays, Saturday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] 5:00 pm - 3:00 am (L.O. 2:30 am)
Closed: Sunday
Average price: 4,500 JPY
Address: 1-7-19, Kata-machi, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Map
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7. Housyouzushi

Housyouzushi retains the traces of a seafood wholesaler. This restaurant serves sushi made with fresh catch from the Sea of Japan and other local ingredients. This is the place to go if you want to taste superb dishes prepared through Kanazawa's unique cooking methods. [Saltwater Boiled Pilchard] is made with fresh pilchard, which is what allows patrons to eat it the Kanazawa way and savor the sweetness of the fish. Aside from their special sushi, they also have a course which includes ice cream made with a popular local soy sauce (3,240 JPY). The building has a beautiful view of the old city which will excite you before you can even enter it.

Housyouzushi

Open: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
[Weekdays] Lunch 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 7,560 JPY / [Lunch] 3,240 JPY
Address: 4-72, Ono-machi, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Map
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8. GOEN

At GOEN, you can enjoy fresh seafood dishes made from catch delivered daily from Ebisumaru, a fishing boat in Kanazawa Port. If you want to enjoy sashimi, then the [Chef's 5-Kind Assortment] (2,670 JPY for 2 to 3 people) is for you. Their large serving of thick [Daimyo Maki] (1,280 JPY) is also recommended. They have an abundant selection of sake mainly from Ishikawa, Toyama, and Fukui.

GOEN

Open: [Monday - Thursday] 5:00 pm - 12:00 am (L.O. 11:00 pm)
[Friday, Saturday, Day before National Holidays] 5:00 pm - 2:00 am (L.O. 1:00 am)
[Sunday, National Holidays] 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:00 pm)
Closed: Irregular
Average price: 4,500 JPY
Address: 1F, Koshida Bldg., 2-7-1, Hon-machi, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Map
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9. ORIGAMI

ORIGAMI is a secluded restaurant housed in the basement floor of a lively building. It offers original Japanese cuisine and is loved by the locals. Their [Nodoguro Shabu-Shabu Course] (6,000 JPY (incl. tax)) which uses Kaga ingredients is recommended. There's also the [Kanazawa Seasonal Course] that features ingredients which vary every season. They also have a wide selection of sake, such as different kinds of shochu (another kind of Japanese alcohol), [Tedorigawa] (780 JPY), and [Ken] (680 JPY).

ORIGAMI

Open: Dinner 5:00 pm - 12:00 am (L.O. 11:30 pm)
Closed: None
*Please call them before going to the restaurant
Average price: 3,500 JPY
Address: B1F, ECOH Bldg., 1-1, Kigura-machi, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Map
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10. Takasaki

Takasaki is just beside the Nagamachi Samurai District, which is one of Kanazawa's tourist spots. This popular restaurant has been in business for over 45 years. They serve seasonal ingredients such as firefly squid and gasu ebi (sand shrimp) in spring, and natural Iwagaki oysters and Kaga vegetables in the summer. The [Stone-Grilled Firefly Squid] (1,600 JPY) features meaty firefly squid cooked on a stone grill. The delicious aroma of the grilled innards goes well with sake. Why don't you try Ishikawa's local sake with their daiginjo and junmaishu sets? Other than this, the restaurant also recommends their popular [Grilled Nodoguro] (currently around 1,800 JPY)!

Takasaki

Open: 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Closed: Sunday
Average price: 7,500 JPY
Address: 1-2-22, Naga-machi, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Map
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Ishikawa is a great palce for savoring seafood taken from the Sea of Japan. Please enjoy its seafood dishes to your heart's content, which mainly focus on nodoguro, one of Kanazawa's iconic products.