Tsuruga/Wakasa Gourmet Column

Tsuruga City's 7 Recommended Gourmet Cuisine│Taste everything from the finest seafood to B-class gourmet food!

Seafood bowls lined up
Facing Wakasa Bay on the Sea of Japan, Tsuruga City in Fukui Prefecture is attracting attention not only for its locally caught seafood, but also for its uniquely created B-class gourmet cuisine, which attracts visitors from both inside and outside the prefecture. The following is a list of 7 restaurants where you can enjoy Tsuruga City's famous Kaisen-don (seafood bowl), Sauce Katsu-don (pork cutlet bowl with sauce), and Tsuruga Ramen. Why not enjoy eating local gourmet food in Tsuruga?

What kind of local gourmet food do you want to eat in Tsuruga City?

Eating Sauce Katsudon
Tsuruga City in Fukui Prefecture is a port town rich in nature facing Wakasa Bay. The city is famous for its kaisendon, a bowl of rice topped with fresh, delicious seafood caught locally. The city has long been a strategic location for domestic and international transportation, and local delicacies such as Sauce Katsudon and Tsuruga Ramen are well-loved by the locals. Please check out the following list of restaurants in Tsuruga City where you can enjoy local specialties.

Recommended gourmet food in Tsuruga City: 3 restaurants specializing in Kaisen-don (seafood rice bowl)

In Tsuruga, there are many restaurants where you can enjoy fresh seafood from the local Wakasa Bay. Among them, we will introduce three restaurants that are particularly popular for their kaisen-don (seafood bowl).

Freshness and volume are the charms of "Kaisen Minato-ya

Kaisen Minato-ya's Kaisen Don (Matsumatsu)

Kaisen Minato-ya's Kaisen Don (Matsumatsu)

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Kaisen Minatoya offers a wide variety of seafood, including seasonal and local fish from Tsuruga. The Kaisen Don (Matsu) is a luxurious bowl of rice topped with a generous portion of 13 different kinds of seafood. The Kaisen-don (Matsu) is a sumptuous bowl of rice topped with 13 different kinds of seafood, all caught in the morning, so you can be sure of its freshness. The restaurant also offers a wide variety of other rice bowls, including snow crab bowl, Tsuruga sea bream bowl, and homemade shime saba (mackerel) bowl.
Inside "Kaisen Minatoya

Inside "Kaisen Minatoya

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The interior is clean and stylish, with table seating, tatami rooms, and even a bar counter. The fish tank is filled with seasonal fish and is a feast for the eyes.
Address 16-3 Horai-cho, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, 914-0061, Japan
(福井県敦賀市蓬莱町16-3)
Telephone number 0770-36-4356
Business hours Monday - Wednesday, 10:00 - 15:00 (L.O. 14:30)
Friday - Saturday 10:00 - 15:00 (L.O. 14:30) / 17:00 - 21:00 (L.O. 20:30)
Sunday 10:00-17:00 (L.O.15:30)
Closed Thursday
*Please confirm details in advance.
Reference site Kaisen Minatoya (海鮮みなと屋)

Enjoy fresh fish directly from Tsuruga Port near the station "Sakana to Gohan Masuyone"

Kaisen-don (seafood bowl) at "Sakana to Gohan Masuyone"

Kaisen-don (seafood bowl) at "Sakana to Gohan Masuyone"

Citation meta. Fish and Gohan: Masunobu Yoneyama

"Sakana to Gohan Masuyone" is located in the OTA Building, about a 1-minute walk from JR Tsuruga Station. The restaurant is operated by a local crab wholesaler, and offers fresh seafood directly from Tsuruga Port at reasonable prices.
For those who want to taste a variety of fish from Fukui, we recommend the "Masuyone Kaisen-don". It comes with a small bowl of cooked food, pickles, and miso soup. Fukui is known as the birthplace of Koshihikari rice, and of course, delicious Fukui rice is used in the Kaisendon. We also serve locally brewed sake, so please enjoy it with the sake snacks made from seasonal ingredients that are available on the day.
Address TSURUGA POLT SQUARE "otta", 1-5-25 Kanawa-cho, Tsuruga-shi, Fukui 914-0055
(福井県敦賀市鉄輪町1-5-25)
Phone number 0770-37-3130
Business hours 11:00 - 21:00 (L.O. 20:00)
Closed Wednesdays
*Please confirm details in advance.
Reference site
Sakana to Gohan Masuyone (魚とごはん ますよね)

"Uogin" is popular for its seafood bowls filled with local ingredients.

Kaisen-don (seafood bowl) at Uogin

Kaisen-don (seafood bowl) at Uogin

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Uogin is a kaisendon restaurant located near a fishing port about a 20-minute walk or 7-minute drive from JR Tsuruga Station. Its popular Kaisen-don bowl is full of local flavor, using seasonal fish caught in Echizen-Wakasa, soy sauce from a long-established brand in Echizen-Ono, and Koshihikari rice from a contract farmer in Imajo.
The specialty is "Ebisu Daikoku-don," a bowl of rice topped with a bowl of rice topped with a bowl of rice topped with a bowl of rice topped with a bowl of rice topped with a bowl of rice topped with a bowl of rice. The set includes two types of bowls: "Ebisu-don," a bowl of rice topped with sea bream, hamachi, and other seafood, and "Daikoku-don," a bowl of rice topped with the blessings of the earth, including the egg yolk of a local chicken called "Fukuchi Jidori" (Lucky Chicken).
Inside "Uogin" restaurant

Inside "Uogin" restaurant

Citation meta. Instagram

The restaurant is mainly a counter, but there is also table seating, so it is suitable for a wide range of customers. The restaurant is crowded, so it is best to make a reservation through the website.
Address 21-3 Aioi-cho, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture 914-0062
(福井県敦賀市相生町21-3)
Telephone number 0770-21-2328
Business hours 11:00-15:00 (L.O. 14:30)
Closed Wednesdays (Open on national holidays)
*Please confirm details in advance.
Reference site Uogin (うお吟)

Tsuruga City's Recommended Gourmet] Two restaurants where you can enjoy Sauce Katsudon.

Sauce katsudon, a famous local delicacy of Fukui Prefecture, originated in Tsuruga. Sauce katsudon, a bowl of rice topped with a crispy, hot cutlet topped with sauce, is the soul food of the people of Fukui Prefecture, loved by children and adults alike. Two restaurants in Tsuruga City are introduced below.

"Uenoya" offers carefully selected loin cutlets at reasonable prices.

「上野家」のソースカツ丼

Sauce katsudon at Uenoya

Citation meta. UENO IE Castanets

Uenoya is a katsudon restaurant located in the food court of a commercial facility about an 8-minute walk from JR Tsuruga Station. Only carefully selected A5 and A4 grade loin meat is used for the pork cutlets. The soft and juicy pork cutlet is well mixed with the secret sauce, making it easy to eat even though it is a hearty dish. In addition to the sauce pork cutlet bowl, the restaurant also offers a wide variety of other dishes such as minced pork cutlet bowl, chicken cutlet bowl, and shrimp cutlet bowl.
Address Al Plaza Tsuruga 6F, 11-5 Shirogane-cho, Tsuruga, Fukui 914-0054
(福井県敦賀市白銀町11-5 アル・プラザ敦賀6F)
Phone number 0770-22-8511
Business hours 10:00-19:00
Closed
No regular holidays
*Please confirm details in advance.
Reference site Ueno-ya (上野家)

Soba "Chigusa Soba" to be enjoyed as a set with handmade soba noodles

Soba set with grated radish from "Chigusa Soba"

Soba set with grated radish from "Chigusa Soba"

Citation meta. soba noodles in broth served continuously so that the guest or customer never has an empty bowl

If you would like to enjoy a bowl of Sauce Katsu-don and Fukui's specialty, Echizen soba (buckwheat noodles) in one dish, please visit "Chigusa Soba", located about a 10-minute walk from JR Tsuruga Station, which offers a varied menu including handmade Echizen soba made from Fukui soba flour, Sauce Katsu-don, udon noodles, and more. In addition to counter, table, and tatami rooms, there is also a private room that can seat up to 10 people.
Address 1-20-8 Shimizu-cho, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture 914-0052
(福井県敦賀市清水町1-20-8)
Phone number 0770-23-1182
Business hours Lunch 11:00-15:30
Dinner 17:00 - 20:00
Closed Tuesday night and Wednesday
Please confirm details in advance.
Reference site
Chigusa Soba (千束そば)

Tsuruga City's Recommended Gourmet] Two Popular Ramen Stalls

Tsuruga Ramen originated from a food stall that used to float in front of Tsuruga Station, and more than 50 years later, it is still as popular as ever, with many food stalls and stores lining the streets. In particular, we will introduce two popular stalls along Route 8, also known as the "Ramen Road.

"Ikeda-ya Gon-chan", a famous Tsuruga food stall with a long line

Ramen at Ikeda-ya Gon-chan

Ramen at Ikeda-ya Gon-chan

About a 10-minute walk from JR Tsuruga Station, Ikeda-ya Gon-chan is one of the most popular stalls on the "Ramen Road. The ramen features a light, easy-to-eat pork-bone and soy sauce broth. In addition to grated garlic and red ginger, you can add as many pieces of chashu pork as you like. The restaurant is open only on weekend nights, so if you have a chance, be sure to visit.
Address 2-11-1 Honmachi, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture 914-0051
(福井県敦賀市本町2-11-1)
Telephone number 090-1639-5512
Business hours 18:30 - close when sold out
Closed Sunday through Thursday
Closed in case of bad weather even on business days
*Please confirm details in advance.
Reference site
Ikeda-ya Gon-chan (池田屋ごんちゃん)

Popular ramen store "Oka-ya" continues to preserve the taste of an old-fashioned food cart

Ramen at Oka-ya

Ramen at Oka-ya

Citation meta. Yatai Ramen Okaya

The ramen cart "Okaya" offers the same flavor at a reasonable price that has remained unchanged since the establishment of the restaurant. The rich and mild soup based on chicken and pork is matched by noodles with a smooth texture. Red ginger can be added as much as you like, so you can adjust it to your taste.
Address 11-5 Shirogane-cho, Tsuruga City, Fukui 914-0054, Japan
(福井県敦賀市白銀町11-5)
Business hours 19:00 - 2:00 the next day
Closed 1st Sunday of the month
*Please confirm details in advance.
Reference site Oka-ya (おかや)

Be sure to try Tsuruga City's local delicacies, which are filled with love for the local area.

敦賀名物のソースカツ丼
Tsuruga City's local delicacies are filled with love for the local area, such as seafood rice bowls that use fresh seafood unique to Tsuruga, and B-class gourmet foods born from the city's history as a prosperous transportation hub. For a taste of Tsuruga's specialties, be sure to visit the local area and the place where they originated.
The information is current as of February 2024. Information is subject to change without notice.