4 Recommended Crab Restaurants in Ishikawa Prefecture

Crab, the winter taste of Hokuriku. Among the snow crabs caught in Ishikawa Prefecture, high grade male snow crabs measuring 9 cm or more are called "Kano crab", and they have light blue tags engraved with the name of the fishing port as a symbol of local catch. Additionally, among Kano crabs, those that weigh over 1.5 kg, have a carapace width of over 14.5 cm, and meet all strict standards are given the title "Kagayaki". The crab of the highest quality, "Kagayaki", is a miraculous crab whose standards are so strict that you never know when it will be in stock.

In 2023, the crab fishing season in Ishikawa Prefecture will start from November 6th (Mon). If the weather is good, the boats will set sail all at once during the night of the 5th, and set out their nets at midnight on the 6th. Ishikawa Prefecture has fishing grounds relatively close to each other, so boats loaded with crabs return to port within the same day. The next day, the freshest crabs are available in stores. Kano crab meat has a strong sweetness, and when mixed with crab miso, it becomes truly a blissful taste. In addition, the female snow crab, "Kobako crab", has not only delicate flesh, but also the deep red roe with a rich flavor and the soft texture of the outer roe, which are indescribably delicious. Here are four selected restaurants in Ishikawa Prefecture where you can enjoy the precious winter delicacy of crab dishes. Recommended for not only tourists visiting Ishikawa Prefecture, but also locals.

• Table of Contents
• Ikinasakana Jizake "Zagin"
• Shunsai Washoku "Koufuku"
• Kaga Cuisine “Daimyo Chaya”
• Ajidokoro "Takasaki"

Ikinasakana Jizake "Zagin"

A Japanese style pub located 3 minutes walk from Kanazawa Station, banquets available for up to 50 people.

There are special private rooms with a motif of the "Kotoji Toro Lantern", which is the symbol of Kenrokuen Garden, a scenic spot in Kanazawa, as well as private rooms with gorgeous spaces with gold leaf covered all over the walls. Besides, many private rooms with Japanese style leg warmer (Horigotatsu) are available in order to enjoy a casual meal. If you make a reservation in advance, you can enjoy the extremely fresh Kano crab in the way you prefer, such as sashimi, grilled, or boiled. There is also a wide variety of local dishes such as jibuni, Kanazawa oden, Noto beef steak, braised Noto pork, Kaga vegetable and shrimp tempura.  Wide selection of local sake (Japanese rice wine) from Hokuriku including popular brands from Ishikawa Prefecture are available, so why not try pairing it with your food?

[Recommended Crab Menu]

"Kano Crab (grilled, boiled, sashimi)" from 10,000 yen~ (tax included)
[Offer period] Start date ~ 31 Mar 2024 (Sun)

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■Ikinasakana Jizake "Zagin"
2F Sunfirst Building, 2-48 Horikawa Shinmachi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
TEL: 076-222-5556
Business hours: 17:00-24:00
Closed: Sunday
Seats: 100 seats　　P: N/A
Official website of “Zagin”

Shunsai Washoku "Koufuku"

Enjoy the fresh snow crab and seafood carefully selected from Omicho Market.

Located in Omicho Market, known as "Kanazawa's Kitchen", it serves dishes that make use of seasonal ingredients such as Kaga vegetables and seafood from the Sea of ​​Japan. The ingredients are carefully selected by the owner himself every morning, and the food here is known for its freshness and price, which can only be retained within the market. Among them, we recommend the "Kani Zukushi Course" where you can enjoy fresh snow crab. In addition to local sake that goes well with the dishes, Kaga cuisine such as duck jibuni and steamed Kaga lotus root, there are also a wide selection of winter delicacies such as blackthroat seaperch (Nodoguro), blowfish, cold yellowtail, and sweet shrimp. This Japanese restaurant is open during lunch time as well, making it popular among tourists as well as locals.

[Recommended Crab Menu]
“Crab Course ~Kagayaki~” from 17,380 yen~ (tax included)
[Offer period] Start date ~ 31 Mar 2024 (Sun)

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■Shunsai Washoku "Koufuku"
2nd floor, Omicho Ichibakan, 88 Aokusacho, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
TEL: 076-225-8080
Business Hours: 11:00-15:00, 17:00-22:00 (L.O. 21:30)
12/31 only 11:00-15:00 (L.O. 14:30)
Closed: Tuesdays (open if Tuesday is a public holiday), 1/1
Seats: 56 seats　　P: Specified parking discount available
Official website of “Kofuku”

Kaga Cuisine “Daimyo Chaya”

Wide variety of courses to enjoy crab,  including hotpot, grilled, tempura, and sashimi.

3 minutes walk from the East Exit of Kanazawa Station. This popular restaurant is located in a location easy to access and is loved by many locals and tourists. In the season of crab fishing in Kanazawa, the menu features fresh Kano crabs and Kobako crabs shipped directly from Kanazawa Port. The appeal is that you can enjoy a variety of crab dishes, such as the "Kani Zukushi Kaiseki Cuisine", which uses large Kano crabs weighing over 500g, and the "Crab Shabu Course", where you can enjoy Kano crab shabu-shabu. a whole Kano crab for sale is also popular, and you can choose from four different courses, including sashimi with a light and delicate sweetness, crab shabu-shabu, fragrant charcoal-grilled, and standard boiled crab.

[Recommended Crab Menu]
"Crab Kaiseki Cuisine" from 31,900 yen ~ (tax included, reservation required)
[Offer period] Start date ~ 31 Mar 2024 (Sun)

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■“Daimyo Chaya”
7-5-1 Konohanacho, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
TEL: 076-231-5121
Business Hours: 11:30-14:00, 17:00-22:00 (L.O. 21:00)
Closed: Irregular holidays
Seats: 120 seats　　P: N/A
Official website of “Daimyo Chaya”

Ajidokoro "Takasaki"

A restaurant where you can enjoy Japanese cuisine of seasonal ingredients and Japanese sake.

Founded in 1971, "Takasaki" is a popular restaurant that has been loved by many for years on Seseragi-dori Street. Knowing all about Hokuriku's seafood, "Takasaki" offers seasonal flavors such as firefly squid in spring, rock oysters in summer, white shrimp in fall, and crab in winter. It is somewhere you can visit in whichever way you like, either to order single dish menu at the counter, or enjoy a group meal in a private room. The recommended dish is the "Kano Crab Sashimi", which allows you to enjoy the flavor of large, extremely fresh Kano crab. The parts of the crab that are not used for sashimi can also be served grilled or with miso soup. Although reservation is not required to eat crab, it's usually crowded during the winter, so early reservation is highly recommended.

[Recommended Crab Menu]
"Kano Crab Sashimi" from 24,000 yen ~ (tax included)
[Offer period] Start date ~ 31 Mar 2024 (Sun)

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■Ajidokoro "Takasaki"
1-2-22 Nagamachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture
TEL: 076-231-0116
Business Hours: 17:00-22:00
Closed: Sunday (If Monday is a public holiday, open on Sunday and closed on Monday)
Seats: 50 seats　　P: N/A
Official website of "Takasaki"