Must-Visit Nagasaki Restaurants for Champon and Turkish Rice

Nagasaki's Iconic Cuisine and Restaurants

When it comes to Nagasaki's local culinary scene, trying Champon and Turkish Rice is an absolute must.

To help you experience the very best of these iconic dishes, we have rounded up two of the city's most famous and beloved restaurants.

Shikairo: The Birthplace of Nagasaki Champon

Shikairo is a famous restaurant near Oura Church, instantly recognizable by its striking, Chinese palace-style architecture. Established in 1899, this century-old establishment is the official birthplace of Nagasaki Champon.

The dish was born out of compassion. Around the turn of the 20th century, Shikairo’s head chef noticed that many Chinese students studying in Nagasaki were too poor to afford expensive Japanese meals. To support them, he created a hearty, nutritious, and affordable noodle soup. This comforting dish not only sustained young students far from home, but it also evolved into Nagasaki's ultimate signature culinary staple.

At the entrance, a massive dragon statue sets a distinctly Chinese tone. This cultural influence dates back to Japan’s isolation period (17th to 19th century), when Nagasaki served as the nation's only open trading port, heavily absorbing Chinese traditions.

This heritage is still celebrated today during autumn's annual Nagasaki Kunchi festival, which features a spectacular dragon dance.

While the festival shares elements with traditional Chinese lion and dragon dances, the lion dance itself is not performed here, making Nagasaki’s dragon dance a unique local tradition.

As you step out of the elevator and into the waiting area, you are greeted by delicate, circular Chinese-style windows on one side and elegant private dining rooms on the other.

The space is almost always bustling; Nagasaki locals love gathering at Shikairou to mark their most special occasions and milestones.

Then, the star of the show arrives: the famous Champon!

The rich broth is made by simmering pork and chicken bones together, then combined with around nine different varieties of fragrant, stir-fried ingredients. This hearty mix features cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, and bean sprouts, alongside Nagasaki staples like shrimp, squid, fish cake, and savory meats.

A defining signature of Shikairo is the garnish of finely shredded egg on top, which adds a beautiful pop of color to the dish. Compared to traditional Japanese ramen, Champon broth is lighter, more refreshing, and exceptionally nutritious.

Shikairo Champon: approx. 1,100 yen per bowl.

Another dish on the menu that heavily showcases Chinese culinary influence is Happosai (stir-fried mixed vegetables and meat). Interestingly, the character hachi (eight) in its name doesn't mean it contains exactly eight ingredients; instead, it implies a vast and bountiful variety.

A typical serving is packed with sliced pork, shrimp, wood ear mushrooms, carrots, green peppers, Chinese cabbage, quail eggs, and various mushrooms. These are stir-fried until perfectly fragrant, then seasoned with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and traditional spices to create a deeply flavorful, savory dish.

Happosai: 1,512 yen per portion.

Up in the dining area, Shikairo offers a magnificent panoramic view where you can spot Mount Inasa—celebrated as one of the world's top three night views—sparkling in the distance. This spectacular backdrop makes the restaurant immensely popular with locals and visitors alike.

Before or after your meal, be sure to head to the second floor, which houses a free museum dedicated entirely to the history of Champon. Here, you can trace the fascinating evolution of the restaurant's custom tableware from its founding days to the present. Anyone interested in local culture should definitely take a look!

Shikairo
Location: Google Maps

Meijiya: For Delicious Turkish Rice Dishes

Located along Kanko-dori, Meijiya is situated on the second floor next to a kimono shop and is very easy to find.

Deeply loved by local residents, Meijiya is a famous Western-style family restaurant. Inside the shop with its warm, wood-toned decor, you will often spot entire families enjoying their meals together.

Located along Kanko-dori in Nagasaki, Meijiya sits on the second floor right next to a kimono shop and is really easy to find. Deeply loved by locals, this famous Western-style family restaurant features a warm, wood-toned interior where you’ll often see entire families enjoying meals together.

Their star attraction is "Turkish Rice"—a legendary Nagasaki comfort food that lets you enjoy three distinct treats on a single plate! It features a base of curry fried rice, a side of tomato-cheese spaghetti, and a crispy pork cutlet drizzled with rich demi-glace sauce.

Unlike versions at other restaurants that are served with a thick gravy, Meijiya’s curry fried rice is prepared dry. This gives it a beautifully light texture and a deep, aromatic curry flavor that our editor highly prefers. It’s the kind of comforting spot that makes you want to visit again and again.

Turkish Rice: 780 yen per portion.

For those with a hearty appetite, they also offer the "Yokubari" (Greedy) Turkish Rice. This ultimate platter piles a thick, juicy hamburger steak right on top of the standard fried pork cutlet—a true blessing for big eaters!

Hamburger steak is a beloved, nostalgic comfort food regularly featured at Japanese dinner tables, and having both meats together makes for an incredibly satisfying meal.

Yokubari Turkish Rice: 890 yen per portion.

Meijiya
Location: Google Maps

Enjoy Dining in Nagasaki

From the hearty noodles of Champon to the multi-cultural layers of Turkish Rice, these dishes beautifully reflect how Nagasaki embraced and adapted foreign influences over the centuries.

This seamless fusion of Japanese (Wa, Chinese (Ka), and Western (Ran) elements has blossomed into today’s celebrated Wakaran cuisine.

If you are traveling through Nagasaki or living in Japan, sharing a meal here is the perfect way to taste history and experience these heartwarming local delicacies for yourself!