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The 5 Best Local Dishes To Enjoy In Matsumoto, Nagano
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Matsumoto, home to the beautiful Matsumoto Castle, is one of the must-visit cities in Nagano. In addition to the castle and museums, Matsumoto is an excellent place for dining. There are certain regional foods in the city that any visitor should try, like soba, oyaki, and miso ramen.
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Matsumoto - A City of Culinary Delight
Picture from Matsumoto Castle In Nagano - Explore The Crow Castle!
Matsumoto, one of the most beautiful places in Nagano, is definitely a key destination for visitors because it has one of Japan’s best castles: Matsumoto Castle.
But, besides having a magnificent castle and interesting museums, Matsumoto is a city of culinary delight. There are many delicious types of cuisine and fine restaurants. However, the must-eats are the dishes that are unique to Matsumoto, along with other regional foods.
The five unique dishes of Matsumoto or Nagano introduced below are what you should definitely enjoy while you spend time touring the city of the crow castle.
1. Sanzokuyaki Fried Chicken
Sanzokuyaki is probably the food that is most associated with Matsumoto and Nagano as a whole. It is very popular among the locals, too.
This dish gets its name from a play on words. In Japanese, fried chicken is “tori age” which also means “to steal.” Therefore, the kanji characters used for writing “sanzoku” are “mountain” and “robber,” giving the impression that in the mountains that surround the city outlaws hid and robbed villagers of their food.
The meal is a chicken breast that is marinated in a soy sauce base then fried in flour seasoned with garlic and other spices. It is served over cabbage or lettuce with a slice of lemon on the side so you can sprinkle it with citrusy juice.
Throughout Matsumoto, there are many places that serve sanzokuyaki chicken. Just look for the brown sign that says Matsumoto Sanzokuyaki (松本山賊焼き).
One of the best places is the Karaage Center, located right next to Matsumoto Station. Karaage Center has two locations by the station. One is right out in front of the east exit and the other is on the fourth floor of the station.
Both serve all kinds of fried chicken, but sanzokuyaki chicken is one of the most popular dishes at this restaurant. I enjoyed a huge portion of chicken that was the size of a Frisbee. The restaurant has an English menu, and take out is possible in case you want to eat on the go. Prices range from 700 yen to 1,500 yen.
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2. Shinshu Soba Noodles
Soba, or the buckwheat noodles, is a Nagano specialty known throughout Japan. Because buckwheat grows best at higher altitudes, this is one of Nagano’s leading agricultural products. While Shinshu soba shops are all over the prefecture, Matsumoto is a great area to enjoy soba noodles as it has numerous restaurants.
One of the best restaurants in the city to enjoy Shinshu soba is Kobayashi. This restaurant, established in 1889, is located next to Yohashira Shrine and the historical Nawate Street.
They several types of soba dishes and set meals, including soba served in a square lacquered vessel, as well as hot or cold variations. The restaurant has an authentic soba shop ambiance. Prices range from 700 yen to 2,000 yen depending on the dish.
Most of the food served at Kobayashi is soba, but there are a few other choices on the menu. While enjoying soba you can try some locally made sake, too. The owner speaks English and there is an English menu as well.
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3. Shinshu Salmon
It may be strange that Nagano, a landlocked prefecture far from the sea and in the middle of the Japanese Alps, is a place where aquaculture is a growing industry. But it is, and one particular fish that is reared here is salmon, a very delicious fish.
Matsumoto, like many other cities in the prefecture, is a great place to enjoy salmon. It is enjoyed prepared in any form, from sushi and sashimi to grilled. Whatever style you choose, you will definitely enjoy the rich flavor that is associated with the area.
In Matsumoto, there is no particular restaurant dedicated to Shinshu salmon. It can be found on the menu of many restaurants, especially at izakayas (Japanese taverns).
One izakaya that offers excellent Nagano dishes is Yamazato. It is located a couple of blocks east of the station. The facility has a cover charge of 400 yen per person.
On top of an abundance of choices of Shinshu salmon, they serve many local favorites such as sanzokuyaki fried chicken and basashi (raw horse meat), another famous dish of the city. They also offer dishes made with other rare meats like rabbit, wild boar, venison, and bear, in case you want to be adventuresome.
I enjoyed salmon sashimi (raw salmon), a salmon salad, and grilled salmon. The grilled salmon was served with fried vegetables and covered in a Shinshu apple butter sauce. Before the meal, I had appetizers of a cooked horse meat salad, chips made from Shinshu soba, and locally grown vegetables. All the food was very delicious and highly recommended. The restaurant has an English menu.
4. Nagano Miso Ramen
Ramen is a dish that might be usually associated with Kyushu, but not Nagano. However, some say that Nagano is one of the best areas in Japan for ramen.
If you look at Japanese brochures about Matsumoto, ramen is one food that is highly recommended, with numerous restaurant suggestions. The reason why so many Japanese people want to eat ramen in Matsumoto is because of the miso sauce. Nagano is famous for its miso, thus making miso ramen a very popular dish of the area.
One of the best places to enjoy miso ramen in Matsumoto is at the ramen shop called Mensho Sakura. It is a popular restaurant among locals and visitors to the city. The restaurant is located halfway between Matsumoto Station and Matsumoto Castle, and is right across the street from the well-known department store called Parco.
The restaurant looks like a Japanese warehouse. In fact, one of the kanji characters in its name is “kura,” which means “warehouse.” The interior is compact, with a definite warehouse ambiance. On the first floor, there is a bar where you can eat. Otherwise, you can climb the tiny castle-like staircase to the second floor for a table seat.
While the shop offers many kinds of ramen, the miso ramen is the most popular. For 850 yen you get a decent size portion that is actually smaller than most ramen shops but has a rich Nagano miso flavor.
5. Oyaki
Unlike the other foods mentioned here, which are meals, oyaki is more of a snack. Once again, it is a famous and original food from Nagano.
The oyaki are made starting with a wheat or buckwheat dough ball that is about eight to ten centimeters in diameter. The balls are stuffed with local vegetables or red bean paste. Next, they are lightly fried in oil and then roasted over charcoal.
In addition to the traditional fillings mentioned above, many other flavors are popular, such as potato, pumpkin, apple, or even cheese. These treats make for a nice snack for a break during a day of sightseeing.
Oyaki can be found all over the city. There many shops or cafes serving oyaki. They are so popular that even souvenir shops, grocery stores, and convenience stores sell them too.
I recommend Takajoan, a shop located one block west of Matsumoto Castle. It is very traditional in its appearance and cooking methods. I enjoyed oyaki with pumpkin, potato, and eggplant. The shop offers many other flavors such as green onion in miso sauce, onion, mushroom, and carrot, as well as the traditional wild mountain vegetables and other local flavors. One oyaki costs 190 yen. There is no English menu, but the owner understands the flavors in English.
Enjoy Incredibly Tasty Matsumoto Food
As you visit the popular destinations of Matsumoto for some sightseeing, be sure to enjoy the regional cuisines. When you do, the food, along with the sights, will leave you with memories that will make this stop one of the best of your trip.
Written by
Hello! I am Patrick Murphrey My greatest interest are culture and nature. My whole life has been dedicated to these concepts. For example, I have lived in 8 countries and traveled to more than 50 countries. Besides English, I speak fluent Spanish and Japanese. I also have worked in several of America's national parks with Yellowstone and Everglades among them. When I have some free time I go walking in the woods, ride my bike along lakes and rivers, go wildlife watching or simply take care of my garden. I still travel quite a bit due to my interest in culture and countries. I often read about countries in all my languages and I go explore them when I can. I look forward to sharing many different experiences.
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