3 Must-Try Local Foods in Fukui: Great Stops During Your Trip

Fukui is home to many delicious local foods, from fresh seafood caught in the Sea of Japan to traditional dishes such as Echizen oroshi soba and grilled mackerel sushi. These foods reflect the region’s rich nature, history, and food culture. Why not enjoy some local flavors while exploring Fukui?

Here are three recommended places to visit in Fukui City. From carefully handmade grilled mackerel sushi to a seafood restaurant serving fresh fish and a traditional soba shop, each offers a different taste of Fukui. Enjoy fresh seafood with local sake, or stop for a bowl of soba while sightseeing. Make your trip even more memorable by discovering Fukui’s local food culture.

Fragrant Grilled Mackerel and Fluffy Rice: Echizen Tamuraya’s Handmade Grilled Mackerel Sushi

One of Fukui’s must-try local specialties is grilled mackerel sushi, known as yaki saba zushi. At Echizen Tamuraya, located inside the shopping complex KURUFU Fukui Station, you can find its signature “Hand-Pressed Grilled Mackerel Sushi,” carefully prepared by hand.

Echizen Tamuraya is a specialty shop offering seafood products from the Sea of Japan, including Echizen crab, heshiko (salted and fermented fish), and dried fish. Its hand-pressed grilled mackerel sushi is one of its most popular products and has received an award from the Governor of Fukui Prefecture.

The secret to its delicious taste lies in the carefully selected ingredients and preparation methods. The shop uses rich, fatty mackerel, with a generous half-fillet for each sushi roll. After grilling the fish until fragrant, it is steamed to create a soft, juicy texture.

The sushi rice is made from a blend of three types of rice grown in Fukui Prefecture, seasoned with a special vinegar mixture from a long-established vinegar maker in Ono City. The rich flavor of the mackerel and the gently seasoned rice create a satisfying combination.

Another special feature is the hand-pressing method. Instead of using a machine to press the sushi tightly, skilled chefs shape each roll by hand. This helps keep the rice grains whole and gives the sushi a light, fluffy texture. The fragrant grilled mackerel, rich fish oils, and soft rice come together beautifully.

In addition to its classic grilled mackerel sushi, the shop also offers varieties such as “Grilled Miso Mackerel Sushi,” which has a rich miso flavor.

With its convenient location directly connected to Fukui Station, Echizen Tamuraya is a great place to stop during sightseeing, pick up a meal for your Shinkansen journey, or buy a local souvenir. Why not take home a delicious taste of Fukui?

Hours	8:00 AM–8:00 PM
Address	KURUFU Fukui Station, 1-1-25 Chuo, Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture
Access	HOTEL FUJITA FUKUI: A 15-min walk to Echizen Tamuraya.
URL	https://echizentamuraya-fukui.com/

Enjoy Fresh Seasonal Seafood: Uogashi Sakaba Echizen Sengyoten Katamachi

Surrounded by the sea and mountains, Fukui is blessed with a wide variety of fresh ingredients. One of the highlights of visiting the region is enjoying seafood from the Sea of Japan.

Located in Katamachi, one of Fukui City’s lively dining areas, Uogashi Sakaba Echizen Sengyoten Katamachi is a casual restaurant where visitors can enjoy a wide range of seafood dishes. With its selection of fresh fish and local specialties, it is a great place to experience Fukui’s seafood culture in the evening.

Start with sashimi, a Japanese dish of fresh, thinly sliced raw fish. The restaurant offers assorted sashimi platters and dishes featuring different types of seafood, including bluefin tuna and “Fukui Meisui Salmon,” a locally farmed salmon from Fukui Prefecture.

The types of fish available change with the seasons, making each visit a little different. Besides sashimi, you can also enjoy grilled seafood, grilled fish, and tempura.

For a taste of traditional Fukui cuisine, try saba no heshiko, a local preserved food made from salted and fermented mackerel. Its rich, salty flavor makes it a popular dish to enjoy with sake.

The restaurant also offers local sake from Fukui, including well-known brands such as Kokuryu, Born, and Jozan. Enjoy a selection of fresh sashimi with a glass of sake, or try several local dishes to discover your favorites.

After a day of sightseeing, this is a wonderful place to relax over dinner and enjoy the flavors of Fukui.

Hours	5:00 PM–12:30 AM
Address	Open daily (may close during the New Year holidays or extended fish market closures) Address: 1F, Soir Kawai, 1-24-13 Junka, Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture
Access	HOTEL FUJITA FUKUI: A 7-min walk to Uogashi Sakaba Echizen Sengyoten Katamachi.
URL	http://echizensengyoten.com/

A Traditional Taste of Fukui: Echizen Oroshi Soba at Shakudani Soba

If you visit Fukui, be sure to try Echizen oroshi soba, one of the region’s best-known traditional dishes.

Unlike the thin, pale-colored soba noodles commonly found in Japan, Fukui-style soba is often darker and thicker, with a rich buckwheat flavor. It is usually served with grated daikon radish and a savory dipping sauce or broth.

The way it is served varies from shop to shop. Some serve grated daikon directly on the noodles, while others mix it into the broth or use the juice from the grated radish. Fukui is also known for preserving many traditional varieties of buckwheat, and stone-milling is widely used to bring out their natural flavor.

One place to experience this local soba culture is Shakudani Soba, a long-established restaurant at the foot of Mount Asuwa.

The restaurant is also featured on Fukui City’s official tourism website as a place to enjoy Echizen oroshi soba. One of its popular dishes is “Inari Oroshi Soba,” which combines refreshing oroshi soba with inari sushi, sweet and savory seasoned tofu pockets filled with sushi rice.

This combination makes a satisfying meal, with the light taste of soba and the gentle sweetness of inari sushi. If you prefer something warm, the restaurant also offers “Kamo Nanban,” a hot soba dish with duck.

Shakudani Soba is located near Mount Asuwa, a popular spot for cherry blossoms in spring. Its location makes it a convenient stop while exploring the surrounding area.

With its simple combination of buckwheat noodles, grated daikon, and flavorful broth, Echizen oroshi soba is a wonderful way to discover Fukui’s traditional food culture. Stop by for lunch during your sightseeing trip and enjoy a local favorite that has been loved for generations.

Hours	11:00 AM–8:00 PM Closed: Tuesdays
Address	4-5-10 Asuwa, Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture
Access	HOTEL FUJITA FUKUI: A 20-min walk to Shakudani Soba.
URL	https://fuku-iro.jp/gourmet/detail_10799.html