Ikomai Tochi Hosts Nagoya Street Food Night
Japan is indeed a home of amazing people, interesting traditions, and wonderful culture. But the most exciting thing people would always want to go back to is Japan’s variety of food—from hot bowls, soft cakes, sweet delicacies, savory dishes, spicy soup, and many more.
Aside from Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka—three of the most-visited places in Japan that offer best-tasting food, Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture is an underrated area where one can taste mouth-watering dishes unique in itself.
This is why Ikomai Tochi, in collaboration with Nagoya Convention & Visitors Bureau, came up with Nagoya Street Food Night on February 6, at H.V. Dela Costa St., Makati City.
The event aims to introduce Nagoya, its culture, and its food to everyone, especially Filipinos. Minoru Kato, the Executive Director and Secretary-General of Nagoya Convention & Visitors Bureau see this event as an opportunity to promote Nagoya’s beauty and share to everyone why Nagoya should be their next stop in Japan.
This is in relation to inviting tourists to come and see Nagoya in general.
Minoru Kato, Executive Director and Secretary-General of Nagoya Convention & Visitors Bureau
Nagoya’s street food
When asked which food Filipinos would love to taste in Nagoya, Kato says it’s the Miso Kushikatsu and Hitsumabushi.
Miso Kushikatsu is Nagoya’s signature food. It is tonkatsu (deep-fried pork) served with a Nagoya miso-based sauce—a perfect harmony between miso and deep-fried breaded cutlet.
Miso Kushikatsu
Hitsumabushi is a specialty dish from Nagoya composed of steamed Japanese rice and barbecue grilled eel fillet with a beautifully thick, sticky, sweet-savory sauce paired with assorted condiments and garnishes.
Hitsumabushi
Aside from these two dishes, we were also served with other delicious Nagoya gourmet—Nagoya Meshi.
Meanwhile, Tebasaki Wings is a fried chicken wing with a crispy skin coated in a savory-sweet glazed spiced with garlic, ginger, and pepper. These sweet and spicy wings are a Japanese style pub dish perfect with beer!
Tebasaki Wings
Originally from Hokkaido, Chan-Chan Yaki Miso is a dish inspired by steam-cooked salmon and vegetables but instead of Hokkaido style, this dish uses Nagoya miso.
Chan-Chan Yaki Miso
The Ebi Tenmusu and/or Ten-Musu is a bite-sized rice ball made with shrimp tempura and wrapped in rice and nori. This rice ball-tempura combination is definitely what everyone should drool at.
Ebi Tenmusu
A hot bowl of Taiwan Ramen is great to keep you warm this cold season. This ramen will give you a slurp of Nagoya’s fiery hot version of Taiwanese Danzi noodles.
Made extra spicy, this will surely bring a unique taste of noodles in a simple shoyu chicken broth topped with a mixture of pork, garlic, and nira.
Taiwan Ramen
One of the healthy and fresh options served was the Niku Miso Salad, a combination of ground pork and Nagoya miso placed in lettuce.
Niku Miso Salad
If you want some cracker-based dish, Ebi Rice Cracker Beef Tacos is what you should get. This is inspired by Tamasen-like tacos which is Nagoya’s famous snack for kids.
Ebi Rice Cracker Beef Tacos
And lastly, the Nagoya Sushi Roll is an exciting dish made in miso and shrimp—a Nagoya-inspired maki roll.
Nagoya Sushi Roll
These are just a few of the dishes that you could drool at when you visit Nagoya, Japan. Highly recommended after a great, fun tour around the vicinity, these foods will surely give you comfort and would not make you leave Nagoya anymore—because, in Nagoya, a bunch of adventures and good bowls awaits.
Words and photos by Hannah Carmona
