NaraExplorer
Enjoy Nara’s great food selection
Nara Explorer is Nara's first and only English tourist magazine.
Our inaugual first issue will be published in June.
For further information,click here.
- Traditional Japanese
- Unique&Original
- International
- Cafe
- Bar
- Hana
- (Central Nara/Original cuisine using vegetables, millet, salty rice mold)
- A variety of hearty and healthy dishes for your complete contentment
- <Overview>
- Hana is in a quiet local residential area a little away from the main tourist area. However, Hana, situated in an old Japanese house, is full of light and warmth. Dishes you will enjoy at Hana are all healthy and will appeal to both your body and mind. They use vegetables that are directly brought from local farmers and a variety of millets with some meat (vegetarians welcome too!). Instead of sugar and salt, they use a special salty fermented rice and raisins as seasonings which takes more time and effort to cook, but will make the dishes even more tasty. Each dish is served separately on a small plate. Take time to fully enjoy Hana’s special taste and hearty food.
- <Recommended Items>
- Lunch course: 2,480 yen, 3,580 yen / Dinner course: 2,700 yen, 3,800 yen, 4,300 yen / *Lunch course include about 12 dishes (seasonal soup, fried dish, salad, home-made bacon, vegetarian sushi, rice, dessert, etc.). *Vegetarians and vegans welcome!
- <Shop Data>
- Tel: 0742-24-2178
- Take Nara Kotsu Bus #4 from Kintetsu Nara Sta. and get off at Takabatake-jutaku and walk about 10-min.
- Open:11:30~, 17:30~ (dinner time open only Fri., Sat., Sun.) / Closed:Wed., Thurs.
- http://www.hana-nara.com
- Tori Tamura
- (Central Nara / Yakitori skewered grilled chicken)
- Enjoy Sizzling Hot and Tasty Yakitori, “Japanese-style BBQ Chicken Kebabs”
- <Overview>
- Yakitori is a popular Japanese dish. Chicken pieces are skewered on a stick and roasted with a sweet soy sauce-based sauce or salt. From a counter seat, you will enjoy watching up-close how the chefs quickly and skillfully cook your yakitori. You can order just one skewer of yakitori (from 120 yen) or try the chef’s selection set menu (from 2,500 yen) which includes the best of everything! Salad, drinks and other a la carte dishes from the menu are also worth trying.
- <Recommended Menus>
- You can order just one skewer of yakitori (from 120 yen) or try the set menu (from 2,500 yen) which includes the best of everything and one drink!
- <Shop Data>
- Tel: 0742-24-5665
- A 3-min. walk to the northeast of JR Nara Sta., on the east side of the street
- Open: 11:30-14:30 (L.O. 14:00), 17:00-24:00 (L.O. 23:00)
- Closed: irregularly
- Yobareya
- (Central Nara/ Oden hot-pot)
- Try taste of Japanese home dish, Oden!
- <Overview>
- Oden is a popular Japanese hot-pot dish. Vegetables, meat and seafood are cooked in a large pan with Japanese broth – flavored with sea kelp and dried bonito flakes. Every locality has its special oden taste. Yobareya offers Nara style oden with its own unique broth flavor and ingredients. There are also several kinds of local Nara sake which the shop manager has carefully selected for customers. Enjoy the perfect combination of hot steaming oden and sake!
- <Recommended Menus>
- Oden: from 200 yen, white radish: 250 yen, potato: 400 yen, meat-stuffed cabbage: 450
- Roast beef of Nara’s local beef marinated in sake: 1,890 yen
- Nara’s local sake: from 400 yen
- <Shop Data>
- Tel: 0742-24-5575
- In the Mochiidono Shopping Arcade, about 400 meters from the north entrance on the left side
- Open: 17:00-23:00
- Closed: Wed.
- Fusion Food IDEA JR Nara shop
- (Central Nara/ Dining & bar)
- Comfortable dining & bar with stylish lighting and interior
- <Overview>
- As the name of the restaurant suggests, I DE A comes from the English word “idea”, welcomes customers with a bunch of big and small ideas. For example, coasters set at women’s places have a special effect and reflect light from the bottom to make a romantic atmosphere. With IDEA’s unique approach and cooking techniques, regular ingredients are transformed into tasty. They also have their own restaurant rules. Sculling drinks and being rowdy is not allowed (if you do, you have to leave!). It may sound very strict but this is so that everybody can have a comfortable time at IDEA.
- <Recommended Menus>
- IDEA salad: 520 yen (full volume!)
- Tacos with chorizo (spicy Spanish sausage): 480 yen
- IDEA original pasta with thick broth: 680 yen
- Drinks: from 260 yen
- <Shop Data>
- Tel: 0742-25-0888
- One minute walk from JR Nara Sta., walk along Sanjo St., on the right side, 3F of F & F Square Bldg.
- Open everyday: 17:00-24:00 (L.O. 23:00)
- http://r.gnavi.co.jp/c601800/
- Hiikiya Nara
- (Central Nara/ Japanese style dining bar)
- Enjoy a variety of Japanese dishes!
- <Overview>
- Hiikiya is a popular Japanese style dining bar conveniently located just in front of JR Nara Station. You can watch how the chefs cook from the counter seats. Hiikiya offers a wide range of Japanese dishes: robata-yaki (grilled with hearth fire), teppan-yaki (grilled on an iron plate), sushi, deep-fried, oden hot-pot, and many more. In winter, the hot-pot menu is recommended.
- <Recommended Menus>
- Yakitori skewered chicken (2 pieces): from 294 yen
- Small portion of hot-pot: 619 yen
- Assorted sushi(5 pieces): 619 yen
- Draft beer: 525 yen
- <Shop Data>
- Tel: 0742-23-3465
- In front of JR Nara Station
- Open: everyday: weekdays:17:00-23:00 (L.O. 22:30), from 16:30 on Sat., Sun., holidays
- Fujin
- (Central Nara / Japanese style bar)
- Enjoy traditional ‘ochazuke’ in our Japanese style bar
- <Overview>
- Ochazuke is one of the most popular dishes with Japanese people. Japanese tea or tasty broth is poured over hot rice topped with seasonings. It has been a longtime favorite with people - a recipe for ochazuke appears in a book written in the early Edo period (1600-1868). You can choose from15 kinds of toppings for our special ‘dashi chazuke’. What is more, Fujin offers more than 100 different kinds of dishes on their Japanese bar-style menu, including reasonable lunch sets.
- <Recommended Menus>
- Fujin’s special broth chazuke: from 500 yen
- Daily lunch set: 800 yen
- Tompei-yaki (egg roll with pork): 580 yen
- 3 kinds of Sashimi: 980 yen
- <Shop Data>
- Tel: 0742-26-1008
- 2F of Asakawa Harvest Bldg., on the east side of the north entrance of Higashimuki Shopping Arcade
- Open everyday: 11:00-15:00, 17:00-24:00 (closed Mon. lunch time)
- Kofujin
- (Central Nara / Yakiniku Japanese Barbeque)
- Best quality Japanese beef in a tranquil atmosphere
- <Overview>
- All of Kofujin’s beef, such as Saga beef, is top quality Japanese beef. Certainly as fine and as famous as Kobe beef. Recommended at Kofujin is the Yakiniku set. Not only the quality but the quantity will satisfy your appetite: 5 kinds of beef (about 200g), vegetable, soup, salad, rice, and more. Located on high up on the 5th floor, you are separated from the noise of city and can enjoy your meal in a tranquil atmosphere. Visit Kofujin and enjoy both fine quality beef and relaxing time.
- <Recommended Menus>
- Yakiniku set: 3,500 yen (8 kinds including beef, vegetable, salad, soup, rice)
- Special yakiniku set: 4,500 yen (8 kinds including beef, vegetable, salad, soup, rice)
- Special steak set: 5,500 yen (Steak and 9 kinds including beef, vegetable, salad, soup, rice)
- Other a la carte menus and desserts are also available.
- <Shop Data>
- Tel: 0742-24-5665
- 5F of Rafine Toyo Bldg., on the north side of a narrow lane connecting Higashimuki Shopping Arcade and Konishi St.
- Open: 17:00-24:00
- Closed: Tues.
- Fusui
- (Central Nara / Japanese Bar & Teppan-yaki grill dishes)
- Meat, seafood, vegetables, and more. Enjoy a wide range of food grilled on an iron plate!
- <Overview>
- At Fusui from more than 70 kinds of dishes to choose from – take your time! Fusui offers a wide range of teppan-yaki (grilled food on an iron plate) using fresh seasonal ingredients as well as their original a la carte menu. They also serve over 100 different kinds of beverages including beer, wine, shochu (distilled Japanese vodka), local Nara sake, cocktails, soft drinks, and much more! Recommended is Fusui’s ‘grilled chicken meat balls with nankotsu (gristle)’.
- <Recommended Menus>
- Grilled chicken meat balls with gristle (Ontama tsukune teppan-yaki): 850 yen
- Home-made fresh tofu: 580 yen
- Seasonal fish sashimi: from 700 yen (3 kinds)
- Course menu: from 2,500 yen (7 dishes)
- <Shop Data>
- 2F of Manzoku-kan Bldg., a 3-min. walk from JR Nara Sta. to the east along Sanjo Street; the building is on your left
- Open everyday: 11:30-14:00 (L.O.), 17:00-23:00 (L.O.)
- Tel: 0742-20-6628
- SHIMURA
- (Horyu-ji Area/Traditional Japanese)
- Try Shimura’s famous plum flavored udon noodles
- <Overview>
- Shimura offers unique udon dishes (thick noodles made from flour). The plum flavored or special salt flavored udon are famous in the area. The plum flavored udon kneaded with fresh plum fruit and shiso (perilla Japanese basil) are especially recommended! These udon noodles go well with Kakinoha sushi, one of Nara’s specialties - a piece of sushi topped with vinegared fish and wrapped in a persimmon leaf. Other large rice bowl dishes and set meals are available too.
- <Recommended Dishes>
- Plum flavored udon with Kakinoha sushi: 735 yen
- Salt flavored udon with Kakinoha sushi: 890 yen
- Large rice bowl dishes: from 600 yen
- Bento sets: from 780 yen
- <Shop Data>
- On the east side of the approach to Horyu-ji Temple
- Open everyday: 10:00-17:00
- Tel: 0745-75-3202
UNIQUE&ORIGINAL