Chōraku

Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast


The family behind Chōraku has been making delicate gyōza (dumplings) by hand to order for more than 50 years, and their experience has deliciously paid off. The mapo tofu and ramen are also excellent. This is a refreshingly unpretentious place to eat in a town filled with gorgeous, precise kaiseki (Japanese haute cuisine).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast attractions

1. Zenshō-ji

5.18 MILES

The Daishōji Station area is crammed with temples, including Zenshō-ji, which houses more than 500 amusingly carved Buddhist arhat sculptures.

2. Kutaniyaki Porcelain Art Museum

5.18 MILES

Stunning examples of bright and colourful local porcelain are on display here, about an eight-minute walk from Daishōji Station.

3. Motorcar Museum of Japan

7.7 MILES

You're likely to be a little astounded by this collection of more than 500 pristine Japanese (and foreign) vehicles housed over three floors, in a massive…

4. Daihonzan Eihei-ji

13.31 MILES

In 1244 the great Zen master Dōgen (1200–53), founder of the Sōtō sect of Zen Buddhism, established Eihei-ji, the 'Temple of Eternal Peace', in a forest…

5. Fukui Dinosaur Museum

13.62 MILES

Kids love the larger-than-life replicas and fossilised relics of the Jurassic Park–styled Fukui Dinosaur Museum, one of the three largest museums of its…

6. Tōjinbō

13.89 MILES

Legend says that these rock formations 25km northwest of Fukui came about when Tōjinbō, an evil priest, was cast off the cliff by angry villagers in 1182;…

7. Yokokan Garden

14.93 MILES

This quaint garden, formerly a mansion of the Matsudaira clan, has a pretty teahouse where you can sit in silence and contemplate life, or feed the…

8. Ichijōdani Asakura Clan Ruins

17.63 MILES

Designated a national historic site, this out-of-the-way place features one of the largest town ruins in Japan, dating from the early 15th century. It's…