I would recommend Kanazawa Gyoza Sakaba if you want to try dumpling in Kanazawa. If anything, the food is okay. Nothing to write home about but it’s filling and what’s more important is that it’s very affordable.
Kanazawa Gyoza Sakaba: Gyoza and Other Delicious Food at Affordable Prices
On top of being affordable, the restaurant is also quite accessible. If you’re staying at the Hyatt Centric Kanazawa then it’s literally walking distance from the hotel (Just beside it). And speaking of restaurants that offer affordable and tasty meals, you can also try the Shiroyamatei restaurant here in Kanazawa. This place is also very accessible because its located just near Kenrokuen Garden.
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Kanazawa Gyoza Sakaba has one of the most inviting facades of any restaurant that I’ve been to in Japan. It honestly looks more like a club/bar than a restaurant. Aside from the lively exterior, the restaurant also has this huge sign (advertising its JPY330 homemade gyoza) that makes it hard to miss.
For my order, I decided to go with this pork-stuffed lotus that came with a sweet and spicy sauce. So my visit was around the Lunar New Year and what better way to commemorate the event than with this dish. The pork was actually quite savory and the lotus root had this crunchy texture that really complemented the meat.
Other than the pork-stuffed lotus, I also decided to order edamame and sliced cucumbers. Since this was going to be a meat-heavy meal I thought that getting some greens would balance things out. These tasted great by the way, and it’s probably because of their freshness.
Another item that I had to order was the miso soup. This had some vegetables and egg and was super tasty. Again, I wouldn’t say that it was a delicious miso soup but for the price, it was more than satisfying as a palate cleanser.
Finally we have our dumplings. Now out of all the items I ordered this was probably the best. The bottom (pictured here) was crispy but not burnt and it perfectly contrasted with the top’s slightly chewy texture. As for the filling, well, what can I say? It was moist, savory, and it really brought the whole thing together.
Kanazawa Gyoza Sakaba Menu
Kanazawa Gyoza Sakaba is one of a growing number of restaurants that are forgoing physical menus in favor of digital ones. Here you’re given a tablet and all that’s needed is for you to press on the item you’d want to order. In this picture, we can see the restaurant’s dumpling sections which include the ones I just ordered.
I must say, the selection here is wild. I was super tempted to get the scallop and cheese dumplings. I held off on getting them though as I probably couldn’t eat them all.
The hard drinks section of the menu featured the regular beer and whiskey selections. Highlighted here in the picture is a Kaku Highball priced at JPY448 and draft beer for JPY508.
Aside from the beloved Kaku Highball, other highball selections include a Maker’s Mark (JPY558), Chita (JPY628), and a Hibiki for JPY800. As shown in the picture, these prices still don’t have tax included.
If you’d rather get a bottle of Hibiki then the option is also here for just that. However, it’s going to cost you a whopping JPY14410 plus tax so you might want to think carefully before ordering this.
The fried food section is probably where you’ll find yourself spending the most time. Almost all the items here were solid and I was actually having a hard time deciding which I’d get. Eventually I settled on the pork-stuffed lotus and dumplings but I would’ve been happy if I went with the Deep Fried Chicken or the Deep Fried Chicken Wings.
Seriously, the fried food section has such a great selection of greasy goodness that’s actually really affordable. JPY480 for fried crispy chicken and JPY410 for deep fried squid are solid deals.
It’s not just fried meat that’s available here though. Aside from skin-on French fries which cost just JPY310 for a serving, the restaurant also offers fried peanuts (at JPY350) and an eggplant with pepper dish that really looks appetizing (just based on the picture).
If you want to eat something before taking on the fried food then the snacks section has great antipasto like century eggs, a cucumber with garlic salad, octopus with wasabi, kimchi, and a cold tomato salad that you might want to try out.
I personally went with the edamame/green soybean and cucumber with miso but I think other options like cucumber with chili oil, menma, and hiyayakko are great too. What makes these really appealing though is that they’re all priced at a reasonable JPY310.
Another section that really intrigued me was the Treasure Dishes. These looked even more appealing than the Fried Food section with the Grilled Pork Roast getting my attention. These are a lot more expensive but I have been told that the portions are larger compared to what you’d find in the Fried Food section.
If I had to choose a dish that I’d get from this section though, I’d probably go with either the Pork with Green Pepper or the Liver and Chinese Chive. As to why I’d go for these, I really just have a hankering for some good stir fry and I think these (at least the Liver and Chinese Chive) look like they fit the bill.
Now if you really want to spice up your dining experience then you might want to head on over to the Authentic Spicy Food subsection. I was really tempted to get the mapo tofu but I wasn’t sure if I could handle the spiciness. The beef (if you’re looking for some great wagyu beef, try Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu) and tripe also looked like it would be extra spicy so I just stuck with my orders.
If I had more people with me on this trip I probably would’ve gotten a couple of orders of either of the hot pots. And considering how the price starts at just JPY760 for a good for two serving, I think this might be a steal. I’m not too sure if I was going to like the taste though so again, I stuck with what I already ordered at that time.
Another reason for my hesitation with getting the hotpot was the meager choice of toppings add-ons. There were 10 options in total and these included Shiitake Mushrooms, Udon Noodles, tofu, and chicken (just to name a few). Prices for these started at JPY220 (cabbage and tofu) and could go as high as JPY550 (chicken). But if you really want have a great hotpot experience here in Kanazawa, you can go to Shabu Sai Kanazawa Fo-Rasu Te.
The seafood + vegetables subsection was equally as bare as the hot pot subsection’s toppings selection. That said, they might still be worth checking out. I was eyeing the shrimp with Bok Choy and prawn with Chili sauce but then I realized I might not be able to finish these along with my other orders.
If I came across this subsection earlier though, I would have probably gotten either the Komatsuna with garlic or the Bok Choy with garlic instead of the cucumber.
So this ends my dining experience at Kanazawa Gyoza Sakaba. I must say, this was one of the most satisfying meals I’ve had in Japan. And it’s not just because it was really affordable. The food (shout out to the dumplings!) at Kanazawa Gyoza Sakaba was genuinely okay. Of course, there were things that I think they could’ve done better but overall, I found myself satisfied. So if you’re staying at the Hyatt Centric then I highly recommend you scoot on over to Kanazawa Gyoza Sakaba.
