Where to Eat Non-Japanese Food in Kanazawa: Top Picks for Travelers

Any Internet search of “Kanazawa Restaurants” will churn out a list of some of the finest places for fresh seafood and Japanese cuisine in the country. Unfortunately, by the time your travels lead you to the seaside city of Kanazawa, you’re likely to be what I call “all fished-out.” So what does the seafood-weary traveler eat in a seafood town like Kanazawa? Here’s an alternative that is a personal favorite of the Kizuna staff: Sri Lankan and southern Indian food!

©SRI Lanka KITCHEN / ©Spice Box

For lunch, try the Thali Lunch Set or the Banana Leaf Plate at Sri Lanka Kitchen, which is located on the street behind Kanazawa City Hall. Or for dinner, head to downtown Katamachi and order a la carte from the extensive menu at Spice Box.

As soon as you walk in the door of either Sri Lanka Kitchen (lunch location) or Spice Box (dinner location), you’ll be greeted by the owner Fernando, a native of Colombo, Sri Lanka. (Don’t worry. He speaks English.) He understands your plight and has heard similarly from many a-customer. Kebabs and curry to the rescue!

The menu is composed of authentic Sri Lankan and southern Indian dishes, prepared with spices imported from overseas (if necessary). There are no shortcuts or cutting of corners taken here; your order is made fresh and to the highest standard.

©SRI Lanka KITCHEN / ©Spice Box

“It is getting hard to find restaurants in Sri Lanka and southern India that serve authentic dishes,” Fernando tells me when I ask him about his dining experiences back home. “A lot of the restaurants are just making food for tourists.” In other words, transient customers, not local regulars. “You can find good restaurants there, but it takes some effort.”

Luckily, Sri Lanka Kitchen and Spice Box offer the real thing right here in Kanazawa.

“Why Kanazawa?” I ask. “What’s special about this location?”

“The food standards are very high here,” Fernando says. “And, fifteen years ago, when I started this restaurant, there wasn’t much authentic curry. For many years, part of the job was teaching people what real curry is. They were often surprised when they got their order; they had never seen or eaten curry like this before.”

I remember that time and the few, brave entrepreneurs who attempted to bring authentic foreign cuisine to Japanese palates. It’s a long haul here. In many places in Japan, people will beat a path to the door of a new restaurant on opening night just for the chance to try something different. Here in Kanazawa, people will peek in through the windows as they walk by but only go in if they’ve heard from a friend that the food is good. It takes years for a restaurant to establish itself in this town.

“I didn’t give up,” Fernando explains. “I knew that the food we were making was good. It just takes time to be accepted here.”

In that time, Fernando has been able to perfect his restaurants’ offerings.

“What do most first-time customers order when they come in?”

“Sometimes the Thali Set. Or curry and naan.” But when I ask what it is he recommends, he replies, “The kebabs are very good, but you must eat them right away. They are best right out of the oven. And chapati is much better than naan, but naan is what most people know.”

©SRI Lanka KITCHEN / ©Spice Box

Spinach and mutton curry with chapati, which is a wholesome and less filling alternative to naan bread.

“And if the food is too spicy for someone?”

“We can always make it less spicy if the customer just lets us know.”

There’s also lassi (a yogurt drink) and raita (a yogurt salad) on the menu that will help cool the taste buds.

“What makes Sri Lankan and southern Indian food recipes similar?” I ask and Fernando tells me that many foods are the same in both places. Also, coconut is a main ingredient for both.

When I ask him about his restaurant’s specialty, he immediately answers, “Malai tikka!”

Malai tikka is their number one crowd pleaser. It’s chicken meat grilled in a yogurt sauce that is extremely difficult to make properly, but the chef of Sri Lanka Kitchen and Spice Box has mastered the art. (No, you will not be able to get the recipe. It’s a trade secret.)

©SRI Lanka KITCHEN / ©Spice Box

Kebabs (left) and malai tikka (right)

Fernando goes on, “Everyone loves malai tikka – people who don’t like spicy food love it, but even people who love spicy food love malai tikka. It melts in the mouth!”

Another thing that makes Fernando’s restaurants special is that customers aren’t limited to the choices on the menu. “Just call us or tell us what kind of dish you want. We can make it for you.”

Above all, Fernando hopes people will have a satisfying experience in his restaurants. “You should feel like you have had a really good meal,” he says.

Well, that’s the reason I personally keep coming back!

This article was written by Keri Yazawa

About Keri Yazawa
Keri Yazawa has been a resident of Kanazawa City since 2005 and enjoys cycling, stamp-making, and tofu!

©Keri Yazawa