TONO REGION'S GASTRONOMY
There are a number of chain restaurants throughout Tono that have stores in every city in Tono. Examples include CoCo Ichinbanya, for Japanese curry, Coco's Family Restaurant for general fare (both Japanese and Western style), and Sagami (decent quality Japanese food, with seasonal offerings and local specialties). There is even McDonalds, if you need your fix. These are usually located along the highway or in the main part of town, and are easy to find.
Then there are restaurants that are only in specific areas in Tono, some privately owned, which are of varying quality. Here is a list of some of the recommended ones in Tono:
Then there are restaurants that are only in specific areas in Tono, some privately owned, which are of varying quality. Here is a list of some of the recommended ones in Tono:
Toki
- Toki Premium Outlet Mall: In addition to the food court, there are a few different restaurants at the Outlets, including Pastel (Italian, pasta, great desserts), Tokyo Soup Stock, Tully's (coffee), Cold Stone Creamery, Bagel & Bagel, and more.
- Farmer's Kitchen: Italian – pasta, pizza and more. The restaurant is somewhat more upscale than an average family restaurant but prices are still fairly reasonable. Good place for a date.
- Scratch: Opposite Farmer's Kitchen. Delicious organic pasta and pizza. Also fairly upscale.
Mizunami
- Gandhi: Delicious Indian/Nepalese curry and naan with friendly staff.
- Akintei: High quality soy sauce ramen, with nearly all of the ingredients being prepared in the shop from locally grown and raised ingredients. It’s a local establishment, and they only offer a few items on the menu, but what’s there is amazing. There’s also a small branch shop in Ena.
Ena
- Wild Cat: Yakiniku restaurant. A bit out of town, on the road towards Iwamura.
- Royal Nan House: The spiritual successor to Mizunami's Gandhi. Delicious Indian food, friendly staff and delicious Tandoor, it is a bit further along the road from the Wild Cat. There is also a branch in Nakatsugawa near the station.
- Mimura: Italian restaurant with very big portions. No one in remembered history has ever managed to finish the Mega Meat Deluxe meatball spaghetti.
- Ganko-tei: Yakiniku on the main street of Ena. About a 15-minute walk from Ena station. Prices are very reasonable and each table has an electronic ordering system which is a lot of fun to use. There’s one of these in Mizunami as well, off route 19.
- Papa@Kitchen: A small, vegetarian-friendly, organic restaurant near the Ena ALT apartments. Their dishes use locally grown organic produce. Lunch every day, dinner by appointment.
- Starbucks: The original Tono Starbucks (a second opened this year in Tajimi) is located at the Enakyo Expressway Service Area, about a two-minute walk from the Ena ALT apartments.
Iwamura (Ena City)
- Mitsuba: An udon restaurant/ izakaya on the main historical street in Iwamura with a very relaxed atmosphere. The owner also works as a DJ in Nagoya and as a result opening hours can be somewhat unpredictable. It's well worth looking into though – the fresh udon, handmade on site, is amazing.
- Kawai: Located next to the Iwamura Station on the Akechi Tetsudo Line, Kawai features in particular two local specialities: miso katsu (pork cutlet with red miso sauce) and miso nikomi udon (udon with a miso broth). The owner, Mr Kawai, speaks some English and is very friendly.
Nakatsugawa
- Zuppa: On route 19 near Japan Rent-A-Car on the south-bound side. They have a nice wine selection as well as good thin-crust pizza, with delicious pasta.
- Majolica: A popular restaurant with an adjoining live house, Majolica has a varied menu (pizza, pasta, sandwiches, wraps), and the food is generally good. The desserts are great too.
- Daijirou: Cook your own okonomiyaki! Daijirou is considered by many to be the best okonomiyaki restaurant in town. The décor is great – an old-time post office, with lots of vintage Japanese advertisements. The restaurant can get very busy, so book in advance.
- Naruki Ramen: Delicious Mom 'n' Pop ramen joint, up the road from Daijirou.
- Daisen: A great ebi fry (tempura shrimp) and miso katsu (fried pork cutlet with red miso sauce) restaurant located somewhere in the hinterland between Nakatsugawa and Ena. It is a little off in the middle of nowhere so try to go with someone who has been there before!
- Kisaku: A fantastic, classy little Italian restaurant about a 10 minute walk away from Nakatsugawa station. Serves dinner courses and wood-fired pizzas. Usually need to book in advance.
- Chicken House: Best fried, grilled, and baked chicken in the region. Just one bite and you will be hooked. It’s about a 10 minute walk from Nakatsugawa station, with karaoke on the 2nd floor.
- Ikoi Chibariya: Reasonably priced Taco rice, Sata Andaki,and other great Okinawan delights.
- Mr. English Coffee: Located 10 minutes by car out of downtown Nakatsugawa, this foreign-run cafe roasts its own coffee and serves sandwiches and spaghetti just like in the USA. They also now have a drive-thru location near Naegi Junior High School.
- Il Fiore: Located in Kashimo, about 50 minutes from downtown Nakatsugawa, this I talian restaurant uses no cheese or wheat products (rice pasta instead). If you have a gluten or dairy intolerance, or are vegan, this place is for you. Lunches and dinners are served as courses only. The menu changes from day to day. It is best to make a reservation.
Famous Food in the Tono Region
Kurikinton – 栗きんとん: Kurikinton are very tasty chestnut sweets and are considered a meibutsu (名物 signature product) of the Ena/Nakatsugawa area. Usually only available to buy during the autumn months, some of the more famous confectionery shops even put out pre-orders. Enakawakamiya (恵那川上屋) has seasonal kurikinton confections available, among many other Japanese and western-style sweets.
Castella – カステラ: Castella (pound cake) was brought to Japan by the Portuguese, and is a signature product of the town of Iwamura. The most famous Castella shop in Iwamura is called Matsuura-ken.
Hôbazushi – 朴葉寿司: Made around the Gifu and Nagano area, hôbazushi is chirashi (vinegar rice with pickled vegetables and cured fish) wrapped in a hôba leaf. It is only made in the summer months. Other dishes also make use of the hôba leaf, such as Hôbamiso (mountain vegetables cooked in miso and wrapped in the hôba leaf.
Gohei Mochi – 五平餅 : This is a specialty food with its origins in the mountains of Gifu and Nagano. An essential summer festival food, gohei mochi is made from sticky rice barbecued on a stick coated in a sauce made of sesame seeds, peanuts or miso.
Castella – カステラ: Castella (pound cake) was brought to Japan by the Portuguese, and is a signature product of the town of Iwamura. The most famous Castella shop in Iwamura is called Matsuura-ken.
Hôbazushi – 朴葉寿司: Made around the Gifu and Nagano area, hôbazushi is chirashi (vinegar rice with pickled vegetables and cured fish) wrapped in a hôba leaf. It is only made in the summer months. Other dishes also make use of the hôba leaf, such as Hôbamiso (mountain vegetables cooked in miso and wrapped in the hôba leaf.
Gohei Mochi – 五平餅 : This is a specialty food with its origins in the mountains of Gifu and Nagano. An essential summer festival food, gohei mochi is made from sticky rice barbecued on a stick coated in a sauce made of sesame seeds, peanuts or miso.