Restaurants

One of Nagoya's specialties is kishimen, fettuccine-like broad and flat white noodles usually served in a soup stock with soy sauce, tofu, dried bonito shavings, and chopped green onions. Nagoya is also famous for miso nikomi udon -- udon noodles served in a bean-paste soup and flavored with such ingredients as chicken and green onions. Cochin (free-range) chicken and tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets) with a red miso sauce are also Nagoya favorites.

Around Nagoya Station -- The best place for one-stop dining is Nagoya Station itself, on the 12th and 13th floors of one of the twin towers atop the station. Called Towers Plaza, it offers about 40 food-and-beverage outlets (in addition to Farmer's Restaurant Moku Moku) serving noodles, sushi, tempura, tofu dishes, grilled eel, shabu-shabu, steaks, Chinese food, Indian curries, Italian fare, and more, most with plastic-food displays.

If you reserve early enough (at least 2 months in advance), you might also get one of the coveted tables at French restaurant Mikuni on the 52nd floor of the Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel (tel. 052/584-1111). Decorated in Art Nouveau style and considered by some to be the city's finest restaurant due to its celebrated chef Kiyomi Mikuni (who has restaurants also in Tokyo and Sapporo) and healthy cuisine naturelle, it offers set lunches for ¥6,800 to ¥9,000 from 11:30am to 1:30pm and set dinners for ¥14,000 to ¥17,000 from 5:30 to 9pm (last order), with a menu that changes monthly.

In Sakae -- If you are collecting T-shirts or are hungry for a burger, there's a Hard Rock Cafe on Hirokoji Street not far from the Hilton, at 1-4-5 Sakae, Naka-ku (tel. 052/218-3220; Sun-Thurs 11:30am-11pm, Fri 11:30am-midnight, Sat 11:30am-3am). In addition, Farmer's Restaurant Moku Moku has a branch in Sakae.