I was up early. Way too early, actually — the flight was brutal. Got to the hotel at noon. Check-in wasn’t until three.
My body was begging to lie down, even for just a bit. But there was no way around it. I left my suitcase at the front desk and headed out for lunch.
I found a place on Google Maps — a Western-style restaurant nearby. It’s called Grill Otsuka (グリル オーツカ), apparently known for its Hanton Rice.
Hanton Rice is one of Kanazawa’s signature dishes. Simply put, it’s omurice topped with fried shrimp and sauce. These days, some places even let you choose your toppings.
I crossed the street from the hotel and turned into the back alleys of Katamachi. Probably the same alleys I’d end up wandering for the rest of the trip. For now, though, I just wanted to sit down. A good lunch might bring some life back into me.
Oh, but…
I had no idea Grill Otsuka was this popular. Sunday lunchtime, and there was a long line snaking out the door. It brought back memories of Kyoto. That nightmare where you couldn’t get into a single restaurant without a reservation. Kanazawa seemed packed with tourists too — was it going to be the same story here?
I gave up on Hanton Rice for now and headed toward the quieter streets. I needed to get away from the busy area. That was the only way I’d find somewhere calm to rest.
I didn’t bother checking the map. Just went with my gut — kept walking toward alleys that looked quiet, alleys that looked like they might have a restaurant somewhere.
In a way, this was my first real walk in Kanazawa. No plan, no destination — but I was getting a feel for the city, one alley at a time.
The weather was perfect. Trees everywhere. Fresh spring green filled every corner of every street. A great time of year to travel.
The streets had that small-city Japan feeling to them. Low buildings, narrow lanes. Little shops scattered here and there. And small canals running along the sides. First time in Kanazawa, but somehow it didn’t feel unfamiliar.
Then I hit a main road. Pulled out Google Maps to figure out where I was — and right nearby, there was a soba place called Matsumoto (松本). Perfect, I thought. A simple bowl of soba would make a fine lunch. And more than anything, I really needed to sit down.
But no.
Temporarily closed.
Well. Some days are just like that — one thing goes wrong and everything follows. Today seemed to be that day. Maybe Kanazawa and I just weren’t clicking.
I always say travel is like a living thing. It doesn’t go the way you want it to. It moves on its own and pulls you along with it. Sometimes you just have to let go and see where it takes you.
And then I turned my head — and right there, a café.
Japan doesn’t have cafés on every corner the way Korea does. Actually, Korea just has too many. I don’t think there’s another country in the world where you get five or six cafés packed into a single alley.
Anyway. I decided it was fate and walked in. One seat left.
Lucky.
The place was called POP BY COFFEE. They had sandwiches too, so I ordered a mozzarella tomato sandwich and an iced Americano.
An Americano — right, this place used an espresso machine. In my experience, Japanese cafés tend to lean toward hand-drip. So I usually end up with iced coffee rather than an Americano. I prefer hand-drip myself, actually.
But here, it was a proper Americano — espresso diluted with water. Not over-roasted for nuttiness, not pushed toward acidity either. Just easy to drink. A pretty good Americano, honestly.
The sandwich was lovely too. The presentation alone — it came out looking like it was asking to be photographed.
The pickled cucumber had that distinctly Japanese touch. Probably soy sauce in the mix. The carrot rapée was less acidic than expected, but mild and pleasant alongside the sandwich.
The real surprise was the bread — crisp without being difficult to eat. And the mozzarella and tomato, which looked a little sparse at first, turned out to be just the right amount once you actually bit in. Perfectly balanced.
Add the view through the big glass window and the bright afternoon light — and this was actually a pretty good lunch.
Check-in was still hours away, and my legs needed more rest — but people were starting to queue outside.
I’d been using a two-person table, so I asked to move to a solo seat and ordered a pudding while I was at it.
The pudding held its shape firmly, rich with the smell of egg. On top, a scoop of house-made coffee ice cream. Maybe because it was homemade — it had this soft, yielding texture, and a faint but distinct coffee fragrance.
Pudding really is the right answer for dessert in Japan.
Just a short walk from the café and I’d hit the Sai-gawa (犀川). From tomorrow, I’d probably be checking off the famous spots in the city center — so today, I thought, why not just walk along the river?
I made my way through the residential streets and reached the riverbank. And… yeah. This was very much a “morning walk for locals” kind of river. Peaceful, sure — but what I needed was something that made me feel like I was actually in Kanazawa.
So I turned around and headed somewhere else. I’ll pick that up in the next post.
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