One of the things Nagasaki is famous for, though it isn’t really all that special, is Nagasaki champon. Apparently if you look hard enough there are good champon shops out there somewhere, but I didn’t have time to research, so I went to Shikairo, said to be the original champon shop. As tends to happen with these “original famous shops” at tourist spots, this one wasn’t very tasty for all its fame either. Even if they’re preserving the taste of the old days, it must be way behind today’s trends. That said, I can’t claim nobody would eat this and call it delicious. That’s probably why business is good.
The main entrance.. or is it the second floor..
The interior is flashy, as befits a tourist-spot restaurant, and the outer wall is all glass, so the panoramic view over Nagasaki harbor is fantastic. But the queue was incredibly long. I arrived about 30 minutes before opening and I think I still waited an hour. It definitely wasn’t worth that..
A commemorative shot
Even though the place was packed, they gave me, alone as I was, a whole four-person table by the window. I did wait a long time, but there was no table sharing and I could eat in comfort. Glad it’s a place with a sense of service. Otherwise my happy travel memories would have been ruined.
Something like gyoza, called hatoshi
It’s similar to pan-fried dumplings, but the outside is bread. It’s a very Nagasaki dish, and it did taste good, but it was a bit ordinary.
At last, the original Nagasaki champon..
Some friends say even this looks plenty tasty, but to me it falls well short. The frozen seafood in particular was a shock. With this many customers I guess they can’t use fresh, but after coming all this way, to be served champon hardly different from what I eat near home… The broth seemed chicken-based and was very clean and refreshing, but broth like this is also way behind the times when you consider current trends.
The noodles
I wasn’t happy with these either; they lacked chew. I’d heard that sara udon (also a Nagasaki specialty) is usually more satisfying than Nagasaki champon, and it seems that’s true. I was alone this time so I couldn’t try it.. In places like this, the best way to eat well is to get a local to take you. Next time I’ll take my time and find out which places are actually good. Anyway.. whether I’ll ever have reason to go to Nagasaki again.. hmm..