Food Journalist’s Genuine Picks for Local Delicacies – Yokohama Edition [Hantsu Endo’s Nationwide Serious Gourmet]

Hello! I am Hantsu Endo, a food journalist.

Thanks to my job, I visit various places across Japan every year. In the past 20+ years, I have visited over 10,000 eateries. With so many marvelous restaurants all over the country, it’s hard to decide where to go when traveling or on business trips. I hear this concern often.

Hantsu Endo’s Nationwide Serious Gourmet. The 9th installment brings us to Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture!

Yamate ROCHE (Yamate Roche)

Located opposite the foreign cemetery. Founded in 1967, this Western-style restaurant fits perfectly into the cultural district where mansions managed by Yokohama City Green Association, located in a scenic district, stand. The interior is classic, and the cuisine is orthodox, offering serious looks & tastes. The recommended dish is “Beef Stew Hamburger.” A juicy coarse-ground hamburger, grilled and then finished in the oven, topped with slowly stewed beef stew. Comes with salad, bread, and coffee.

Address: 246 Yamate-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, 1st floor of Colonel’s Corner
Phone Number: 045-621-9811

Hotel New Grand The Cafe

Founded in 1927 (Showa year 2), “Hotel New Grand” is the birthplace of “Napolitan” pasta. The second-generation head chef, Shigetada Irie, developed and perfected the idea from the first Swiss head chef, Sally Weil. The unique sauce, made from fresh tomatoes and left to rest for 12 hours after boiling, is mixed with 1.6mm pasta re-heated upon order, then seasoned with salt and pepper. Do try the “Pudding a la Mode,” which also originated here.

Address: 10 Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, 1st floor of the Hotel New Grand Main Building
Phone Number: 045-681-1841 (general)

Hofbrau

Founded in 1951. The Norwegian-owned establishment brings a nostalgic Showa era ambiance. Popular as a Bar, it initially started by the Finnish Komurand Komul owner. The most popular dish is “Spapizza,” a teppan spaghetti topped with meat sauce, pasta, more meat sauce, onions, bell peppers, bacon, shrimp, and three kinds of cheese, then baked in the oven. Enjoy the flavor variations with Parmesan and Tabasco.

Address: 25-1 Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Ueda Building 1F
Phone Number: 045-662-1106

Yokohama Daihanten

While Chinatown has many all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurants, it’s a mixed bag. Among them, “Yokohama Daihanten” is renowned as the pinnacle. Located at the corner of the Zenrinmon gate, this long-established restaurant has been serving “Authentic Chinese cuisine in a cozy environment” since 1962. Offers over 100 menu items, including Peking duck, Xiao Long Bao, and shark’s fin soup, allowing you to enjoy freshly made dishes in a dim sum style.

Address: 154 Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
Phone Number: 045-641-0001

Uchiki Pan

Located in the so-called ‘Motomachi’ area. Founded in 1888 (Meiji 21), this long-standing bakery succeeds “Yokohama Bakery,” the first bakery in Japan started by Robert Clark, taken over by the founder Hikosaburo Uchiki (originally named ‘Yokohama Bakery Uchiki Store’). The “England” bread, a smash hit since its inception, is made without yeast, using hops in a traditional British style, resulting in a bread that’s crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Address: 1-50 Motomachi, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
Phone Number: 045-641-1161

■Profile
Hantsu Endo
Born in Tokyo in 1966. Graduated from Waseda University. After resigning from a real estate company, he became a writer for overseas travel magazines and then a food journalist & C-class hotel critic. He has visited over 10,000 eateries for his reports. His main serials are in “Shukan Taishu” and “Toyo Keizai Online” among others. He is the author of 27 books, including “Interviews Refused by Extremely Delicious Ramen Shops” (Kosaido Publishing).