Nagoya is a city right in the center of Japan with a unique food culture distinct from both Kanto (Tokyo) and Kansai (Osaka) regions.
Among the famous Nagoya-meshi (Nagoya cuisine), one of the well-known B-grade gourmet dishes is Ankake Spaghetti (thick sauce-covered spaghetti).
This ankake spaghetti was created by the founder of a restaurant called Spaghetti House Yokoi, and I decided to try it while stopping by Nagoya!
I visited the Nishiki branch of Spaghetti House Yokoi, located a 3-minute walk from Sakae Station on the subway.
It was past noon on a Friday, and there were many suited office workers eating lunch. It felt like a restaurant beloved by locals.
This is the menu. At first glance, it’s filled with words that make no sense to non-Nagoya residents. “Mirakan,” “Indian,” “Viking,” and so on… Apparently, each represents a type of topping (what goes on top of the spaghetti).
When I asked the staff, they said the recommendation and most popular item was “Mirakan,” so I ordered that!
First, potato salad and cabbage to prepare the stomach.
After a short wait, here comes the Ankake Spaghetti! So this is what Mirakan looks like.
The toppings consist of stir-fried onions, green peppers, mushrooms, ham, bacon, and red sausages. The quantity and visual impact of the red sausages (the kind you often see in lunch boxes) is particularly striking.
The sauce is tomato-based, seasoned with salt and pepper (with a bit more emphasis on pepper).
Personally, it wasn’t at the level of “incredibly delicious!” (though it was pretty good, I swear! Sorry lol), but it had a flavor that made me want to come back and eat it again from time to time.
More than any other Nagoya-meshi I’ve tried, this gave me the feeling of “I’m eating authentic Nagoya B-grade gourmet!” I imagine Nagoya residents each have their own favorite variations…
Next time, I’d like to try it with different toppings!
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