3 Best Restaurants in Nagoya, Ise-Shima, and the Kii Peninsula, Japan

Come here for shabu-shabu—thinly sliced beef and vegetables that you boil in broth in the center of your table and then dip into various sauces before eating. The set courses aren't cheap, but the quality makes this restaurant worth a splurge. There are a dozen other branches around Nagoya, including one in Sakae.

In a perfect world, all school and office canteens would be a bit more like this rustic restaurant in La Chic mall in Sakae. For a reasonable set price, you get all you can eat from a generously stocked buffet, which explains why it is always busy and lively.

Coffee and sweets are on the menu alongside tofu-based lunches at this mellow but popular café about a 10-minute walk southeast of the castle. Try the Tamatebako Kaiseki lunch set, which comes in an attractive lacquerware box and (alongside pickles, vegetable side dishes, and miso soup) features tofu that's been grilled on skewers and accented with a sweet-savory soy-based sauce.