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HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Seafood Feasts at Michelin-starred Matsuya
Fresh-caught seafood, local crafts, and traditional architecture at a Michelin-starred restaurant by the sea
Komatsu Tourism & Local Products Network.
Sitting along the coast in a sleepy port town in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is the 100-year-old ryotei restaurant, Matsuya. Here you can not only delight your taste buds with kaiseki course meals of freshly-caught local seafood, but also feast your eyes on the local Ishikawa crafts used, such as Kutani ceramics and Yamanaka or Wajima lacquerware. And on window views of sunset over the crashing waves of the Sea of Japan.
Located within the Japan Heritage site of Ataka, the surrounding streets lined with wooden houses of past fishermen and merchants will take you back to the town's old days as a bustling port. In respect of that history and aesthetic, the architecture of Matsuya also retains traditional techniques in the style of tea houses. The hospitality too, exudes the warm attentiveness of tea ceremonies from which kaiseki meals originated.
Since the ingredients depend on the catch of the day, you'll always be in for a fresh surprise. However, a seasonal highlight to look out for are the snow crabs caught in winter around Ishikawa. One of Matsuya's specialties is the kora-age, a Komatsu-unique delicacy where crab shells are stuffed with juicy crab meat and deep fried till crisp.
The immersive experience you'll get at Matsuya is certainly deserving of their two stars in the Michelin Guide Hokuriku 2021.
How to get there
5 minutes by car from Komatsu Airport.
From Kanazawa Station, take a JR train to Komatsu Station (30 minutes). Matsuya is 10 minutes by car or 12 minutes by bus from Komatsu Station.
Wa-30, Ataka-machi, Komatsu-shi, Ishikawa-ken
