Restaurants

• Iwakuni
  • Italian
    • Fracasso
    • Campagne
  • Japanese/Chinese
    • Gyoza House
    • Chicken Shack
    • Eniwa (Pork Restaurant)
  • Coffee Shops/Bakeries
    • Ruman
    • Coffee Shop
  • Other
    • Sako (BLTs)
    • Ganesh (Indian)
• Otake
  • Italian
    • Sicily di Maple City
    • Napoli
• Hiroshima
  • Italian
    • Saizeriya (Italian)
  • Other
    • Shinatora (Ramen Noodle)
• Yanai
  • Other
    • Shinatora (Ramen Noodle)

Fracasso's is an Italian restaurant located near You Me Town in Iwakuni, up the road on 188 from Gyoza House. It's easy to find as you drive down 188, with a big white and green sign.

Fracasso's has a lot of squid dishes, but don't let that deter you; they have excellent (though quite simple) personal sized pizzas, salads, sandwiches, and appetizers, but my absolute favorite item is on the dessert menu: they have the most wonderful tiramisu I've ever had.

I recommend going here for dinner, because they have a very limited lunch menu.

I enjoy the variety of the meal sets, and many people love the spicy BBQ shrimp.

The Chicken Shack (or Sanzoku, as the locals know it), is a wonderful setup of traditional Japanese restaurants on the mountainside just outside Iwakuni, consisting of both indoor and outdoor tables, a relaxing atmosphere, and a souvenir shop. They are famous for their sanzoku yaki (Chicken on a Stick) and have mouth-watering yakiniku (thinly sliced beef that you grill yourself on a small tabletop grill) and gyoza (meat and cabbage-filled dupling). The prices run a little high, especially if you like to try several different things at once, so plan on spending around 2500-3000 yen per person, and more if you want to buy those little extras at the souvenir shop.

To get here, exit the main gate and turn right onto Hwy 188 at 4-Corners (the second traffic light out the gate). This will take you downtown. If you turn left at the corner of the YMCA building, you will see a large parking lot. Park here. Go out the back of the parking lot (toward the liquor store) and turn right onto the road between the parking lot and the liquor store. Be careful walking, these are narrow streets with a good deal of traffic! Walk down this road through two intersections, and you will see Sake Haus (another liquor store) on the corner, then Big Echo on your right and the pork restaurant across the street from Big Echo. Here are a couple of maps: Overview and Close-up (click either map for a larger view).

There is a little Cofee Shop if you take Rt. 188 going toward Yanai. If you go out of Iwakuni on Rt. 188 past You Me Town and JanJaka, you will pass an Eneos gas station, a Free Bird café, a place called House Gallery, Jutendo and Max Valu, then you'll see signs for Kuga and the Sanyo. Turn right onto Hwy 149 at the intersection that goes to the Golf Course (there's a big golf billboard). The coffee shop is located on your left; you'll see a little sign on the left just before you get there that says "coffee shop". It's a nice little place with strong coffee, light desserts, and a variety of souvenirs to peruse.

There is an easy-access parking lot if you are coming from 4-corners at the Main Gate; having turned right at 4-Corners to come downtown toward Fuji Grand, make a left at the corner of the YMCA building and the parking lot is on your left. Press the red button on the machine and take your ticket (don't lose it!) and park. Walk back out of the parking lot the same way you entered, cross the little narrow road, walk around the corner of the set of buildings in front of you, proceed up the road and you will walk right into the Yellow Brick Road. Hang a left immediately upon entering the Yellow Brick Road, and Ganesh is there on your left.

They are open for lunch and dinner, have English menus and speak English, and will happily tailor meals to your liking (for example, if you would like to have your nan bread with both cheese and garlic, or if you would like an extra piece of chicken with your meal set, it's no problem; you'll pay extra for it, but it's so nice to have options).

Located on Hondori Avenue in Hiroshima, Saizeriya is a friendly place to enjoy very inexpensive Italian food. It is open from 11am to late in the night, and they have an excellent red table wine. Menu includes English.

If you want to try authentic Japanese Ramen Noodle Soup, I highly recommend Shinatora in Hiroshima's Pacela Mall. To get there, take the Streetcar to M9 (Kamiya-cho-higashi). When you exit the Streetcar, go underground and follow the signs to the Art Museum exit. When you emerge from underground, you will be directly in front of the lower Pacela Mall entrance, and Shinatora is located just inside the doors on your right.

This is a chain restaurant; there is also one in Yanai.

If you want to try authentic Japanese Ramen Noodle Soup, I highly recommend Shinatora. If you take the local train to Yanai, exit the front of the train station and take the underground passageway all the way to the end, you'll come out on a pretty little cobblestone street lined with trees down the center. Walk to the end of this street, and turn left (if you kept walking, you'd walk through a little park and up a bridge). Walk to the end of this street, and turn left (if you keep walking here, you'll end up at Deo Deo, You Me Town, and there's also a McDonald's over there). There is a nice little knick-knack store called How Messe and the restaurant is next to it.

This is a chain restaurant; there is also one in Hiroshima.

If you want to try authentic Japanese Ramen Noodle Soup, I highly recommend Shinatora. If you take the local train to Yanai, exit the front of the train station and take the underground passageway all the way to the end, you'll come out on a pretty little cobblestone street lined with trees down the center. Walk to the end of this street, and turn left (if you kept walking, you'd walk through a little park and up a bridge). Walk to the end of this street, and turn left (if you keep walking here, you'll end up at Deo Deo, You Me Town, and there's also a McDonald's over there). There is a nice little knick-knack store called How Messe and the restaurant is next to it.

This is a chain restaurant; there is also one in Hiroshima.

Napoli is an Italian restaurant in Otake, located at the entrance of You Me Town. This prime location makes it an ideal place for the weary foreign shopper to grab a bite of slightly more familiar food than what is served at the Japanese restaurants inside You Me Town.