At first glance, Ankake Spaghetti may look like the Italian pasta that Mama used to make, but it’s definitely not like what you’re used to. Give this to an Italian chef and he would probably be horrified that someone is actually calling this “pasta!”
Though this style of pasta is definitely unconventional, that doesn’t make it any less delicious. In fact, Ankake Spaghetti is so popular in Nagoya, it’s actually counted as one of the 18 “Nagoya Meshi,” which are the most important foods in Nagoya’s culinary culture. We actually have a whole article of alllll 18 of them. We recommend treating it like a checklist while you’re here!
Article Contents
What Is Ankake Spaghetti?
Ankake Spaghetti may be made with spaghetti noodles, but differs greatly to Italian dishes in pretty much every other way. The sauce is made primarily with vegetables and potato starch , with a tomato base that gives it its richness in flavor. While many Italian pasta sauces would spice themselves up with chilis, Ankake Spaghetti’s spiciness comes from a generous dose of black pepper.
Other notable characteristics of this dish are the thickness of the noodles, and colorful array of toppings that accompany them. 2.2cm may not sound like a lot, but for spaghetti, it really does make a difference!
Typical topping combos include “Kantori,” (derived from the English word “country”), which is vegetables such as onions and green peppers, or weiners, referred to as Miraneze (aka Milanese). You you can even combine the two and order “Mirakan“, which you may see in some restaurants.
You may also find other variations of toppings depending on the restaurant, such as a fried egg, shrimp, cheese, spinach, deep-fried chicken, battered and even deep-fried meats. You name it, they probably have it as a topping.
The Origin of Ankake Spaghetti
It’s difficult to really pinpoint exactly when this dish was invented because there are at least two restaurants that claim they are the founder of Ankake Spaghetti (listed below).
Ankake Spaghetti was invented when attempting to adapt a meat sauce like bolognese to fit the palette of Nagoya locals. While the taste turned out to be a far cry from the meat sauce they were trying to adapt, it certainly hit the spot!
I Don’t Need An Origin Story – Just Give It To Me!
We’re getting there! Let’s have a look at where we can find this delicious Nagoya dish.
Spaghetti House Yokoi
Spaghetti House Yokoi is one of the restaurants that claim to be the inventor of Ankake Spaghetti. It’s difficult to prove, but that hasn’t stopped them from claiming so!
Whether they came up with the recipe or not, it’s undeniable that Spaghetti House Yokoi has been dishing up delicious Ankake Spaghetti since the 1960s and continues to do so to this day. Their special sauce is simmered for two days, giving it an extra special taste.
The most popular dishes at Spaghetti House Yokoi are the Ankake Spaghetti topped with Mirakan, Miraneze or alternatively Ebineze, which is a sausage and deep-fried shrimp topping.
Yokoi currently has three restaurants, two of which can be found within walking distance from Sakae station. The original one is located in Sumiyoshi, which has a very rustic feel to it, akin to walking into an old-style American diner. The other can be found in Nishiki, a bit closer to Sakae station. If you had the chance to go to both, you’d feel the difference immediately!
The last is in the KITTE Nagoya, found right by Nagoya station in the JP Tower, a convenient location for those who don’t have time to venture far.
Spaghetti House Yokoi Sumiyoshi Honten (スパゲティ・ハウス ヨコイ 住吉本店)
Opening Hours: 11:00 – 14:30 and 17:00 – 20:30. Closed Sundays and National Holiday evenings.
Address: 2F Santo Building 3-10-11 Sakae, Naka Ward, Nagoya, Aichi
460-0008
Website | Google Maps
Spaghetti House Sole
Spaghetti House Sole is another restaurant that claims the title of “Creator of Ankake Spaghetti.” We can’t very this claim, but if you visit the restaurant you’ll see they really do make a very good Ankake Spaghetti.
The restaurant has been in operation since 1961, and Ankake Spaghetti is their specialty. They have a wide variety of toppings so everyone will be sure to find something they like.
Sole has only one restaurant that has been family-owned for three generations and is located in Sakae. Check out their interpretation of Nagoya’s “sole” food.
SPAGHETTI HOUSE SOLE (そ〜れ あんかけスパ総本店)
Opening Hours: 11:00 – 15:00 and 17:00 – 23:00. Closed Sundays and lunch only on national holidays.
Address: Aishin Plaza Building 103 4-9-10 Sakae, Naka Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 460-0008
Website (Japanese only) | Google Maps
Karametei
In the 1980s during a TV interview, Karametei coined the term “Ankakesupa”, a portmanteau of “Ankake” and “spaghetti”. After that, it became commonly used to refer to the dish this way, even in other restaurants. Visit Karametei if you want to try the “original” Ankakesupa.
With nine shops in different parts of the country, Karametei is easily accessible to travelers. Karametei also sells its delicious Ankake sauce online, so you can cook authentic Ankake Spaghetti at home.
Their main shop is near Issha Station on the Higashiyama line, which can be easily reached from Nagoya Station.
Karametei (からめ亭)
Opening Hours: 11:00 – 14:30 and 18:00 – 21:00. Closed Sunday.
Address: Saint Royal Higashiyama 1F 1-191 Takayashiro, Meito Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 465-0095
Google Maps
Spaghetti House Ciao
Spaghetti House Ciao has been around for a long time, and they’ve been selling pasta since before the name Ankake Spaghetti was even coined.
Aside from many variations of Ankake Spaghetti, they also sell some very delicious Teppan Spaghetti, another Nagoya staple pasta dish.
You can find Spaghetti House Ciao in four locations in Nagoya. Two close to Nagoya Station, one in Sakae and one close to Fushimi Station. Their main shop is outside of Nagoya all the way up north in Inazawa.
Spaghetti House Ciao Nagoya JR Tower (チャオ名古屋JRゲートタワー店)
Opening Hours: 11:00 – 23:00.
Address: JR Gate Tower 12th Floor, Meieki 1-1-3, Nakamura Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 450-6601
Website (Japanese only) | Google Maps
Ankake Taro
If you are a big eater and you think the portion sizes in Japan leave something to be desired, you might want to check out Ankake Taro. Here you can order your delicious Ankake Spaghetti in a “Mega” size: a whopping 1 kilogram / 2.2 pounds of noodles!!
Ankake Taro makes their Ankake sauce with lots of vegetables which gives the sauce its thickness. As a dedicated pasta restaurant, Ankake Taro sells other types of pasta as well. Have you ever tried spaghetti with Indian curry sauce? No? Well, now might be the time! They also serve Teppan spaghetti, which is a spaghetti dish served in a hot teppan dish.
Their main shop is located a couple of hundred meters from the Nagoya International Center, only one stop away from Nagoya station. There are also two other locations, one by Sakae station in the downtown area, and the other a bit further north in the Kinshachi Yokocho food street right next to Nagoya castle.
Ankake Taro Nagoya Castle Kinshachi Yokocho （あんかけ太郎 名古屋 金シャチ横丁店)
Opening Hours: 11:00 – 21:00.
Address: Kinshachi Yokocho Muneharu Zone, Ninomaru 1-3, Naka Ward, Nagoya, Aichi
Website (Japanese only)| Google Maps
Pasta De Coco
Do you love customizing your food? Then Pasta de Coco might be the restaurant for you. You can choose from four types of Ankake sauce, the amount of noodles (150 – 900 grams) and of course, you can choose as many different toppings as you’d like!
Pasta de Coco is also the restaurant with the most shops around Japan, not only in Aichi Prefecture but also in neighboring Gifu prefecture as well. This shop is affiliated with the very famous curry house Coco Ichibanya, which we’d also recommend if you’re looking for something to ignite those taste buds.
Although there are many restaurants dotted about Aichi prefecture, we recommend the Marunouchi shop, located not far from Nagoya castle, as the easiest to access if you’re traveling around Nagoya city.
Pasta De Coco Naka Ward Marunouchi Ichome (パスタ・デ・ココ 中区丸の内一丁目店)
Opening Hours: 11:00 – 22:00
Address: 1-3-4 Marunouchi, Naka Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 460-0002
Website (Japanese only) | Google Maps
Whew ～ That’s A Lot of Carbs. We’re Stuffed.
Proving that Japanese cuisine isn’t all rice and fish, Nagoya’s Ankake Spaghetti offers a Japanese twist to all the traditional pasta dishes you will have had up until now.
Enjoy the richness of its sauce and mountain of toppings after a long day of traveling around Nagoya and you will not be disappointed!
Want even more? Check out our collection of all our food and drink articles for even MORE deliciousness we recommend in Nagoya! Or, consider booking a food tour that offers a deep dive into the best bites in the Sakae area of Nagoya. Our most popular tour!
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