Volga Rice: Where to Eat, Prices & Opening Hours (Fukui)

Volga Rice, the local specialty of Echizen City, is a Western style dish of omelet rice topped with a cutlet and covered in sauce. The origin of the name and the recipe vary by shop, giving it a mysterious charm.

Highlights

Ketchup rice is wrapped in a soft, runny omelet, then topped with a cutlet and a sauce such as demi glace or tomato. Each shop shows rich individuality in the sauce, the cutlet thickness or a thickened style, so there is no end to the fun of tasting around. It is a filling and satisfying plate. It was once little known even locally, but through the efforts of groups such as the Japan Volgar Association it became an established local dish, and the number of shops serving it grew.

Enjoying the Seasons

It can be enjoyed all year. Shops that serve it gather mainly in the former Takefu district, so pairing a meal with a stroll through town is recommended.

Access and Basic Information

The heart of Volga Rice is the former Takefu district of Echizen City. Distinctive Western style restaurants and cafes dot the town center, each serving its own version of Volga Rice.

Practical Travel Notes

• A year round local dish, its shops cluster in the town center of former Takefu, making it easy to visit several on foot.
• Because portions are large, sharing a plate is one way to sample several shops.
• Each shop differs in sauce, such as demi glace, tomato or a thickened style, and in the cutlet, so researching each shop features ahead makes touring easier.
• Echizen City is also a home of traditional crafts such as Echizen washi paper and blades, so a day pairing Volga Rice with a craft tour is enjoyable.

A Quick Tip

The flavor changes greatly from shop to shop. Try several to find the plate you love best.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Main area where it is served: Echizen City. The city's official website states plainly that "the origin of the name and the restaurant where it was first created are unknown, and there is no official recipe," explaining that some restaurants use a minced-meat cutlet instead of a pork cutlet and that the sauce also differs from place to place, from demi-glace to mayonnaise.
• Official contact: Echizen City Tourism Promotion Division (tel: 0778-22-3007, weekdays 8:30-17:15). An up-to-date list of restaurants serving the dish is published on the official website of the Echizen City Tourism Association.
• Echizen City's three signature dishes: Ten restaurants in the city offer the "Hi Mittsu no Gochiso Set," a feast set combining Volga rice, Echizen oroshi soba and Takefu Ekimae chuka soba (Chinese-style noodles), and the "trio" with all three dishes can be enjoyed at four of them.

Note: Opening hours and prices vary from restaurant to restaurant.

(Sources: Echizen City official website, "Echizen City's Three Signature Dishes: Volga Rice"; Echizen City Tourism Association official website, "#Echizen City's Three Signature Dishes: Hi Mittsu no Gochiso Set")

Information Sources

This article is compiled from tourism information for Echizen City and Fukui Prefecture and from information published by each restaurant. Prices and menus vary by restaurant and are subject to change, so please check each restaurant's official information for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Budget guide: Affordable, at around 1,000 yen per plate
• Where to eat it: Western-style restaurants and diners in Echizen City (Takefu)
• Recommended time of day: Both lunch and dinner. The portions are generous, so come hungry
• Avoiding the crowds: Popular restaurants get busy at lunchtime, so try shifting your visit outside peak hours
• Enjoy it together with: Echizen oroshi soba, the streetscape of Kura no Tsuji, and the home of Echizen washi paper