Kamakura Street Food: 15 Shops With Delicious Treats on Komachi Street

1. Kokuriko Crepe

Located right in the middle of Komachi Street, this popular shop always has a line of people eagerly waiting to try their crepes! Each crepe is made right in front of you, and they are arranged in the shape of a fan, so they look different from your average crepe. They're extremely crispy, and you'll definitely be hooked on the taste. The most popular flavor is the Lemon Sugar (200 yen). Sugar is sprinkled over the dough with a squeeze of lemon on top, creating a sweet and tangy fragrance that you'll enjoy just as much as the flavor.

2. Waffle 21

These popular, fluffy and spongy waffles are filled with fresh cream. You'll have a hard time choosing from their extensive lineup of fresh cream flavors, including limited seasonal flavors such as custard, chocolate, matcha, and azuki made with azuki beans from Hokkaido. They fit perfectly into the palm of your hand, so they're really easy to eat!

3. Hannari Inari Baiten

The Hannari Stick from Hannari Inari Baiten is a rod-shaped inari sushi (deep-fried tofu pouches filled with sushi rice), making it really easy to eat! The rice inside the soft fried tofu and the burdock paired together result in the perfect flavor combination, and you'll find yourself wanting to eat several sticks! In addition to rice-based foods like the Hannari Stick (250 yen) and the Ikura and Shirasu Mille-feuille (810 yen), a rice cup with luxurious layers of ikura (salmon roe) and shirasu (whitebait), they also have items like the Shonan Shirasu Tamagoyaki Skewer (250 yen). The saltiness of the shirasu and the mild flavor of the egg match beautifully, and you'll be blown away by the delicious dashi (broth). 

4. Imbisu Kamakura

Imbisu Kamakura grills their authentic German sausages made with only meat, salt, and spices in front of the shop. One plain flavored sausage goes from 350 yen. They also have sets with 3 sticks (1,050 yen), 5 sticks (1,750 yen), and hot dogs (450 yen). They also have 3 Sausage Set (1,050 yen), 5 Sausage Set (1,750 yen), and Hot Dogs (450 yen) for a reasonable price! The Double Dog is plain and herb smoked sausages sandwiched between a chewy and fluffy focaccia-like bread. The portions are pretty large, so it's great for when you're feeling hungry! And, of course, it goes great with a refreshing glass of beer! 

5. ca ca o Kamakura Branch

ca ca o is a Kamakura-based nama chocolate (chocolate mixed with fresh cream) specialty shop with 4 branch stores. These chocolates have been tweaked to match the Japanese palate, with careful adjustment to the amount of moisture and air in them. The techniques used to achieve this, as well as the flavors of the chocolates, have received wide acclaim from all over the world. The chocolate shop is currently trending in Kamakura, with Kamakura Branch exclusive items like the Fondant Tart (300 yen plus tax), a delicious nama chocolate tart with a filling that melts in your mouth. A new batch is baked every hour but they sell out really quickly, so line up just before they come out of the oven!

6. Kamakura-Tensin

You'll find this handmade pork bun shop by looking for the many pig decorations in front of the store. There's a huge bamboo steamer within the store, and there are always freshly steamed pork buns waiting to be bought! One pork bun is 400 yen. Split open the fluffy dough to find juicy, simmered pork, potato starch noodles, and a whole quail egg. The buns are quite large, and are sure to satisfy your stomach! They're especially popular in this area for having so many different ingredients in their filling.

7. Princess Kinoko

This mushroom specialty shop is a must for mushroom lovers! The Age-Masshu, 2 large shiitake mushrooms sliced in half then deep-fried, is a meaty mushroom tempura that makes for a truly tasty hot treat! You can choose between large, medium, or small sizes, and you can also get them on a skewer! The mushrooms are extremely thick, and they taste almost like meat - you'll get a mouthful of sweet flavors when you bite into them! 

8. Kamakura J's

Kamakura J's is well known for their shirasu takoyaki (ball-shaped dough with octopus inside). Shirasu is a local specialty product in the Kamakura and Enoshima areas because shirasu can be caught in Sagami Bay. With large pieces of octopus and many other different ingredients inside, these piping hot takoyaki are a perfect snack to eat while in Kamakura! For the sauce, you can choose between either takoyaki sauce or soy sauce.

9. Kamakura Goro Main Branch

Kamakura Goro is famous for their Japanese sweets. In the shop front, you'll find their most famous product, a type of mochi with a sweet red bean filling called Mugita Mochi. The powdery substance on top may look like kinako (soybean flour) at first glance, but it's actually mugikogashi (toasted barley flour). The mochi has a distinct light fragrance with a gentle sweet flavor.

10. Kamakura Ichibanya

In front of Kamakura Ichibanya, you'll see staff constantly flipping senbei (rice crackers) over a charcoal fire. By diligently turning the senbei over, the crackers come into contact with the air frequently, resulting in a unique thickness and texture. Stand nearby and watch them work for a little while, and before you know it, the senbei will finish grilling with a nice brown color! You can eat them as soon as they're done. There are souvenir packages with individually wrapped senbei of every flavor and type as well. Among all the different varieties of senbei, the slightly crunchy yet slightly soft Nure Senbei is the most popular, and you're sure to become addicted to its texture.

11. Arbre Noir Yakumi

Arbre Noir Yakumi is a side dish and condiment specialty shop on Wakamiya-oji Street that sells 8 different kinds of rice accompaniments such as yuzu kosho (chili citrus paste), tsukudani (seafood, meat, or seaweed preserved in soy sauce), and mizansho (green Japanese pepper). They also sell an extremely cute manju (popular round-shaped Japanese confection) called Kamakura-yaki. The dough is made with Uji matcha (powdered green tea), which is stuffed with sesame paste and baked. The chewy dough goes very well with the moist sesame filling! Each manju is only 50 yen, so it's a quick and cheap little bite that you can enjoy while you're in the area.

12. Imo no Kichikan Kamakura Honten

The soft serve here is advertised with a large sign, and you'll be surprised at their unique lineup of flavors, including the extremely aromatic Sweet Potato (400 yen) and a sweet potato and matcha mix, Ajisai (350 yen). You'll experience a delicious sweet sensation like never before with one taste of their sweet potato croquettes. They might look a little strange, but they're definitely worth a taste!

13. Kamakura Naniwaya

The owner of Kamakura Naniwaya worked for 12 years learning the art of taiyaki (fish-shaped dough filled with sweet paste) at the famous traditional taiyaki shop Naniwaya Main Store in Tokyo's Azabu-juban before opening his own store under the same name in Kamakura. You have to line up to get a taste of the taiyaki at the original store, but you can easily get this taiyaki here at the Kamakura branch! 

If you're in the area during the summer, you should also get their shaved ice. The sweet red bean paste that comes with their Azuki Shaved Ice is made by cooking azuki beans from Tokachi, Hokkaido, for 8 hours. It's a great choice to enjoy a simple but delicious bowl of shaved ice, but they also have other options like Strawberry Azuki Milk, which comes with sweet red bean paste and a special strawberry sauce, and Sake Lees Cream, which is bursting with mellow flavors from the sake lees and rum raisins. Try out both the taiyaki and shaved ice of this famous and long-established shop!

14. Inoue Kamaboko Komachi Branch

This well-established shop makes kamaboko (fish cake) with the exact same methods that were used when it was first founded. They don't use any emulsifiers or preservatives, and provide a truly exquisite kamaboko that presents the skills of the artisans and the pure flavors of fish. While the Komachi Branch is on the smaller side, they have all the popular products such as the Kamaboko, which is made using a white fish called "guchi," Plum Blossom Hanpen (pounded fish cake), and Koban Age (fried fish cake). Indulge yourself in the abundant natural bounties of Kamakura with their fine delicacies!

15. Hayuka Sohonten Kamakura Branch *Closed

This super popular shop endeavors to bring out the natural flavors of fish with the secret methods that have been passed down for many years. The authentic flavors they produce are reinforced by their attention to detail with high-grade ingredients and quality. They aim to do everything by hand, and all their items are produced from their factory without the use of any preservatives or additives. Each swordfish skewer is only 200 yen, and also comes with green onions! They're seasoned with basil and are rich in delicious fat, while at the same time being refreshing and juicy. The owner grills the skewers in front of you, so you can enjoy freshly grilled fish anytime!

Kamakura is known for their abundance of delicious eateries, and is often visited by many foodies hoping to walk through the streets while chowing down on tasty treats. While the city encourages visitors to indulge in their food, they recently passed an ordinance that asks people to refrain from walking and eating at the same time to avoid causing trouble for the locals. Make sure to throw away your trash, and be sure to find somewhere you won't be a bother to others as you eat!

 

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