How to eat Utsunomiya Gyoza | Sauce secrets for pan-fried and boiled gyoza at Utsunomiya Minmin
What food resonates with the hearts and souls of the locals in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture? Without doubt, Utsunomiya Gyoza! Here in Tochigi Prefecture, the yearly average household budget for gyoza is the highest in all of Japan. So, how do the locals enjoy their gyoza? We visited the highly popular restaurant, Utsunomiya Minmin, to learn the smart way to eat Utsunomiya Gyoza!
【Advised by】Utsunomiya Minmin（宇都宮みんみん）
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What are Utsunomiya Gyoza？
Gyoza became popular in Utsunomiya during the 1950s. There are various theories – one is that soldiers of the 14th Army Division brought authentic gyoza back with them upon returning from their dispatch to China. In 1991, the Utsunomiya Gyoza Kai (Gyoza Restaurants Association) registered the phrase “Utsunomiya Gyoza” as a trademark, with a great many restaurants joining. There are presently more than 100 official member restaurants, serving up true Utsunomiya Gyoza throughout the city and beyond.
There are no hard-and-fast rules for Utsunomiya Gyoza. The dumplings may be served in all manner of styles, such as yaki-gyoza (pan-fried), age-gyoza (deep-fried), and sui-gyoza (boiled), and there are no formal definitions for appearance, size, wrapper thickness, fillings, or sauce. Each restaurant offers its own signature flavors and textures, which encourages visitors to explore and enjoy venue after venue.
Utsunomiya Minmin is renowned as the city’s longest-running restaurant that serves Utsunomiya Gyoza. We visited the main restaurant, located along Gyoza-dori (Gyoza Street) in the heart of downtown Utsunomiya. Very popular with tourists and locals alike, this time-honored eatery can be easily spotted by the perpetual queue out the door. Utsunomiya Minmin is best known for its crisp gyoza wrappers and vegetable-forward filling, featuring plenty of hakusai (Chinese cabbage). A hint of garlic is enticing, yet sparing enough that you can easily snack away on moreish dumpling after dumpling.
While we’re here, let’s ask the experts at Utsunomiya Minmin to teach us the smart way to enjoy gyoza!
How to order gyoza
While there is quite a variation from restaurant to restaurant, Utsunomiya Gyoza specialty restaurants typically have very simple menus. There are even some restaurants that truly specialize only in gyoza, and do not serve rice or beer.
Ordering styles also vary. For example, at Utsunomiya Minmin, when ordering, the menu items are abbreviated to “yaki” (pan-fried), “age” (deep-fried), and “sui” (boiled). You could even order everything pictured here – “Two serves of yaki-gyoza, one serve of sui-gyoza, and a bowl of rice on the side” – with just three words, “double, sui, rice”. In the case of this restaurant, it seems that the shorthand style used among the staff has been picked up and popularized by customers.
Customize your gyoza tare (sauce)
According to the staff at Utsunomiya Minmin, “We hope you’ll first try the gyoza just as it comes, without any condiments.” But when it comes to tare (sauce), they recommended su-shoyu (vinegar and soy sauce)! It is advised to use more vinegar than soy sauce.
The next step up in seasoning is rayu (chili oil). Most restaurants in Utsunomiya have their own house-made chili oil at the tables. For full flavor, scoop up the aromatic sediment from the bottom of the jar, colloquially known as “suna” (“sand”), to dress your gyoza before enjoying.
Saucing sui-gyoza (boiled gyoza), Utsunomiya style
At Utsunomiya Minmin, the boiled gyoza are served in a bowl of hot water. We were surprised to learn that the condiments are applied directly to the entire contents of the bowl! The staff recommended a swirl and a half of soy sauce, followed up with a half swirl of vinegar. There’s no going back, so start with a moderate amount, and then tweak the balance to your preference.
Chili oil is also a recommended addition.
We heard that true aficionados break up the gyoza in the hot water, turning it into a soup dish. The pleasantly toothsome texture of the boiled gyoza wrapper was an intriguing change from the crisp pan-fried version… and marvelously matched with the light, fresh broth!
Today, we learned just how deeply rooted gyoza culture is in Utsunomiya, with many opportunities to find new personal favorites and enjoy them at their very best. Frozen gyoza are also a popular souvenir. A tip for preparing these at home is to not overcrowd the pan.
How about planning a trip to Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture to fully explore this delicious local tradition?
* The published information is current as of Apri 2023. Prices and other details are subject to change.
Established in 1958, Utsunomiya Minmin is a gyoza specialty restaurant renowned for its vegetable-forward filling, which features plenty of Chinese cabbage. With a great number of fans including both local residents and tourists, this time-honored gyoza spot has been featured in the media a number of times. In addition to Utsunomiya City, there are nine locations throughout Tochigi Prefecture. Utsunomiya Minmin Honten (Main Restaurant) kindly provided the venue for this article.
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