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Thursday, March 5, 2026

A Food Walk Through Nagasaki Chinatown: Champon, Fried Rice, and Sesame Balls

Nagasaki Chinatown(長崎新地中華街)

As I mentioned in my previous entry, my husband and I traveled to Nagasaki, Japan. From our hotel, ANA Crowne Plaza Nagasaki Gloverhill, we took a leisurely walk to Nagasaki Chinatown (長崎新地中華街). It’s one of Japan’s three major Chinatowns — and the oldest — tucked right into downtown Nagasaki. The district spans just one city block, but it’s full of life, with narrow lanes lined by restaurants, shops, and colorful gates.

We were looking for a good place to try Nagasaki Champon, the famous noodle dish with seafood and vegetables. There were so many restaurants to choose from in Chinatown, but we eventually decided on Lao Lee (老李).

Lao Lee (老李)

Lao Lee (老李)

Lao Lee (老李)

10-10 Shinchimachi, Nagasaki City
Nagasaki, Japan
Hours: 11:00–16:00, 17:00–20:30

Lao Lee (老李)

The menu is posted outside the restaurant, making it easy to choose your dishes while waiting in line.

Once inside, you buy your meal tickets from a vending machine. We ordered champon (ちゃんぽん) for 1,100 yen, Lao Lee’s grilled pork fried rice (老李焼豚炒飯) for 1,000 yen, and their original boiled dumplings (元祖肉汁水餃子) for 390 yen.

The restaurant is small, but the walls are covered with autograph boards from Japanese celebrities.

Champon (ちゃんぽん) for 1,100 yen

The champon came with a generous mix of seafood and vegetables, and the broth was rich, creamy, and comforting.

Original Boiled Dumplings (元祖肉汁水餃子) for 390 yen

The boiled dumplings were soft and juicy, filled with flavorful pork that burst with broth when you bit into them.

Lao Lee’s Grilled Pork Fried Rice (老李焼豚炒飯) for 1,000 yen

The fried rice was fluffy and fragrant, with tender pieces of grilled pork that added a subtle smoky aroma and just the right amount of richness.

Syunkasyuto (春夏秋冬)

Syunkasyuto (春夏秋冬)

After finishing our meal, we started searching for sesame balls (ごま団子). A few shops in Nagasaki Chinatown had them, but some were already sold out for the day. We eventually came across a shop called Syunkasyuto (春夏秋冬), and to our surprise, each sesame ball was only 100 yen.

Syunkasyuto (春夏秋冬)

11-15 Shinchimachi, Nagasaki City
Nagasaki, Japan

Sesame Ball (ゴマ団子)

The sesame balls were crispy on the outside and perfectly chewy inside, with a gentle sweetness.

Sesame Ball (ゴマ団子)

Our short visit to Nagasaki Chinatown reminded us how much joy can come from wandering, tasting, and following our curiosity. It was a small moment, but one that made our trip feel even more memorable.

You can check out my Nagasaki entries here.

You can check out my Fukuoka entries here.

These are my entries related to Ramen.