Niigata's food culture is built on two pillars: rice and sake. The prefecture produces Koshihikari, Japan's most prestigious short-grain rice, and the sake breweries that grew up alongside it are among the country's finest. Food in Niigata city leans towards fresh seafood from the Sea of Japan — hegi soba (buckwheat noodles bound with funori seaweed, served cold on flat wooden trays) is the regional dish to seek out. Niigata gyoza are a local variation on the dumpling: larger, with a distinct fold. The Furumachi and Bandai areas have the best concentration of izakayas and restaurants.