Local Guide
5 excellent red beef lunches to eat in the Aso area

Akagyu, a specialty of Aso, is raised on pasture in the prairie created by the caldera of Aso. A type of brown Japanese beef, its lean meat is moderately tender and satisfying, and its flavor is concentrated. The flavor is sweet, and the beef has little fat, making it healthy and tasty. Here are five popular restaurants where you can experience such deliciousness of Akagyu with your whole body.

Aso Akagyu Restaurant Fujiya is a restaurant specializing in Akagyu beef dishes.

Akagyu rice bowl
Akagyu rice bowl" (1,780 yen). Daikon radish and potherb mustard are placed between the red beef and rice, providing a crunchy texture.

In the Uchimaki hot spring resort area of Aso City, this popular diner draws a line out the door every day, weekends and weekdays alike. Everyone wants to try the "Akagyu Donburi" (red beef bowl). The thigh of Akagyu beef is grilled in a sweet and spicy soy sauce-based sauce, then arranged in a bowl that looks like the caldera of Aso, with a hot spring egg in the center.
The beef is then tossed with the egg and served with "Aka-gyu Miso" and wasabi (Japanese horseradish) to change the flavor. The moderate tenderness and flavor of the Akagyu beef and the sweet and spicy flavor of the sauce are addictive. Many people visit from all over Japan to enjoy this dish that brings out the best of Akagyu.

A popular restaurant with a history of over a century has become a pioneer in red beef rice bowls.

The interior of the restaurant retains the atmosphere of an old-fashioned public diner. The wonderful teamwork of the Staff/staff members is also a highlight.
The interior of the restaurant retains the atmosphere of an old-fashioned public diner. The wonderful teamwork of the Staff/staff members is also a highlight.

Founded in 1908, the restaurant has a history of about 110 years, from a caterer to a popular diner. Originally, red beef was not consumed in Aso, but in 2005, the restaurant started serving "Akagyu-don (red beef bowl)" to promote the local community.
The popularity of the dish spread by word of mouth among riders, and people began to line up for the dish every day. Other Akagyu dishes such as the "Akagyu hamburger steak set meal" (1,480 yen) are also available. Champon" (780 yen) with Japanese-style broth is also a secretly popular menu item.

Local Guide Comment
Since there is a long line even on weekdays, be prepared to wait 2-3 hours on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays. Once you are accepted in the order you arrive, there are spots around the restaurant where you can spend the waiting time.
Dining Area Imakin Shokudo
  • address (e.g. of house) 290 Uchinomaki, Aso, Kumamoto MAP
  • Direction 10 minutes drive from JR Uchimaki Station
  • Business Hours 11:00 - 15:00 Reception
  • Closed Wednesday
  • TEL 0967-32-0031
  • Parking Free of charge
  • Memo Parking is located about 4 minutes on foot

Aso's rare "beef cutlet" stacked with red beef

The
The "Akagyu (seared) Beef Cutlet Stack" (2,420 yen). For an additional 220 yen, you can change the soup to "Dago Jiru" (dago soup).

At a local restaurant located in the Monzenmachi shopping street on the approach to Aso Shrine, visitors can enjoy the time-consuming and labor-intensive Akagyu beef dishes. The signature menu item here is the "Akagyu (roasted) Beef Cutlet Stack. The cutlet is quickly deep-fried in a thin batter to bring out the flavor of the Akagyu beef thigh, and then seared at the end.
The cutlet is served with your choice of homemade dashi soy sauce or sweet soy sauce and wasabi. It is technically difficult to fry beef cutlets with such a thin batter, and this menu is loved by many tourists as a special delicacy that cannot be tasted anywhere else.

A wide variety of red beef menu and local Aso cuisine in a Taisho-roman space

Inside an old private house, a space decorated with furnishings inspired by Taisho Romanticism spreads out.
Inside an old private house, a space decorated with furnishings inspired by Taisho Romanticism spreads out.

The restaurant used to operate as a Dining Area in an old house built in 1924. Although it was damaged by the Kumamoto earthquake and had to be rebuilt, it now welcomes tourists in a restaurant with a Taisho-roman atmosphere.
In addition to the beef cutlet rice bowl (1,760 yen), the Akagyu beef cutlet curry (1,650 yen), Akagyu beef stewed hamburger steak set (1,815 yen), and other Akagyu dishes, the restaurant also offers a variety of local dishes using fresh ingredients from the rich nature of Aso. This is a must-stop restaurant when visiting Aso Shrine, which is currently undergoing reconstruction from the earthquake.

Local Guide Comment
Magical daikon radish with Aso Takana! and "Aso Pickles" made with vegetables from Aso, and other special processed foods.
Restaurant Aso Hanabishi
  • address (e.g. of house) 1861 Miyachi, Ichinomiya-cho, Aso, Kumamoto MAP
  • Direction Approx. 10 min. walk from JR Miyachi Station
  • Business Hours 11:00-16:00 (L.O.)
  • Closed Tuesdays
  • TEL 0967-22-0896
  • Parking Use the tourist parking lot (charged)

Juicy hamburger steak made from Akagyu beef using a recipe prepared by a chef from a famous hotel

The
The "Akagyu hamburger steak and fried shrimp" (2,200 yen) is a gorgeous dish with two large headed shrimps. Japanese style, cheese, and steak sets are also available.

Founded in 1948, the restaurant was one of the first restaurants in Aso to start offering red beef for consumption about 40 years ago, and you can enjoy a menu featuring "Aso-oh," a brand of red beef born in Aso. Among the specialties is the "Aka-gyu hamburger steak.
The chef from the Imperial Hotel developed the recipe for this elegant hamburger steak, which is so basic that it brings out the juicy and delicious flavor of the Akagyu's tender fat. The restaurant is also known for its "red beef", a popular dish in the Minami Aso area.

Steak made from a rare part of Akagyu beef is also a must-try!

The restaurant is located along Route 57, right in front of JR Miyachi Station. It is within walking distance of Aso Shrine, and is easily accessible by car or train.
The restaurant is located along Route 57, right in front of JR Miyachi Station. It is within walking distance of Aso Shrine, and is easily accessible by car or train.

The steaks are made from a wide variety of cuts of red beef. In addition to sirloin (200g - 6,400 yen/set), fillet (150g 6,800 yen/set) and rib roast (150g 6,900 yen/set) steaks are available at this rare restaurant.
Other popular dishes include "Akagyu Curry" (1,400 yen) and "Akagyu Hayashi Rice" (1,400 yen), which are prepared with the careful and elegant flavor of Akagyu beef, and "Children's Lunch" (1,000 yen), which is also made with Akagyu beef, thanks to the restaurant's long experience in handling Akagyu beef. The delicious taste of traditional hotel-like Western-style cuisine is widely loved, and many people visit with two or three generations.

Local Guide Comment
The set comes with soup, salad, and rice. The corn soup, somewhat nostalgic and memorable, is excellent. Also, the menu using pork from "Yamaton Farm" in Aso is secretly popular!
Aso Red Beef Restaurant Fujiya
  • address (e.g. of house) 4718 Miyachi, Ichinomiya-cho, Aso, Kumamoto MAP
  • Direction A short walk from JR Miyachi Station
  • Business Hours 11:00-19:00 (L.O.) *Wednesdays and Sundays: 15:00 (L.O.)
  • Closed Thursdays
  • TEL 0967-22-0166
  • Parking Free of charge

Carefully selected sirloin steak of Akagyu beef to be enjoyed with all your might.

The
The "Akagyu Sirloin Steak Set" (180g 2,950 yen [photo], 110g 2,100 yen, with rice, miso soup, and salad) is available in limited quantities per day and reservations are not accepted.

The red beef restaurant is popular in the Minami Aso area, and on weekends, many customers line up to get numbered tickets to try the impressive red beef menu. One of the restaurant's main dishes is the "Akagyu Sirloin Steak," a grade 4 beef sirloin served on a hot iron plate.
The steak is tender and rich in flavor, overturning the image of Akagyu, and its light fat content does not leave a lingering taste in the stomach, so you can easily eat even 180 grams. You can easily devour even 180 grams of the dish. This is because the beef is carefully selected.

The "Mega Akagyu Bowl" is also a specialty, using rare parts of the Akagyu beef without sparing any parts.

Inside the restaurant, you can enjoy the view of the rich nature of Oku Aso filling the windows. The spacious interior is easy to use even with a stroller or wheelchair.
Inside the restaurant, you can enjoy the view of the rich nature of Oku Aso filling the windows. The spacious interior is easy to use even with a stroller or wheelchair.

Another specialty of this restaurant is the "Whimsical Mega Akagyu Bowl" (2,100 yen, limited quantity). The "whimsical" bowl of rice topped with 1.5 times the usual amount of grade 3 or higher beef (ichibo, rump, tenmaru, and thigh) is so large that it is sure to make you lose money (the regular-sized "whimsical Akagyu donburi" is also available for 1,800 yen).
) Both dishes are made with the utmost care for the freshness and quality of the aka-gyu beef, to the point that the restaurant may be closed on days when it is impossible to purchase the beef to its satisfaction. The uncompromising quality of the food has spread by word of mouth, attracting many people to the area of Oku Aso.

Local Guide Comment
The "Akagyu Sirloin Steak Set" and "Whimsical Mega Akagyu Donburi" are both sold out, and can be gone in as little as an hour. If you want to be sure to try them, we recommend that you visit the restaurant as early as possible.
Akagyu Restaurant Yamakasu
  • address (e.g. of house) 3191 Takamori-cho, Aso-gun, Kumamoto MAP
  • Direction Approximately 60 minutes by car from Mashiki Kumamoto Airport IC on the Kyushu Expressway.
  • Business Hours 11:00 - 14:30 (numbered tickets distributed from 10:00)
  • Regular holiday Wednesdays (sometimes closed on short notice due to stocking conditions, so check SNS)
  • TEL 0967-62-0888
  • Parking Free of charge
  • Memo Reservations not accepted

High-quality Akagyu beef from contracted farmers is served as yakiniku (grilled beef)!

Akagyu no Yakata Set (for two) (6,580 yen). The set comes with a variety of dishes, making it a satisfying meal.
Akagyu no Yakata Set (for two) (6,580 yen). The set comes with a variety of dishes, making it a satisfying meal.

At the Yakiniku Restaurant adjacent to "Roadside Station Asobanosato Kugini," you can enjoy grilled red beef. The restaurant carefully selects and purchases safe and secure Akagyu beef from eight contract farms in Minami Aso, which is tender and has a light fatty meat quality.
You can order by portion, but the set menus such as the "Akagyu no Yakata Set" that includes the top loin, top rib, and top thigh are a great value with rice, kimchi, dessert, and a salad bar. Also, you can order rare parts of beef such as hormone, which is only available at restaurants specializing in Akagyu.

We also have a butcher store specializing in Akagyu beef. Bring home some Akagyu beef!

The panoramic view of the five Aso mountains is spectacular.
The panoramic view of the five Aso mountains is spectacular.

Other attractive menu items include set menus such as the "Sirloin Steak Set Meal" (4,210 yen) and the "Akagyu Cut-off Yakiniku Donburi" (1,760 yen, limited quantity), a special yakiniku lunch available only on weekdays.
The restaurant also has an Akagyu butcher store, where you can purchase Akagyu beef for home or as a souvenir (delivery is also available). Since the beef is shipped directly from contracted farmers, rare cuts of beef such as tongue, which are not available elsewhere, are sometimes available. Once you have experienced the charm of Akagyu, it will be a good memory to take home a piece of Akagyu.

Local Guide Comment
The "Michi no Eki Asobo no Sato Kugini" (Roadside Station), where the Restaurant is located, is a place with a variety of Properties, including a Product Center, Dining Area, Soba Handmade Experience Facility, a vast lawn area, and a dog run. This spot can be used as a base for sightseeing in Minami Aso!
Akagyu no Yakata
  • address (e.g. of house) 2815 Hisaishi, Minamiaso-mura, Aso-gun, Kumamoto MAP
  • Direction 35 min. drive from Mashiki Kumamoto Airport Interchange on Kyushu Expressway.
  • Business Hours 11:00-17:00 (16:00 L.O.)
    Meat sales: 10:00-17:00
  • Closed Closed on weekends and holidays
  • TEL 0967-67-0848
  • Parking Free of charge
The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.