Yes, reservations are required and must be made minimum 1 day before your visit. This traditional restaurant operates in a historical setting and provides a unique dining experience where meals are prepared using traditional irori (hearth) cooking methods, which requires advance planning and preparation time.
The restaurant offers several course options including Aka Beef course, Vegetarian course and a Chicken course. The popular "dengaku set meal" costs 2,490 yen and consists of five types of dengaku: sweet potato vine, tofu, eggplant, konnyaku, and yamame (landlocked salmon). The Dengaku set meal costs 1980 yen, while the Aso popular set meal using Aso's red beef costs 3190 yen. Average price per person is approximately ¥3000.
Guests dine in a traditional 200-year-old thatched-roof farmhouse where they cook their own food over charcoal fires at their table. Seating requires sitting on the floor, which can be challenging for some visitors but is considered well worth the experience. Gloves are provided when flipping skewers over the charcoal grill to avoid burning hands, and staff provide close instruction for those unfamiliar with cooking over fire. The atmosphere is described as cozy, rustic, and authentically Japanese.
Dengaku is an old dish that originates from a dance called Dengaku Mai, which was performed by farmers to pray for a rich harvest. Takamori Dengaku features "Tsurunoko sweet potato" that can only be found in this area as the main dish - a kind of taro made in the barren land of volcanic ash by receiving the blessings of Mt. Aso. The dish uses local ingredients dipped in specially prepared dengaku miso containing various condiments and grilled over charcoal until fragrant.
The restaurant is located in a wooded area approximately 2.6 kilometers from Takamori Station. Opening hours vary depending on the season, with general hours from 10:00 to 18:00, but visitors should confirm current hours on the homepage. The establishment is non-smoking and the dining experience can take a considerable amount of time due to the traditional irori cooking method, so plan accordingly for your visit.
Traveler reviews
Found this place online randomly while we were at kusasenrigahama. It was a 30min drive, no expectations, no reservations. Boy, we were pleasantly surprised. Food wise, it was quality stuff. The meats, fish, vege all tasted great, cooked via the open fire. The place itself oozed authenticity and rustic ambiance. It may look "dated" but I'm sure thats what they were going for. Service was abit on the curt side but no biggie. Would recommend.
Authentic atmosphere. We found this place from Kyushu’s official tourism website and wanted to try. Like many other tourists (both international and local) we all came here for the authentic feeling. Yes we did have authentic feeling, all staffs were very friendly. The place cooked food in the old traditional grill, and since it is indoor, the hall filled with smoke and at one point we are a bit suffocated.
It was a fun experience for first-timer like us but apart from the, the food is quite average. Plus it is a slow grill, please spare extra time and don’t come here when you are in a rush or hangry. Expect the whole experience to take about 1.5 hours meal. And please expect floor seatings.
Five for the experience, ambiance, and atmosphere. Three stars for the taste of the food. Not cheap. I'm glad that we were not terribly hungry and therefore only ordered one set to share.
Bigger than expected, as we could just walk in for lunch on a Thursday at 1pm and get a table without waiting.
Don't come in nice clothes as everything will be covered in fine ash-dust. (But that didn't deter a group of well-dressed male/female business people.)
Out of everything I ate on our Kumamoto trip, this was by far my favourite meal. The process of cooking your own food next to the fire was very enjoyable, and was also delicious paired with the miso. The set also came with rice and miso soup, both amazing☺️
Not only this, but the atmosphere of the place was perfect and I felt very much at home. The staff were the friendliest people ever and I can tell that they are very passionate about what they do. They are also able to accommodate for Chinese tourists as well as English.
Will definitely be coming back here with the rest of my family! Thank you for such an enjoyable experience 🫶
Visited without reservations and it remains one of the highlight of my trip in Aso. The food was great and very filling but sometimes I had difficulty seeing if my food was cooked properly because of the lighting.
It took them a few mins to prepare my table and this place seems popular so best to make a reservation before visiting.
