🍶A collection of bars in Kumamoto City that are so fun to drink alone!! feat. Kumamoto Ramen🍜
The place I went to eat dinner in Kumamoto City was Yatai-mura (屋台村), a place where small food stalls and bars are gathered. There were many interesting menus selling not only horse meat, but also Western and Asian dishes, and there was even a vending machine where you could sample Kumamoto shochu for 100 yen. Among the things I ate, the most memorable were: 1. Horse meat tataki sashimi, 2. Horse meat shumai dim sum, and 3. Kumamoto sweet potato shochu, which is thick but soft.
I could have drunk enough here, but there were still many other shops I was curious about, so I left after drinking about three glasses.
📍Yataimura 2-22 Jotomachi, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto, 860-0846 Japan
The second place I went to was Ameya (あめや), a cozy small bar that looked like a home-style side dish shop. Usually, Japanese lunch boxes or side dishes served at regular restaurants are displayed in front of the counter, and if you tell them what you want to eat, they will give you an appropriate amount of food. In addition, they make various meal menus such as grilled fish, rice balls, and miso soup, and you can enjoy beer, shochu, sake, and Japanese style drinks until you get drunk. It is a popular restaurant that is usually full of reservations, so I recommend going around 5 o'clock when the restaurant opens or making a reservation by phone!
📍Ameya 61-8 Renpeicho, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto, 860-0017 Japan
For the third round, we went to a small bar called States (バー ステイツ) with a luxurious retro/classic interior and music that is frequented by locals rather than tourists. It was a bar where you can taste various cocktails and whiskeys, and thanks to the warm and friendly hospitality of the bartender, I had a chance to have a natural conversation with the locals, which was very enjoyable! Since the price per glass is a bit high, I think it would be better to think of it as a place to enjoy jazz or classical music while drinking a delicious cocktail or two rather than continuing to drink for a long time.
📍Bar States Japan 〒860-0806 Kumamoto, Chuo Ward, Hanabatacho, 13−23 4f
I went to the Kumamoto ramen restaurant, Kokutei (黒亭), to finish off my day in a dazed state. This place is also popular with tourists, so I had to wait in line for a while. However, I went alone and was able to get in quickly without waiting for even 20 minutes. The broth of the tonkotsu ramen here was rich, and it had a slightly smoky garlic flavor, so it had a bitter, rich garlic flavor. The portions were also small, so it was nice that women could come and eat lightly. (I went around 4 times and ended up ordering a small size and eating it ㅋㅋㅋ)
📍Ramen Kokutei Kumamoto Shimotori Branch Japan 〒860-0807 Kumamoto, Chuo Ward, Shimotori, 1 Chome−7−14 ノグチビル 1F
This is the end of my schedule in the center of Kumamoto City! Next place to go is Aso Station, an area with many mountains and beautiful nature. I'll post that story in the next post!!
#KumamotoTravel #KumamotoRestaurants #KumamotoJapan 〒860-0806 Kumamoto, Chuo Ward, Hanabatacho, 13−23 4f