Kumamoto-kan doesn't have a strong Kumamoto vibe, but the food is delicious. I've been there many times. It has been renovated since before the pandemic, and the taste has improved a lot, and the tables are also new. You can enjoy not only Kumamoto but also Kyushu cuisine. It's less than 3 minutes from Hatanodai Station, so it's easy to get to. One downside is that it can be a bit rushed, especially on Fridays. It's fine to have a two-hour time limit, but it can be a bit stressful when they remind you 10 minutes before, order an hour in advance, drinks 30 minutes in advance, and start preparing for the bill 15 minutes before. I end up drinking nervously from an hour before.

Visited a traditional-style Kumamoto cuisine izakaya for the first time. The staff were friendly, and the dishes came out promptly. I was satisfied with all the dishes. The horse sashimi had some remaining sinew, but it was still very tender, especially when eaten with both the vertical mane and lean meat. The tamagoyaki, kibinago sashimi, tempura, and mentaiko onigiri were all excellent. I didn't confirm the rice used for the onigiri, but it was very moist and chewy, possibly from Nanashiro-cho. The only downside was the 2.5-hour time limit. I understand the need for turnover, but I would have liked to drink a bit more last night since there weren't many other customers.

The taste is excellent, and the owner is very serious about their food. This is a restaurant that I personally love. I used to visit frequently before the pandemic, but now they are closed for dining due to COVID-19. They serve Kumamoto's horse sashimi, Miyazaki's charcoal-grilled chicken, and a mix of the best parts of motsu (offal) from Fukuoka. The restaurant is located a 2-minute walk from Hatanodai Station. Currently, they only offer takeout, with a focus on fried chicken, horse sashimi, and motsu hot pot available for takeout. This time, I opted for a set of tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) and fried chicken for 700 yen. The set includes two pieces of tamagoyaki, two pieces of salted fried chicken, and two pieces of black pepper fried chicken. By simple calculation, each piece is about 100 yen. The fried chicken is especially delicious, possibly the best in this area. Considering the taste, I believe the cost performance is reasonable.

The place is located a little away from Flag-Nobori Station. It was a year-end party with old friends, and we happened to come across this restaurant while wandering around because the shop we were looking for was closed. It seemed to be a restaurant with a theme of Kumamoto, with horse meat on the menu as well. However, upon closer inspection of the menu, it seemed to focus more on Kyushu cuisine rather than just Kumamoto. Since I'm not a fan of horse meat, I didn't try it, but they also had motsunabe, Kyushu oden, and other dishes. The interior of the restaurant had an old-fashioned atmosphere with a lot of character. The place was about half full with customers. There were several menu items that caught my eye, so I decided to order them. I ordered the duck rillettes, oden, chicken wing gyoza, and fried chicken. The duck rillettes were a big hit and incredibly delicious. The oden was flavorful and warmed me up. The chicken wing gyoza was also very tasty, and all the dishes were a hit with no misses.

I found a rare gem while wandering around Flagstaff, and saw a lantern with the word "Horse Sashimi" on it! With such confidence displayed on the lantern, I had high expectations as I entered the restaurant. There were tables in the front and a counter in the back. Of course, as a solo diner, I sat at the counter. The drink menu was extensive, and after much deliberation, I ordered some sake. And then, the horse sashimi arrived! I had planned to decide on my next order after trying it, but the horse sashimi was so delicious that I ended up ordering more and more, haha. I also had cherry blossom yukhoe, oden (jaw and kelp broth), hitotsu guruguru natto, omelette, mentaiko rice, and several more cups of sake. And then, feeling confident after finding such a delicious restaurant, I decided to keep my first ever bottle of shochu! The staff were friendly and chatted with me, and I even made friends with the other customers at the counter. I have found my new hidden gem, and I will definitely be back soon. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

Horse sashimi, fried potatoes, deep-fried sand lance, grilled rice ball with chicken soup, fried oysters, grilled chicken thigh, motsunabe (soy sauce base), seasoned soft-boiled egg, and natto with cherry blossom scallions. *The photo includes dishes that have already been eaten at a Kyushu cuisine restaurant. Horse sashimi and motsunabe are must-try dishes.

Thank you for having us for the second time. Last time, there were three of us and it was too busy to take a photo, but this time we visited the second restaurant. The mentaiko potato was delicious! Thank you for the meal. We will come again.

In Tokyo, this horse sashimi is of a high level compared to others. If you like horse sashimi, be sure to try it! Other dishes are also delicious.

All of them are delicious! Both motsunabe and basashi are tasty.

I visited this restaurant on a tired weekday night, wanting something to eat. When I arrived around 8 pm, there were a few other customers already there. This time, I ordered something like an omakase set, which included a sashimi platter, simmered tripe, fried chicken, oden, and ochazuke. As I looked at the menu, I noticed that everything was reasonably priced. Plus, each portion was quite generous, so I could eat plenty. It felt like a good deal. I started with a beer. The sashimi included octopus, sea bream, and mackerel. The soy sauce here is on the sweet side, but surprisingly delicious. This soy sauce must also go well with their specialty, horse sashimi. The simmered tripe was also plentiful. It was enjoyable and flavorful. The fried chicken had a slightly spicy coating. I squeezed plenty of lemon over it and enjoyed it. It's always nice to have some fried food. At this point, I added a highball to the mix, enjoying both the food and drinks. The oden consisted of 5 varieties. The broth was light but to my liking. I don't have many oden places that I like, but I enjoyed this one. Lastly, the ochazuke. It was filling with carbs. The atmosphere of the restaurant was calming. Everything was just right. Thank you for the meal.

I went to try the motsunabe that I was curious about last time. Lately, I've been feeling like I haven't been eating enough vegetables, and with the cold weather, it was the perfect situation to have motsunabe. I went as casually as going to a convenience store. The cabbage was packed and provided a satisfying crunch. With leeks, garlic, and high-quality beef tripe, I started to sweat a little while eating. I suggested to the master that maybe half of the cabbage could be replaced with bean sprouts since cabbage is expensive, but he said that the sweetness wouldn't come out without cabbage, so it couldn't be done. My apologies. The master's recommendation was to add rice and cheese afterwards to eat it like a risotto. That must be delicious. However, I had tried a lot of sea bream tea rice at a cooking class during the day, so I couldn't have any carbohydrates. Therefore, the challenge has been carried over to the next time. Oh, the motsunabe costs 1280 yen per serving. They also serve motsunabe in the summer.

This shop is located just a little off the main street. Despite being in the neighborhood, I didn't notice its existence until I read the reviews on Tabelog. Today is cold, and I'm hungover, so I don't feel like going far, so I decided to visit this place for the first time. I checked the menu outside first. It seems like this is a shop that promotes Kumamoto dishes. They have horse sashimi and even guruguru (rolled) fish. And they have a set meal called "Wakaba set" which includes sashimi, small dishes, and rice for 980 yen. This seems just right. I bravely entered the shop. I arrived before 6 o'clock, so I was the first customer. The counter seats about 5 people, but I chose to sit in the corner. I ordered the "Wakaba set" and a lemon sour after looking at the menu. Soon, the complimentary mentaiko tamagoyaki and lemon sour arrived. After finishing the tamagoyaki, the first dish, a plate of sashimi, arrived. Sea bream, octopus, and bonito tataki. Looks delicious~. And it's quite a generous portion. I realized one lemon sour won't be enough. I hurriedly ordered another one. Next came the deep-fried tofu. Surprisingly, it's as big as a regular dish. Then, a cucumber with horse meat miso for a palate cleanser was served, so I thought it might be ending soon. But then, the master asked, "Can you still eat?" and reflexively I replied, "Yes, I'm fine," and he said, "I'll bring a mini oden next. And you can have the ochazuke whenever you like." Seriously? In the end, delicious appetizers kept coming one after another, and I ended up ordering two more drinks, Japanese sake and sweet potato shochu on the rocks, because the master and the regular customers' conversation was so interesting. Where did my hangover go? This shop seems to attract very nice regular customers, maybe because of the master's personality. They engage with you just enough. Next time, I declared that I will come back to try the vegetable-filled motsunabe and karashi renkon. P.S. The "Wakaba set" is at the master's discretion, so it's a surprise what you'll get. They also provide a little service for solo drinkers. They welcome female customers.

At Hatano-dai, if you want to try Kumamoto cuisine, the horse meat dishes at Rakuen are delicious. Hello, this is Iida. I would like to express my heartfelt sympathy to those affected by the Kumamoto earthquake. Now, it's not exactly about eating to support, but there is a great izakaya in Hatano-dai that serves delicious Kumamoto horse meat dishes. Its name is Rakuen. It's just a minute or two away from our clinic, if you turn left at the corner of Miyako Shobo and walk left from the clinic. The horse meat sashimi at the beginning is amazing, as well as the Tatetagami sashimi and the Sakura Yukke (Kumamoto horse meat Yukke). The Miyazaki charcoal-grilled chicken with tartar sauce is also delicious, recommended by the staff Fukusako. The owner is from Kumamoto, so there is a variety of delicious Kyushu dishes available. To be honest, everything you eat there is delicious. The alcohol selection includes Kumamoto's "Yaito" sake, Yamaguchi's "Dassai" sake, and Kumamoto rice shochu "Hakutake Shiro" and "Kinrei" and "Ginrei", all of which are delicious. There are also many regulars at the counter, and it's also nice to drink with a few friends at a table, especially during winter when they serve motsu hot pot. Dr. Iida highly recommends this izakaya. Restaurant: Rakuen Address: 5-8-7 Hatano-dai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Access: 1-2 minutes walk from Hatano-dai Station, turn left at the intersection near Little Mermaid and head towards Nagahara Opening hours: 18:00-25:00, last order at 24:00 Closed on Tuesdays Phone: 03-6426-9820 Specializes in Kyushu cuisine, Izakaya Rakuen

I occasionally stop by on my way home from work or on my days off. It's a Kumamoto cuisine restaurant, but they also have a wide variety of typical izakaya menu items. It's great that you can use it in various situations such as with family, friends, on a date, or alone. The cost performance is good and reasonable, so it's understandable that there are many regular customers who come back. Everything is delicious, but the karashi renkon (lotus root with mustard) is especially recommended. It was so shocking that it changed my concept of karashi renkon, which I had never thought was delicious before. The moderate spiciness and freshness are just so good. There are few places where a woman can go drinking alone, but here, you can casually stop by after work, have a drink, and eat comfortably. The staff are all friendly, and the atmosphere is very pleasant.

I felt like it was a little early, but the desire to have hot pot was bubbling up inside me, so I quickly went to my favorite izakaya, Rakuen, which is conveniently located nearby. Nowadays, there are so many different types of hot pots available, like curry, soy milk, tomato, and even green curry hot pot! While all of those sound delicious, my favorite has always been the classic Mizutaki hot pot that we used to have at home. I had Mizutaki at Rakuen last year, and this year they upgraded to using local chicken, which was a nice touch. We ordered a two-person portion for less than 2000 yen, and the size was very satisfying! The hot pot was so healthy and delicious that we finished it in no time, and we debated between having udon or zosui as the finishing dish, but ultimately went with zosui. I was so focused on the hot pot that I forgot to take pictures of the other dishes, but Rakuen also offers Kumamoto's local delicacies like horse sashimi and spicy lotus root, as well as other appetizers at very reasonable prices. I'm grateful to have such a great restaurant near my home, and I will definitely be visiting again soon. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

Kumamoto horse meat restaurant... they serve lean meat, marbled meat, and tategami (different cuts of horse meat) with horse meat dishes at a surprisingly low price for a specialty horse meat restaurant. The marbled horse sashimi was delicious. The owner is from Kumamoto. The restaurant only has one waiter. Despite being in Shinagawa, it feels like a Kumamoto restaurant. The interior has a counter with 7-9 seats and three tables for four people each. Regulars sit at the counter, while those who come for the horse sashimi sit at the tables. I can't eat horse sashimi every time, so I wish they had more variety in raw fish. They always have a couple of simmered dishes that are not on the regular menu. They also offer individual hot pots. The atmosphere is great when it's not crowded. It's a nice place to drop by. The total amount spent may not be a good reference as I tend to drink a lot. Just a heads up.

After moving to Hatanodai, I saw the sign for Basashi and decided to give it a try. The restaurant isn't very big, but they offer delicious horse sashimi at a very reasonable price, so I have been a regular customer ever since. They also have various Kumamoto dishes and creative dishes using horse meat. There are many options for the finishing dish, making it hard to decide each time. They offer a wide selection of rare shochu and sake at very affordable prices. The owner is also charming. I will definitely be going back!