Kumamoto is famous for a variety of local specialty dishes but besides the greatly adored ramen none are more famous than the lean meat of Akaushi beef.
Whilst you will be able to find Akaushi available in many different establishments around Aso, there are some restaurants that stand out and are definitely worth a visit.
In the previous blog post ‘A visit to the onsen town of Uchinomaki’, I visited the restaurant Meshi no Yamaichi to try their Akaushi beef bowl and Dagojiru soup.
This time I headed to Miyaji station, a short 10 minute car, bus or train ride from Michi No Eki Aso to enjoy lunch at Makanaiya Matsu located just in front of the station.
The restaurant is famous for its Caldera plate which has slices of tender Akaushi beef laid on top of rice in the shape of the volcanic caldera.
The center is filled with melted cheese and roasted tomatoes served alongside a Japanese hayashi sauce, side salad and traditional pickles. Whilst the sauce is both rich and tasty, it is my recommendation to first try a few slices without sauce to enjoy the full flavor of Kumamoto’s famous beef.
Equally as popular is the beef bowl dish topped with an onion sauce, surrounded by homemade vegetable chips.
Both dishes were extremely delicious and the beef was cooked to absolute perfection. Whilst the hayashi sauce dish was excellent, the onion dressing and the natural flavor of the 2nd dish was a clear winner for me.
In addition to the wonderful food, the restaurant itself has a great decor and homely feel with ample seating both Japanese and western style.
There is also a spacious outside seating area available at the front of the restaurant for customers that prefer to dine in the open air.
The restaurant was quiet on the day I visited but is known to get very busy especially during holiday periods and days with nice weather, I would recommend phoning ahead to avoid disappointment.
Makanaiya Matsu is definitely one of my new favorites and whilst the beef dishes are a bit on the luxurious spending side, there is a great selection of alternative lunch options to suit all budgets.
Thank you for reading and I hope you can enjoy the delicacies Aso has to offer soon.
Oliver
