Ota – Yamashinobu

Kurokawa is a lot less touristy than Yufuin so there isn’t much by way of a town centre although the attraction here is a ryokan pass which allows buyers to soak from ryokan to ryokan. Not quite my scene but there are hard core soakers who don’t mind disrobing layers of layers of clothes in the dead of winter to experience the medicinal benefits of the different onsens. This clever idea concocted by the ryokan owners created the local onsen industry in Kurokawa.

Scenic drives

En route up Mount Aso

The drive from Yufuin to Kurokawa is a short one and allows time for a detour to Mount Aso, where you can enjoy picturesque views from about 1000 meters high. If you can see beyond the clouds that is! Bad weather meant we passed on the ropeway since any further elevation didn’t mean increased visibility. Plus, it was just biting cold. Ok, so not the best season to travel..

Katsu Curry

But enroute was where I had my best Katsu curry experience ever where we made the proprietress read the specials out. This standalone eatery in the middle of Aso city was worth the drive in itself.

Welcome drink - tea and red been mochi

So we beat a hasty retreat to our ryokan for the night.

Yamashinobu is a little more rustic than our ryokan in Yufuin but had its own little charm about it.  It is technically not in Kurokawa but the larger Minamioguni-machi town (within the neighboring onsen area called Ota) and only a 5 minute drive from the center of Kurokawa. There was even a wood fire burning in one of the rooms where folks can gather round to get warm over hot sake.

Dinner here was Kaiseki style, with starters presented in lovely lacquer boxes.

Basashi

Horse meat sashimi or Basashi (a specialty of the Kumamoto prefecture) is on offer here. Unlike beef, horse is a little more sinewy so you have to chew a little longer for the flavors to come through since it is a little more subtle in taste.

Sukiyaki

We did have sukiyaki again although the beef here was a little less marbled and therefore required a little more chew than in Yufuin. Still good though.

Chicken soup for the soul

But my favorite was the chicken soup with home made (ryokan made) chicken balls. The clear consommé belied a flavor that was rich with all the goodness of what a chicken stock should taste like and was just downright comfort food, especially since I had been sick from the beginning of the trip, and still sniffling as I wrote this.

Soba

And the soba, another specialty of the region, so al dente and full of flavor from the very appetizing grated radish that was laced with Yuzu, garlic and a little chili. Wow.

Tomato custard

Dessert was an unusual tomato custard. It sounds a little funky but actually works probably because the local tomatoes have a distinct sweetness to them that does not leave that tomato fishy finish we expect.

While this was not the best ryokan dinner I’ve had, it is memorable for the effective use of local ingredients and produce and a creative menu that was filling yet un-heavy.

Riceball service

So hospitality includes a riceball service at 9pm lest you go hungry at night.

A true champ's breakfast

Breakfast here was more traditional and included a much fuller meal.

Assorted pickles

The highlights were the array of pickles on offer so we were a little surprised this wasn't at dinner since in our experience, the best pickles usually came with dinner. Notwithstanding, all good and we were all set to hit the road back to Fukuoka, but not without stopping at the Tosu premium outlets first!

5960 Manganji
Minamioguni-machi
Aso-gun
Kumamoto Prefecture 869-2402
Japan

Yufuin – Yawaraginosato Yadoya

Yufuin

It’s a little touristy but Japan touristy can be good especially for us city folk. It’s not crawling with foreigners yet but the main drag on Yufuin is really only about a 30 minute walk end to end. Like many other small towns, the area’s produce like milk, honey, senbei and pickles are on offer. Shopkeepers dish out samples too so you never go hungry.

Blue mountain

Aside from browsing the stores and sampling the wares, it is relaxing to just sit and have coffee at one of the lovely cafes.

Yasai Coffee

There was one which is a couple of doors from B-Speak that roasts its own beans and does it quite well too.

B-Speak Roll (original flavor)

And have the renowned B-Speak roll, which despite its fluffy lightness, is full of an aromatic fragrance combining egg and vanilla, and of course bound together by the freshest cream ever. So light I can eat this all day..

Kinrinko Lake

I didn't really get the excitement about the lake at the end of the strip but I suppose there is something mystical about watching vapor over the lake akin to something out of a scene from the Lord of the Rings.

Entrance at our ryokan

But like most onsen towns, the real attraction is checking into a ryokan and enjoying the hotspring and food.

Beef - just admire the marbling

Sukiyaki was on offer for dinner and Kyushu is considered beef country too, with Oita prefecture and neighboring Saga known for supreme quality bovine not unlike Kobe.

Starters

Even our server ignored the starters and just promptly started to cook all of our beef just as we put in our orders for Sake. A little too hasty for me since I enjoy the nice-and-slow but we probably looked like we were starving after a relaxing soak in the outdoor spring area, which you can reserve privately for 50 minutes. There are public baths in the ryokan too which you can access anytime without reservation but these are indoor, so you don’t have the benefit of cold crisp air on your face as the rest of your body is being cooked sous vide ( I kid!).

Soaking and eating are the benefits of checking into a ryokan. But it’s pretty regimented in terms of a routine, so you have a small window to eat dinner and a smaller window to eat breakfast, as the service ends by 9am. Check out is at 10am so if you snooze, you lose. Literally.

Breakfast

But breakfast is hearty so it’s well worth getting up for even if this ryokan isn’t the most traditional, offering up a half buffet which has juice and coffee. Most other places just have freshly brewed green tea as traditionalists would only allow.

A full stomach later (again) and we were off on our merry way. Next stop: Kurokawa.

Yawaraginosato Yadoya
2717-5 Yufuincho Kawakami
Yufu
Oita Prefecture 879-5102
Japan

B-Speak
3040-2, Kawakami
Yufuin-cho
Yufu City
Oita 879-5102

Yasai Coffee
*can't locate English address but it's literally a couple of shops down from B-Speak