A hot new opening that can only be enjoyed here

Yamachiku Factory "Dear"

Yamachiku is a chopstick manufacturer that cuts and carves 100% domestically grown natural bamboo by hand in Minamikan Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, and continues to make only bamboo chopsticks. Currently, Yamachiku is the only company that can make chopsticks made from 100% domestically grown bamboo. Although plastic and wooden chopsticks are widely used these days, we wanted to create a place where people can once again experience traditional bamboo chopsticks, so we opened our own store with a cafe, Yamachiku Factory "Dear Me," on November 11, 2023 (Chopsticks Day).

The space is based on the concept of a letter, a place like a letter that conveys the maker's thoughts and production background to customers, and a place where customers can shop as if they were writing a letter to their loved ones. The store name, Dear Sir, painted in front of the store, was made from a piece of pottery salvaged from a local Kodai-yaki kiln. The store also sells other products besides chopsticks, and sells a selection of items that the store found at exhibitions and liked after actually using them.

The store has 300 different types of chopsticks, including a variety of colors. For those who are unsure which chopsticks to buy as a gift or for themselves, the cafe offers a menu where you can actually try out the chopsticks. We tried out a cafe menu using popular chopsticks, which use local ingredients.

I actually tried it

Sweet Urushi

"Sweet Urushi" comes in pastel colors that overturn the image of lacquer. In addition to the peach pink shown in the photo, there are five other variations, including lemon yellow and pistachio green. This product was selected in an annual in-house design competition and was actually commercialized, and is imbued with the desire to "make lacquer more pop and convey the goodness of lacquer to the younger generation." Lacquer is highly durable and water-resistant, and has antibacterial, germicidal, and insect-repellent properties. Not only are the colors cute, but the lacquer coating makes the product feel soft and comfortable in your hand. It is so popular that it is often sold out online.

We tried out using chopsticks to eat tiramisu using Kurobou chopsticks from Hashimoto Seika, a long-established confectionery manufacturer in Nankan Town. The chopsticks have thin tips, so you can cut daikon radishes into bite-sized pieces or remove fish bones, and eat your food neatly without leaving any leftovers. They also easily lift up the thick tiramisu, which is dominated by the deep sweetness of brown sugar.

Lacquer Bamboo Chopsticks -Extreme-

A veteran female chopstick craftsman and a lacquer craftsman teamed up to develop Yamachiku's lacquer bamboo chopsticks, which are the culmination of Yamachiku's techniques. They are carefully carved by hand so that they fit perfectly together no matter which side you put them together. Bamboo is strong and flexible even when carved into thin pieces, so they are used in hotels and other lodging facilities.

A snack made with Nankan somen noodles. The slightly salty somen noodles go well with red bean paste, kinako (roasted soybean flour), and walnuts. The thin, square tips of the chopsticks are perfect for picking up slippery noodles.

It was a fun place to spend the whole day facing the chopsticks we use every day. In November, the first anniversary, various events are planned. Be sure to check out their social media.

Spot information (as of October 2024) Spot name Yamachiku Factory "Dear" Address 14 Hisashige, Minamiseki-cho, Kumamoto Prefecture Phone number 0968-82-8818 Business hours 10:00-16:00 (LO 15:30) Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays Notes Click here for the latest information

Yamachiku Factory "Dear"

"The Rabbit and the Turtle" in Kikusui Roman Museum

"The Rabbit and the Turtle" is a new restaurant that opened at the Kikusui Roadside Station. It was named after the desire to steadily build up a business, like a turtle, without forgetting one's original intentions. The owner, Mr. Iwamoto, wanted to use his 30 years of experience in the Japanese food industry to open a specialty restaurant that uses pork that can be cooked in a wide variety of ways. That's when he came across "Hinomoto Pork", a brand of pork from Nagomi Town, Tamana District, Kumamoto Prefecture.

Hinomoto pork is characterized by the fine sweetness of its fat. It is delicious when served shabu-shabu style, but we wanted people to be able to directly experience the sweetness of the fat, so we decided to serve it mainly as pork cutlets.

The fried oil used is rice oil, which has a mild flavor without any strong or distinctive smell. There is also a secret to the frying method, and the lightly fried pork cutlet is soft and pink in color, even though it is thoroughly cooked, and the delicious flavor spreads in your mouth.

The vegetables and rice used are also from Nagomi Town. The tofu served in the small bowl is the famous Kikusui tofu made at the Kikusui Roadside Station. It is made using 100% domestic Fukuyutaka soybeans, Honnigari (a type of bittern), and a special deep steaming method. It has a fine pudding-like texture. The water at the Kikusui Roadside Station is groundwater that has been charged with electrons. It is also used in cooking the rice and in making the handmade tofu, enhancing the flavor of both.

At dinner time, you can enjoy a banquet course using Hinomoto pork. As with lunch, you can also order a set meal, so it is perfect for families.

Spot information (as of October 2024) Spot name Restaurant "Rabbit and Turtle" Address 455 Eda, Nagomi-cho, Tamana-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture (inside the roadside station Kikusui Kikusui Roman building) Phone number 0968-75-8022 Business hours Lunch 11:00-15:00 Dinner 17:00-21:00 Remarks Click here for the latest information

Restaurant "The Rabbit and the Turtle"

Platt Gyokuto

Platt Gyokuto moved to a large building in front of Konoha Station in May 2024. Originally, it sold Honey Rosa soft serve ice cream, but after reopening, the cafe menu has been expanded. All menu items use Honey Rosa. Gyokuto Town has the largest cultivation area and production of Honey Rosa in Japan. There are many mandarin orange farmers in the town, and with the idea of growing something that could be grown outside of the mandarin orange harvest season, Gyokuto Town began cultivating plums, and it is said that Honey Rosa was planted as a result of this.

Honey Rosa is a plum with high sugar content and low acidity, and is called the phantom plum because it can only be harvested for about 10 days from early to mid-June. In June, when the plums are sold fresh, they are also sold at Platt Gyokuto, and the whole of Gyokuto Town becomes lively.

The cafe space inside Platt Gyokuto has a wide variety of menu items using the local specialty Honey Rosa. The most popular menu item is Honey Rosa Curry, an authentic curry made from spices with a gentle accent of the sweetness and sourness of Honey Rosa. No chili peppers or other spices are used, and the spiciness is kept as mild as possible.

Just like adding honey to curry, adding Honey Rosa creates a rich honey-like flavor. The pitted fruit flesh is added last, so the texture of Honey Rosa is not lost, making this a dish where you can really feel the presence of Honey Rosa.

The dressings and sauces are all made in-house using Honey Rosa, and are not even sold in the convenience store, making them a flavor you can only get here.

The Honey Rosa soft serve is a perennial favorite, as is the soft serve topped with Honey Rosa jam made with a generous amount of fruit juice.

Spot information (as of October 2024) Spot name Platt Gyokuto Address 603-5 Konoha, Tamato-cho, Tamana-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture Next to JR Konoha Station Phone number 0968-82-8617 Business hours 9:00-18:00 *Please check SNS for dinner hours Closed Mondays Remarks Click here for the latest information

Platt Office