Where to Eat in Ibusuki

01

Tosenkyo Somen-Nagashi

唐船峡そうめん流し
This shop is the most popular restaurant in Ibusuki. It was established by the local government to promote the local variation of a popular Japanese summer dish. Nagashi somen is usually served by sending noodles down a cool stream of water along a bamboo slide. You catch the noodles as they pass you and dip them in a refreshing sauce. In 1967, an Ibusuki local invented a machine that constantly circulates water to allow people to enjoy the meal while sitting in a group at a table – rain or shine. This is definitely a fun way to eat. They also serve miso soup, grilled trout, and o-nigiri. Oh, and now you can tell your friends you’ve eaten at a government-run restaurant.

02

Aoba

青葉
Coming in at a very close 2nd, Aoba is also one of the most well-known restaurants in town. The shop specializes in Southern Kyūshū cuisine made from locally sourced produce. Their specialty, which you shouldn’t miss, is kurobuta – a black haired pig raised in the area and famous throughout Japan.

Travel Guide

03

Choju-an

長寿庵
Chōju-an is a soba shop that originated in Tōkyō’s upscale Ginza district and operates a handful of shops – generally in upscale areas. The Ibusuki store offers a number of local delicacies known as温たまらん丼 ontamaran-don (onsen tamago served with meat & vegetables over a bowl of rice). The most popular version of this dish is kurobuta-soboro-don – onsen tamago served with ground kurobuto over rice. By the way, normally onsen tamago refers to eggs boiled in the water of a hot spring, but in Ibusuki, they boil the egg in the sand!

04

Satsuma Aji

さつま味
The name literally means “taste of Satsuma” – Satsuma being the old name of this area until 1868 – and as you can imagine, this shop specializes in local cuisine. Since Ibusuki is a seaside town, the seafood is excellent. At this restaurant, the sashimi and sushi is excellent and it won’t put a dent in your wallet. This shop also offers ontamaran-don.

05

Resutoran Chinetsu no Sato

レストラン地熱の里
This restaurant features large aquariums to provide a soothing ambience. They serve local Japanese dishes, especially seafood. One interesting offering is chanko nabe, the hot pot dish famously eaten in excess by sumō wrestlers in order to fatten up for competition.

06

Unawa

うな和
Unawa is a shop that specializes in freshwater eel dishes, in particular unadon. However, the shop has a number of local delicacies from the sea, including sashimi. They also have an excellent tempura rice bowl.

07