Ashikita Town is a sacred place for curry in Japan! Let's go around the "Ashikita Curry Road" and enjoy excellent curry!

Tomi Egami, the cookery researcher who popularized curry, which originated in India, into Japanese home cooking, was born into a prominent family in Ashikita-cho, located in the southern part of Kumamoto Prefecture. In other words, Ashikita-cho is the origin of curry rice in Japan. Therefore, Ashikita Town holds the "Ashikita Curry Road" every summer. This year, from July 19 to August 31, 15 restaurants offer unique curry dishes, and a stamp rally with special offers is also held at the same time. Here are eight of them!

Eat at the origin of Japanese curry rice!

Red Pine Hall/Hyakunen Cagli

Let's start with "Akamatsu-kan" here. This is because it is the birthplace of Tomi Egami. Built in 1893, it is the residence of the Fujisaki family, which made its fortune as a village headman, and has a 132-year history. The rice warehouse, which is part of the vast grounds of approximately 1,000 tsubo, is open to the public as a café on weekends and holidays only. This year, they offer "Hyakunen Cantaloupe" (1,200 yen), based on Tomi Egami's recipe, and "Oyakuzen Cantaloupe" arranged with spices. Please choose your favorite!

Eat at a restaurant at a roadside station!

TABAKUMAN / Tachi fish curry

Two roadside stations are participating. One is the "Tabakuman" restaurant at "Michi no Eki" Tanoura. The area where the station is located is famous for its swordfish, so naturally the curry is topped with fried swordfish as the main ingredient. Fried vegetables are also included in the curry, making it a satisfying meal. The price of 1,000 yen is reasonable. The restaurant also offers handmade small bowls of food, so if you want one more dish, you can add a small bowl of your favorite dish as well.

Restaurant Gyu-Gyu-Tei / Ashikita Beef Curry

The other is Gyu-Gyu-Tei, a restaurant attached to "Roadside Station Ashikita Dekopon. It is a barbecue restaurant featuring Ashikita beef, a local beef brand. The majority of Ashikita beef has been awarded the title of "Wa-O," a premium brand of Kumamoto black cattle, and the restaurant is confident in the quality of its taste. Such Ashikita beef is grilled and served on rice, with a generous amount of roux poured over it. It is a luxurious curry with a strong presence of meat! (1,380 yen)

Curry after a hot spring bath eaten at a hot spring facility!

Healthy Park Ashikita / Onsen Curry

A hot spring center located in Yūura Onsen with a hot spring pool. Visitors can enjoy eight different types of hot spring water, including lying baths, walking baths, and saunas, and the bathing fee is 500 yen for adults! The curry is topped with a hot spring egg to remind you of the hot spring, and healthy vegetables, fried shrimp, and cutlets are also added to the rice. The onsen egg gives the dish a mild taste. The price of 700 yen, along with the bathing fee, makes this an impressive dish. Would you like a piece of curry after taking a hot spring bath?

Yunotsuru Onsen Guest House Tsurunoya / Tsurunoya's Special Curry

A hot spring inn opened in November 2023 at Yunotsuru Onsen in Minamata City, a neighbor of Ashikita Town. Designed by Eiji Mitooka, the restaurant at the luxurious inn is limited to one couple per day. The restaurant boasts a deep flavor of Kumamoto black wagyu beef bouillon and several spices. The quiche is also a nice touch. Dessert is a combination of fruits and Japanese sweetness typical of a hot spring resort. The price of 1,550 yen for this dish is a bargain. Reservations are required for dinner.

A little luxury with a resort atmosphere

Fukuda Farm Valencia Pavilion/Reissue of Green Curry with Lots of Vegetables

This is another participating restaurant entered from Minamata City. It is a Spanish-style farm restaurant standing on a hill overlooking the Shiranui Sea and the Amakusa Sea. The curry is rich in ingredients, with local vegetables, minced pork, and coconut milk simmered in a sumptuous broth! The mild taste of coconut milk unique to green curry is appealing. 1,500 yen, plus 350 yen for a drink. Don't forget to try Fukuda Farm's original jams and juices.

Curry time at an Italian restaurant!

Bistro Pazapa / Shiranui Sea Omelette Curry Omelette Curry Lunch

The "Shiranui Sea Omelette Rice" is a very popular menu item! and topped with a rich shrimp bisque-style sauce, the Shiranui Sea Omelette Rice is a very popular menu item. During the Ashikita Curry Road, it is served in a curry flavor. You may want to compare it with the original version! The "Shiranui Sea Omu Curry" is priced at 1,350 yen, and the set menu "Omu Curry Lunch" is 1,700 yen.

Small Italian Cuisine Coraggio / Yakuzen Bukkake Pork Curry Pasta with Black Bean Barley Tea

The final dish was a curry from Coraggio, which serves as the secretariat for Ashikita Curry Road 2025. Instead of rice, pasta is topped with marinated pork and vegetables sauteed in a garlic and ginger sauce and a half-boiled egg. Then the curry roux, slowly prepared with tomatoes and onions, is poured over the pasta. Serve with black bean barley tea, which has a sweet and savory flavor. (1,100 yen).

Other participating restaurants include izakaya (Japanese-style pubs) and Japanese set menus, so find your favorite curry rice.

Official Site
https://curry-kaidou.com/ (Ashikita Curry Road 2025)