Introducing Niku no Miyabe

Today we’re introducing
“Niku no Miyabe,”
located in Mamihara, Yamato Town, Kamimashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture.

On my way back from a drive to the scenic Soyo Gorge,
I was hit with that classic feeling: “I really don’t want to cook dinner tonight!” (haha)

Hoping to find some delicious prepared food, I wandered into
this butcher shop called “Niku no Miyabe”…

And what an incredible discovery it turned out to be!!!

The shop sits in a corner of the charming Mamihara Shopping Street,
which is reportedly known as “the cutest shopping street in Japan” ♪

You can park right in front of the shop!

If it’s busy, there’s a free Mamihara public parking lot nearby
which is a great alternative.

In front of the shop, there were notes about infection prevention measures.

Please make sure to follow all the requested guidelines.

The standing signboard showed mouth-watering menu items.

Oh, everything looks so delicious!
What should I get for dinner tonight??

As I was browsing, I noticed the photo featured
none other than “Shodai,” the famous sumo wrestler from Kumamoto!

Wow, this is a shop Shodai has visited! I was thrilled.

But that wasn’t even the half of it.

As soon as you enter the shop, look to your left.

Wow, so many photos! I thought,
but when I looked closer…
Wait? Hmmm? HMMMM?!

An astonishing number of celebrities!
And all super famous ones!!!

When I asked the staff about it, they casually said,
“We met Tsurube-san just two weeks ago~”
“Yumin (Yumi Matsutoya) drops in from time to time, you know~”
as if it were the most ordinary thing.

I was so stunned my brain just stopped working.

And I thought to myself:
I’ve stumbled into an absolutely incredible shop.

Inside, of course, this is a butcher shop with 94 years of history.

Magnificent cuts of meat are beautifully displayed.

Among them, the
Kumamoto-grown Kuroge Wagyu Beef Tongue (100g for 1,980 yen)
is so popular that customers travel from outside the prefecture to buy it!

And while a whole tongue costs around 30,000 yen,
many customers actually buy the entire piece!

There’s a great reason for that—
beyond being a rare Kumamoto-prefecture product, this tongue is special.

You can use it for Tan-shabu (beef tongue shabu-shabu).

Have you ever heard of tan-shabu?

It was my first time hearing about it.
Apparently the texture of the tongue becomes wonderfully crisp and exquisite~

If I ever have the budget to splurge, I’d love to try it at least once!!!

Niku no Miyabe Recommended Menu

Prepared Foods Section

The home cook’s best friend zone!

・Sakura Croquette (232 yen)

・Frozen Sakura Croquettes 5-pack (1,160 yen)

・Kyushu Marinated Fried Chicken, Large (1,000–1,200 yen)

They also sell roast chicken and more.

Seasoned Meat Section

Another home cook’s best friend zone!

I just love these grab-and-grill products—
ready to eat with minimal effort (haha).

And in this section, pay special attention to the bottom shelf!

I had wandered in not knowing anything,
but the staff kindly tipped me off.

Their seasoned hormone (offal) is extremely popular
when ordered freshly deep-fried right on the spot!!!

Just an hour before my visit, there had been a line stretching outside the shop.

Tempted by all the delicious-looking products,

this time I went with the Hormone Karaage (Fried Offal) and the Mamihara Burger (550 yen).
For the hormone karaage, you first purchase the marinated meat sold by weight,
and if you’d like it fried, you pay an additional handling fee (+100 yen) and they fry it for you on the spot.
You’ll receive it freshly fried and piping hot!

Hormone Karaage

Freshly fried and steaming hot!
Just from the smell, I knew this was going to be amazing!!!

They give you a toothpick,
so definitely try a piece while it’s still hot.

Freshly fried is unbeatable.

Oh my, it’s SO delicious!

Since it’s offal, there’s a satisfying chewiness,
but the more you chew, the more the umami flavor builds up.

What is the secret behind this incredible flavor?!
The kind staff member explained it to me.

The secret behind this hormone’s deliciousness.

The secret is their completely handmade sauce!!!

For the hormone, they use the bottle on the bottom-left of this lineup—
the “Ultimate Sauce (1,000 yen).”

So that’s the secret of the deliciousness!!!

Even the sauce is handmade.
Niku no Miyabe’s commitment to meat is just incredible.

I served it as a side dish for dinner,
and even after some time, the flavor hadn’t changed at all!!

It’s still SO good!!!

My husband couldn’t stop pairing it with drinks (haha).

Truly, the more you chew, the more the umami builds.

It’s an addictive deliciousness.
The sauce must be the secret!

Next time, I’m definitely buying the “Ultimate Sauce” (haha)

I want to enjoy this taste at home (haha).

I heard 90% of customers come back specifically for this hormone karaage, and I totally get it.

Because I’m already craving it again.
I miss that hormone karaage so much…

Mamihara Burger

This burger features the popular Sakura Croquette sandwiched in a specially-crafted bun.

While Niku no Miyabe also offers online mail-order,
this particular item can only be enjoyed at the store!!!

If you make it to the shop, this is one product you absolutely must try.

When you pick it up, you can feel its substantial weight.

For lunch, this single burger is more than enough—
seriously filling.

Here’s what’s inside!

Can you see it? Look at that croquette filling.

The ratio of meat to potato is roughly
90% horse meat to 10% potato — that’s how it feels.

I’m not exaggerating—truly! (haha)

You’ll find yourself wondering, “Wait, is this really a croquette?” (haha)

It’s also packed with veggies—tomato, onion, and lettuce!
The mustard kick adds another layer of deliciousness!!!

You know those 100% beef burgers out there?
This one holds its own against any of them.

It’s absolutely beyond what you’d expect from a croquette burger.

And honestly, with this flavor and volume, 550 yen is a steal…
You definitely have to try it!

It’s a product both adults and kids will love ♪

Beyond the deliciousness of the products,
the staff were warm and you could really feel their love for the shop—
that’s “Niku no Miyabe.”

There’s still so, so much more I haven’t been able to share…

But I don’t want to give it all away,
so please come visit yourself
and experience all its charms in person!!!

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Frequently Asked Questions

*Information is as of the time of reporting. Prices and hours may be subject to change. Please confirm before your visit.