Introducing TONOKARA

Hello there, fellow travelers!

I’m Binako, a SaruKuma writer with an extremely sensitive radar for the words “fried chicken”!

Today I’m thrilled to introduce you to TONOKARA, located in Tobita, Kita Ward, Kumamoto City.

(Ahhh, I’m craving fried chicken!)
(I really want some Korean-style fried chicken right now!)
Just as those thoughts were swirling in my mind, as if drawn by destiny, this place appeared:
TONOKARA!!
Truly my savior in a moment of need.

The shop is located directly across from Netz Toyota Tobita Bypass.
Parking is available behind the building.

And there he is… the Tono (Lord)!
That bold, dazzling wink is so striking it makes you want to call him Pierre!

There’s also outdoor terrace seating, giving the place a relaxed, casual vibe that adds to its cozy charm.

Regular opening hours are:
Fried Chicken Takeout: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Charcoal Grill & Oyster Space: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (midnight)
However, until February 7, hours are shortened to 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM, so plan accordingly!

The interior has a wild, open atmosphere that feels wonderfully spacious.

Here’s the fried chicken menu.
This crispy chicken was calling out to me.
No, actually, I was calling out to it.
In the end, we were both calling out to each other. It was destiny.
Okay, enough of that!

140g (3 pieces) – 360 yen
230g (5 pieces) – 600 yen
460g (10 pieces) – 1,150 yen
690g (15 pieces) – 1,750 yen
920g (20 pieces) – 2,300 yen
*Each additional piece: 120 yen

They also offer a variety of additive-free sauces to choose from!
Doesn’t that get you excited?
From the popular Yangnyeom (200 yen) to Tomato (150 yen) and Green Onion (150 yen),
every sauce sounds absolutely mouthwatering.

There’s also a special Cake Set for 400 yen, available 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays only).
The cakes are all homemade!

And the menu just keeps going!
Charcoal Grill Menu:
Grilled Chicken Thigh (whole) – 500 yen
Charcoal Grill 3-Variety Platter – 1,480 yen
Pork Tongue – 680 yen
Beef Steak (200g) – 980 yen
Plus a variety of daily specials – it’s a true meat parade!

If there are treasures of the land, surely there must be treasures of the sea!

Charcoal Seafood Menu:
Oysters in Shell
– Kochi 500g – 900 yen
Available year-round
Kochi 1kg – 1,600 yen
– Nagasaki 500g – 980 yen
November – March
Nagasaki 1kg – 1,800 yen
Charcoal Seafood 3-Variety Platter – 1,980 yen and more!
It’s Pirates of the TONOKARA!!

After all that hot food, time to cool down with something sweet – the dessert and coffee menu!

Vanilla Ice Cream
Cassis Ice Cream – 250 yen each
Seasonal Cake – 750 yen
Connoisseur’s Pride Iced Coffee – 300 yen
Organic Colombian Coffee – 300 yen
Earl Grey Tea – 300 yen

And there’s plenty of alcohol too!
Kiwi liqueur, pineapple liqueur, and other drinks that are dangerously easy to sip.
I definitely want to try them…
though I can’t really hold my liquor!

They also have a bento (lunch box) menu!
Chef Takashi Hishie, who holds the prestigious Food Meister qualification, also makes curry bento boxes!
While the menu lists curry at 800-900 yen,
they’ve revised the price to match the Tono-kara bento at just 550 yen – an incredible deal!
Perfect for takeout lunch!

TONOKARA’s Recommended Menu

This time, I ordered the dish I’d been craving:
Tono-kara 230g with Yangnyeom Sauce!

Peek!
Lifting the chicken revealed a delightful surprise – a generous side salad!

The photo doesn’t quite show it,
but they pack in a really good amount.
I was so happy that I devoured every bite.Now for the main event – the fried chicken.
First, I tried it plain.
Each piece is the size of a fist.
Five fist-sized pieces for 600 yen? That’s an incredible bargain.

It was so delicious I couldn’t even process what was happening.
Someone, please report on what’s happening in my mouth!

Even plain, the salt balance is so perfect it makes you want to scream.
The flavor seeps deep into the meat and is so incredibly delicious
that my limited vocabulary completely failed me.

What is this… like a girl who knows exactly how cute she is,
this chicken knows exactly how delicious it is…

Time to play around with the Yangnyeom sauce.
Channeling my inner Cinderella (the evil stepmother version, that is).

Bring on the heat!!

With this much sauce, surely even the umami can’t keep up with the spice…

Pour it on… yes… pour it on generously.

Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo… boom!!

As if dressed in a gown of spice,
the umami leveled up dramatically!
The juicy meat, perfect saltiness, and sweet-spicy sauce teamed up
to send my happiness levels through the roof.

No matter what you do, TONOKARA is just delicious.
Every flavor I throw at it gets absorbed and elevated.

If it’s this delicious, of course the lord on the sign would wink with confidence!

I easily polished off all 5 pieces.
Honestly, I could go for 5 more fist-sized pieces.

I was completely defeated by how amazing it was.
Don’t miss the Korean-style fried chicken at TONOKARA!

With sweets, takeout options, and charcoal grill items,
there’s so much to enjoy. Highly recommended!

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Frequently Asked Questions

*Information is current as of the visit. Prices and hours may change. Please confirm before visiting.