Introducing Robatayaki Sanroku

Hello, travelers!
This is Igaguri 🌰, a writer for Sarukuma.

Today I’m taking you to
Kahoku-machi in Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture,
to a charcoal-grill restaurant called “Robatayaki Sanroku”.

Could a popular restaurant really be tucked away out here?
That was my first thought as I drove deep into the mountains.

Yamaga is already rural, but Kahoku-machi sits even further north — about a 15-minute drive from “Michi-no-Eki Kahoku”, a roadside station I’ve featured before.

Michi-no-Eki Kahoku Oguri-go (Yamaga City, Kahoku-machi): Have you heard of a roadside station with a swimming pool AND stone-oven pizza?

I arrived with a 10:30 a.m. reservation on a Saturday.

And — to my surprise — about ten cars had already pulled up before me! ( ﾟДﾟ)

Saturday opening hours are technically 11:00 a.m., but with so many guests already waiting, the staff kindly opened the doors at 10:30!

Note: their famous chicken sashimi has been discontinued. Because of strict ventilation for infection control, the indoor temperature rises during service, so they decided it wasn’t safe to keep serving raw chicken.

The interior is all traditional tatami-floor seating!

That cozy old-Japan atmosphere is part of the charm (^^♪

Heads up if you’re traveling with little ones — please keep an eye on small children on the tatami!

Recommended menu items at Robatayaki Sanroku

Thigh and breast (in tare sauce or salt), plus skin, heart, liver, and gizzard.
Bonjiri (tail), seseri (neck), offal, sasami (tenderloin), and even chicken sausage!

The rice and soup options also looked delicious!

This time I went with the salt-grilled chicken,

the tare-glazed chicken,

grilled offal,

chicken sausage,

and a bowl of takikomi gohan (mixed rice cooked with savory ingredients)!

The staff carefully walked me through how to cook everything on the tabletop grill.

First, sear both sides in the hot center, then push the smaller pieces to the edge to rest, and finally bring them back to the middle to finish cooking with everything mixed together.
From temperature control to presentation, you can really feel their passion for serving the freshest, tastiest chicken possible.

The chicken came out grilled to absolute perfection — the skin had that addictive crispy bite. Incredible!

The limited-quantity offal was already sold out by 10:40 a.m. — just 10 minutes after opening! (^^;

Maybe it’s because there’s only one of those cuts per chicken.

Today’s serving count: 40 chickens total.

To guarantee quality, the restaurant caps the number of chickens prepared each day — and once they sell out, that’s it. They close.

“We want our guests to rediscover the real freshness and flavor
that people knew before refrigeration —
the kind of taste we’ve all but forgotten.”

If you’re visiting Kumamoto, this is one for the bucket list. Come hungry, come early! (^_-)-☆

Michi-no-Eki Kahoku Oguri-go (Yamaga City, Kahoku-machi): Have you heard of a roadside station with a swimming pool AND stone-oven pizza?

Frequently Asked Questions

※Information is current as of the time of reporting. Prices and hours are subject to change. Please confirm before visiting.