Introducing “Purely Restaurant”

Hello, everyone!
This is Maru, writer for Sarukuma 🙂🙃

Today I’m taking you to Naka-Karajinmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, where you’ll find
“Purely Restaurant.”

Just a heads-up: they’re only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays!

What a charming, atmospheric building, right? This is…
the “Organic Shopping Mall” [Roots Purely].

Organic vegetables and ingredients. Clothing and everyday goods. Eco-friendly architecture services.
It’s a shopping mall packed with shops dedicated to a natural lifestyle.

In one corner, on the 1st floor and basement of the East Wing, you’ll find [Purely Restaurant].

Across from the restaurant, there’s a parking lot with 7 spaces.

Walk through the alley with the noren curtain at the center of the building, and you’ll arrive at the restaurant!

This is the 1st floor. The space is much bigger than you’d expect from the entrance.
Light pours into the bright interior, and from the windows you can see the Tsuboi River flowing by.

The nostalgic atmosphere makes perfect sense once you learn that this is a renovated 140-year-old kominka (traditional Japanese house)!

Head down the central staircase and you’ll find a soothing, plant-filled atrium.

The basement opens up into a completely different, cozy cellar-like space.

The floor is made of beautifully fitted wooden bricks—a rare sight!
Walking on it makes a lovely clattering sound ♪

Long ago, the Tsuboi River was a major artery for transport and trade.
Open the door beside the counter, and you can still see the steps that mark where boats once docked!

And what really catches the eye is the stone wall. It’s a remnant from when this space served as a warehouse for goods unloaded from the river.

What a luxury—dining and sipping coffee while soaking in centuries of history!

Both the 1st floor and basement come equipped with high chairs.
Families with kids visit often 👦👧

The basement also has books and picture books, so parents and kids can enjoy time together.

The shelves are filled with books on natural living.
The restaurant also hosts seminars and events to share their philosophy with the community.
Be sure to check out their official website and Facebook page!

“Purely Restaurant” Recommended Menu

The chef takes great care selecting the ingredients, so every lunch nourishes both body and soul.

This is the monthly lunch menu (photo from February).

There are plenty of other lunch options too.

The Kids’ Lunch is ¥1,000 (excluding tax). The rice balls look delicious 🍙

This is the cafe menu, available from 14:00.

During cafe hours, you can also order an Onigiri Set for ¥800 (excluding tax)!

Drink menu.

Today, I ordered the Lunch Set. First up: salad, three small side dishes, and pickles.

Seasonal vegetable dishes like rapeseed flower ohitashi and sweet potato salad let the natural flavors shine.
Simple, but the ingredients really speak for themselves ♪

While I was enjoying the small plates, out came the main dish, brown rice (you can also choose 70%-polished rice), and miso soup.

This is the Monthly Veggie Lunch Set, ¥1,300 (excluding tax).
February’s main dish was an “Oatmeal Hamburger Steak.”

No meat at all, yet wonderfully chewy and satisfying!
It’s surprisingly filling!!
Oatmeal is highly nutritious, packed with fiber, and incredibly healthy.

The brown rice was a revelation!!!
When I cook it at home, it can come out dry, but here it’s full of moisture and beautifully chewy.
The more you chew, the deeper the flavor unfolds.

It’s cooked in a unique pot called a “Kamukamu Nabe”—the rice pot is placed inside a larger pot of water and gently steamed.

The miso soup is just as carefully crafted!!
A gentle, soul-warming flavor that flows right through your body.
The miso is fermented using rare “kura-tsuki” wild bacteria—the natural microbes that live in the brewery itself.

And here’s the Omurice Set, ¥1,500 (excluding tax).
I chose 70%-polished rice for this one.

Simple but utterly addictive—the ketchup rice has me hooked…
The ketchup itself is on a whole different level from store-bought; rich, deep, and full of umami (＾0＾)

To finish, the lunch set’s drinks.
Coffee and mikan (mandarin) juice—we tried both.

I added an Eclair (¥250 excluding tax) from the day’s cake selection.
They even threw in a slice of navel orange as a little taste-test treat (≧∇≦)

The eclair has a lightly sweet, refined taste—even the chocolate is made from scratch, with real time and care put into it.
My daughter loved it ♪

Ahh—what a satisfying, happy meal! ✨ Lunch and dessert: 100% bliss.

The staff were warm, friendly, and attentive throughout.
Thank you so much! (^^)

On your way out, browse the attached shops for organic ingredients and everyday goods used in the restaurant!

Why not let yourself be nourished, body and soul, by carefully crafted food and tea in a nostalgic, history-soaked space?

We update our Instagram daily!
Sarukuma shares info about lunch spots, parks, and indoor playgrounds for families raising kids in Kumamoto.
Please give us a follow! (*´∀｀*)

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

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