Welcome to Umekura Aso

“ We were lucky to get a seat when we called at 5.15pm for 6pm on the same day. The kind staff at Fairfield hotel assisted to call and make a reservation. You have to choose the set which you want for dinner when you make the reservation. You have two choices for dinner - Beef or Chicken. It comes with a set of various dishes all of which you can see in my attached photos. They will serve you course by course as it’s being prepared. You then cook your own meat. Two sauces are available for you to dip in before you savor the meat. Great food and fast service! Highly recommended if you are in this area. Do book in advance, unfortunately they only accept calls and not able to book online. They do have parking but because there was an event happening in the main hall, the lots were all full. But the kind lady told us to park in a space. As we didn’t speak Japanese, not sure if there were other options beyond the dinner set or if we could add on beef if it was insufficient. What are you waiting for if you are considering this place for dinner? Book now! :) ”

“ Overall, great food at a decent price. We were on the way from Yufuin to Aso and found Umekura, and we were glad that we did. Fortunately for us, the owner accommodated us even though we didn't have a reservation and found us a small spot to park our vehicle. Food wise, everything was great. From the mains to the sides, everything was tasty. In the photo, you have the fried tofu, cold eggplant, chawanmushi, and rich miso soup. The only downside was that it was cash only. ”

“ Without a reservation on a holiday, the restaurant only had chicken and beef set menus available. Even so, the staff immediately provided us with a lovely private room and hot tea, making us feel like family. From the first soup to the side dishes, it was clear that the chef had put great care into both flavor and texture. The chicken and beef, cooked on a hot plate at the table, were impeccable - the beef melted in your mouth while the chicken was pure and fragrant. The five-star service concluded perfectly with dessert and coffee. We're grateful for this wonderful experience that came from a chance visit, and we hope to return. ”

“ Our hotel was able to secure us a last minute reservation for two adults and one child-even a tatami style private room. We had to order one set menu for each adult, so we went with both beef options. Everything was delicious. The chicken meatball was fall apart tender, soaked in a gingery broth. The tofu had a surprise rice ball at the bottom. The beef melted in your mouth. The eggplant was savoury and soft. Service was attentive and quick. No complaints. If you’re walking from the station to the restaurant in the middle of the evening, be sure to bring a flashlight or make sure your phone is well charged. Should also take the opportunity to enjoy the stars. ”

“ The menu has 2 set of beef (1 with eel) and 2 set of chicken (1 also with eel). There is another special set which you need to order 24 hours in advance. The reason I rated the service is 4, because the server seems to be pushy with food. We have not set down but was asked if we would like to order special sashimi. Which I have no idea what was that. However, the food was good. I like that you are provided a mini grill to grill your beef. ”

“ We weren't lucky on our 1st visit on sat night 3 May - fully booked! So we decided to try our luck to make a reservation for Sunday night. Advice - ensure you make a reservation before heading over esp when it is a holiday period in Japan. Our order was the beef + unagi rice set and chicken set. Everything was SO GOOD and the point is - the beef and chicken were not marinated yet they are so tasty - the chicken meat was sweet/ fresh, as for the marble beef, it has the right amt of fats with the right thickness making it super juicy n tender. The sides are so very well prepared too! Very good experience at Umekura - food, ambience, cleanliness and not forgetting every staff is well trained and super attentive. The sets come with dessert n coffee/tea. Thank you for having us and thank you for the great food and service! ”

“ I chose the lava grilled red beef dinner set, the one in the top left corner of the menu, and for me this meal is a clear 5 out of 5. The first appetizer is a spicy chicken and yuzu soup. The broth is very clear, nicely salted and full of citrus aroma from the yuzu, with fresh parsley on top. In the middle there is a little fried dumpling that is crispy on the outside and soft inside, almost like a mix of potato and egg white. It looks simple but the flavour and texture are beautiful. The second appetizer is a large savoury egg custard, a chawanmushi style dish. It is silky like pudding and made with chicken broth, filled with mushrooms and chives. The flavour is quite peppery and a little salty in a very pleasant way. At the bottom there are small yellow beans and a chewy piece that feels a bit like mochi, which makes each spoonful different and fun to eat. The main course is the lava grilled red beef, served raw on a plate with beautiful marbling, together with a hot stone grill in front of you. You grill each slice yourself, which lets you choose exactly how you like it. The beef is incredibly tender, very rich in flavour and nicely fatty without being heavy. It comes with a soy based dipping sauce and a lighter onion dressing, plus crunchy roasted garlic slices, a little wasabi and sesame salt. White rice is served on the side, slightly sweet and perfectly sticky. The miso soup is very light and clear, with plenty of spring onions, tofu and seaweed. It tastes a bit watery but still comforting and gentle. Another side dish is braised eggplant. The eggplant is cooked all the way through, very soft and full of flavour, and it is served with a sweet nutty sauce that tastes a bit like a mix of peanuts and barbecue. The sweetness and richness of this sauce go very well with the soft texture of the eggplant. There is also a small plate of assorted pickled vegetables. They taste exactly as they should, sharp and intense. They are not really my personal favourite, but you can feel that they are carefully prepared and they work well together with the rich beef and rice. Combining the pickles with the meat and sauces gives very interesting bites. For dessert you receive a crème brûlée and a coffee. The crème brûlée is wonderfully creamy and smooth, with a glassy caramel layer on top that is perfectly burnt and shatters when you crack it with the spoon. It is sweet, elegant and honestly overwhelming in the best way. The coffee is rich and creamy and finishes the meal in a very relaxed way. The atmosphere of the restaurant is calm and elegant. You sit at a counter and can see the grill and the careful work in the kitchen. The staff are extremely friendly and attentive, they explain every dish and clearly take pride in what they serve. Altogether this lava grilled red beef set is a special and memorable dinner that I would warmly recommend to anyone visiting. ”

“ Overall, great experience! When we first got there, all signs pointed towards us not being able to eat since there was a private party going on so initially we decided to look for a different place to eat. While on the way out, I decided to take a photo of the little pond out front and I think the staff saw me since one of the staff came out to meet us at the parking lot asking if we came here to eat. Though we had a bit difficulty speaking English, he explained that since we were a party of 2, they could squeeze us in and that we had great timing (and that we did!) They gave us some sashimi as service and it was so tasty. We tried their beef, chicken and unagi. In that order, I think the beef was the best, chicken was decent and unagi was not that great in my opinion. Of the set menu, the soup items were good and I think the eggplant with miso was tasty at first but it's a bit too much for my palette. I think others might enjoy the food here better than I do (I'm a bit picky) but given the service and kindness of the staff, I still belive they deserve a solid 5 star overall rating. I would recommend this place to any of my friends still. The creme brulee at the end was a great finish. They still gave us a lot of attention despite having to care for multiple large parties. Very appreciative of the staff especially since without their kindness we would not have been able to experience this restaurant ”