Takachiho Gorge and Mount Aso Day trip | Exploring the nature of Kyushu | Roadtrip
The next leg of the road trip takes us to Takachiho Gorge Unfortunately, boat rides were closed due to heavy rainfall First thing’s first, lunch People inside eating nagashi somen There’s the dango grilling there also Chiho no Ie specializes in Nagashi Somen aka Flowing noodles Noodles are released upstream of the bamboo for you to catch You then dip the noodles in dashi before eating Pro tip, ask for the side that favours your master hand Now if you think that we are experts at this, we are clearly not because look at the amount of leftovers we have. This is the mark of our failure. Still nice. The set includes the fish, dango and the potato salad. This is the yamame. Now it’s time for the slightly inferior rainbow trout The rainbow trout has a less firm texture, but still yummy Finishing up with the rice ball, we were stuffed Despite that, we still wanted to try the roasted dango It’s roasted in a bean sauce which enhanced the aroma of it salty, sweet, and a bit of a chew. The roasting turned the skin tougher The search for the dango continues The rain isn’t clearing, but at least we can still trek the path If only the boat rides were available that day… The further up we went, the stronger the waters Heard that they sold the best chicken nanban here but all were sold out/reserved… I’m devastated It was getting late and most food places were closed So we stopped by this ramen place that used to be a toy shop This turned out to be the highlight of my trip The tonkotsu broth was rich but not too gelatinous, umami but not too salty, with a light garlic aroma The perfect balance, the perfect bowl It was so good that I asked for a kaedama (noodle top-up) Adding some chili paste for my 2nd round Seriously, damn f-ing shiok Gochisousama If you’re ever visiting Aso/Yufuin this is a must try The next day, we set off for mount aso This food truck/van immediately caught my attention He was selling hotdogs and TAKOYAKI I don’t think it’s super hot, right? It wasn’t too hot, perfect in the cold aso breeze You can’t miss the aroma if you’re at the visitor center It’s horse meat skewers, would you try it? It tastes different The meat tastes different It’s soft It’s very soft Bit chewy Just a little bit of chewiness It tastes a bit like lamb but not really That one is the seasoning I would say I like it Me too Would you like this over the horse sashimi or this? This Not bad Crazy to think that there’d be a lake this near a volcano Look how clear the waters were Tired In another shop there’s a granny selling ikinari dango Stall is pretty popular with visitors 400 yen Wah! Looks delicious! It is delicious! It doesn’t just look nice, it tastes nice! I’m serious! What about you? We’re together Thank you very much I’m serious! Where else can you find something this yummy? We got our ikinari dango! Sweet potato and red bean dumpling Can be sweeter, but I think this is just nice Mt. Aso is also known for their milk so I got a cafe latte I also took a sip of the aso yoghurt that wife bought Volcanic activity was high that day because of that, we couldn’t get too close to the crater We came back to this place right next to Ramen no Kurokawa It’s a local tofu specialist Clean and rich miso soup to start the course The vegetarian meal was a refreshing change from usual The fried tofu had such a delicate yet crispy skin Homemade tofu had a cheese like texture and refreshing aroma We finished off with a shot of super rich and creamy soymilk The area around Aso Jinja has a number of spring fountains This one was just in front of the liqour store Seems like the weather is getting better Finally more sakura blossoms Kyushu, many one piece things This shop sells fortune slips that reveal when wet Last stop before we leave, Aso Jinja So many types of charms available Before leaving, we bought some snacks from the confectionery Before leaving, we bought some snacks from the confectionary A brulee cream puff for the long road We’re staying the night at a Yumerindo Every room has a patio facing the garden Dinner was a course meal at Yumerindo Starters Locally brewed beer was really refreshing and light Sashimi course It’s Yamame again Next is a sukiyaki course Melt the butter Then throw in the rest Can’t go wrong with wagyu. Tiny portions tho Wild vegetables and mushrooms Maitake, mai kinda mushroom 🙃 Buta kakuni was okay, but with rice it gets better We ended the night with a stroll around the onsen town
Clearing out some old footages from my trip last year so bare with me here. Still, these are nice locations and I highly recommending you try out the places featured on the roadtrip.
Moving on from Miyazaki we find ourselves circling back to Kumamoto, but the eastern less busy side of things. Our nature filled day starts in Takachiho Gorge where unfortunately due to the rain and rising water levels, we weren’t able to ride the boat along. Still we managed to test our motor skills with Chiho no Ie’s Nagashi Somen or waterfall noodles. The bucket of shame really did shine a light in our reality =(
We ended that day with an incredible find for dinner. While everywhere else was closed, one ramen place stands in the shell of a toy shop (I think the chef is the 2nd gen owner of the place?) but serves a wicked simple ramen that will blow your mind with how tasty it is. Thick tonkotsu broth without the gelatinous mouthfeel, rich and umami yet not too salty and that signature hakata style thin hard noodles. I cannot forget the taste 2 years on.
Ramen no Kurokawa:
1848-4 Ichinomiyamachi Miyaji, Aso, Kumamoto 869-2612, Japan
The next day we went back to the same area, but next door for a simple tofu vegetarian lunch. Everything was tofu or bean but the meal surprised us with how varied and refreshing the humble soybean could deliver in taste.
Tateoka Tofu Store:
1848 Ichinomiyamachi Miyaji, Aso, Kumamoto 869-2612, Japan
We then toured around the Aso Jinja area for a bit before leaving for our night’s stay at Yumerindo, a classic onsen hotel located right outside the kurokawa onsen village.
I’m highly pumped for the next episode, featuring YUFUIN! Stay tuned =D
AloJapan.com