Hello from the editorial team at Yatsushiro Press! I’m Sabiron, your guide today.

If you love yoshoku—Western-inspired Japanese comfort food—you’re in for a treat. I’m a yoshoku fanatic myself, especially the kind served in retro-style diners that have been around since the Showa era. No matter where I travel, I make a point of tracking them down.

This time, we’ve selected four long-standing yoshoku restaurants in the Yatsushiro and Minamata areas, all with over 30 years of history. From hand-formed hamburg steaks to fluffy omurice, these local favorites will have you planning your next meal before you finish reading.

Let’s dig in!

1. Kohiya (珈琲家)
   Retro Ambience Passed Down from the Founders
2. Café Rest Marco Polo (カフェレスト　マルコポーロ)
   35 Years of Handmade Dishes and Local Loyalty
3. Shin-Kimura (新木村)
   Stylish Space and Signature Dishes That Draw Crowds from Afar
4. Napoleon (ナポレオン)
   Blending Tradition and Innovation in Minamata

1. Kohiya (珈琲家)

This beloved establishment is now in its 52nd year. The current owner, Akaboshi-san, is the second-generation proprietor. His parents opened the café in 1974 after moving to Yatsushiro from Tokyo, with a passion for coffee and European-style cuisine.

After training in a popular Kumamoto City restaurant, Akaboshi returned to take over the family business at 35. “I loved the atmosphere of the shop,” he shares. “My mother was still running it at the time, and I wanted to work with her while I could.”

The menu has remained largely unchanged since opening, offering comforting dishes alongside meticulously brewed hand-drip coffee. The floorboards and frosted glass windows, unchanged for decades, tell the story of the café’s long history.

Recommended Dishes:

• Fish Lunch (¥1,500): White fish meunière with a house-made sauce. Comes with salad, mushroom soup, rice, and coffee.
• Hamburg Steak Set (¥1,700): Hand-shaped patty with a mild, house-made demi-glace, served with soup, rice, and coffee.

Details:

📍 1-9-14 Ōtemachi, Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture (Japanese: 熊本県八代市大手町１丁目9-14, Google Maps)
📞 0965-34-7009
🕘 9:00 am – 9:00 pm (Closed Tuesdays, as well as the third Wednesday of each month)
🚗 7 parking spaces

2. Café Rest Marco Polo

Founded in 1990, the restaurant’s sauces—demi-glace, white, Japanese-style, and more—are all made from scratch. They even use freshly milled local rice. Despite rising costs, they’ve maintained quality and pricing for over three decades.

Recommended Dishes:

• Grilled Chicken (¥880): Oven-roasted Kagoshima chicken with demi-glace and cheese. Salad, mushroom soup, and rice included.
• Spaghetti Gratin (¥850): A cozy blend of homemade pizza sauce, white sauce, and seafood.
• Mushroom Soup (¥600): A creamy soup with mushrooms, leek, and bacon baked under a pizza dough crust—perfect for dipping.

📍 2F, 2-4-50 Honmachi, Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture (Japanese: 熊本県八代市本町2丁目4-50 2F, Google Maps)
📞 0965-32-0588
🕦 11:30am – 3:00 pm (Lunch Only, Reservation Required for Dinner)
🚗 Use nearby parking

3. Shin-Kimura

Now in its 36th year, Shin-Kimura’s name reflects its heritage: a “new” home for the Kimura family. Owner Mari Kimura moved from Tokyo to open the restaurant in her grandfather’s hometown.

Set inside a beautifully refurbished white-walled warehouse, the space is filled with antique furnishings—including church pews imported from the UK! The refined interior and classic yoshoku dishes make it a hit with locals and travelers alike.

Recommended Dishes:

• Special Omurice Set (¥1,500): Fluffy omelet with beef cheek stew in demi-glace over buttery rice. Salad and soup included.
• Beef Stew Set (¥3,800): Tender, slow-simmered beef cheek so soft you can eat it with chopsticks. Comes with rice, salad, and soup.

📍 2-5-41 Honmachi, Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture (Japanese: 熊本県八代市本町2-5-41, Google Maps)
📞 0965-35-0168
🕦 Lunch 11:30 am – 2:00 pm (Weekends/Holidays from 11:00 am), Dinner 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
📅 Closed Mon & 1st/3rd Tue
🚗 5 parking spaces

4. Napoleon (ナポレオン)

Established in 1960 by a wartime evacuee from Yokohama, Napoleon began as a Japanese-style eatery with Western options like steak and fried shrimp. The name reflects the owner’s simple equation: French food = Napoleon.

Now run by the third generation, the restaurant still features its original demi-glace sauce but has also evolved with garlic soy-based dishes. The interior retains touches of its origins, including a nostalgic display case of food replicas.

Recommended Dishes:

• Minamata Ashiaka Prawn Fry Set (¥2,800): Only available when local prawns are in season—known for their sweet flavor and firm bite.
• Braised Hamburg Steak Set (¥1,200): A juicy patty slow-cooked in red wine demi-glace.

📍 6-8 Saiwaimachi, Minamata City, Kumamoto Prefecture (Japanese: 熊本県水俣市幸町6-8, Google Maps)
📞 0966-63-2328
🕙 10:30 am – 3:00 pm, 5:30 am – 9:30 pm (Closed Mon)
🚗 14 parking spaces

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The above was translated and adapted from an article on our Japanese-language sister website ALT Kumamoto. For the original content, see the article below!

【やつしろぷれす切り抜き】昭和レトロ感満載！“八代・水俣のこころおどる洋食屋”厳選４店をご紹介！