夜香木 yakoboku — Restaurant in Kumamoto

For three straight years I’ve been frequenting bars from the list of Asia’s top bars. All of them were in trendy locations or elaborately decorated but most importantly had delicious cocktails. The bulk of them are in big cities like Tokyo, Hanoi, Taipei, Hong Kong, etc….so when I saw an outlier in Kyushu, not even in the biggest city in the island but in Kumamoto, it was on my must do list. So on a rainy weekend, we drove out to Kumamoto city, checked into our hotel next to the castle and found Yakoboku in a less than busy drinking street. They don’t take reservations but we were lucky to be seated. Once inside it feels special, very reserved in decor and despite it in an 150 year old traditional Japanese home, it feels very modern. The staff are dressed sharply and the hospitality and care are second to none. Now the drinks…Wow! We had four total drinks amongst us and the favorite was the Kyushu Old Fashioned. Maybe I’m partial since I live here but to have local products from the island infused in our drinks is meaningful. The Beni was a close second as it was refreshing and rich cocktail.

Truth be told, I’m jealous of all the people who have the privelage to live next to Yakoboku. This would serve as my daily stop to lounge, relax and take out of town guests to. It completely embodies Kumamoto and expect it to keep climbing Asia’s...

Hidden bar located down a wooden hallway facing the street with no obvious signage. Look to the right until you reach a door with the Yakoboku symbol and that'll be the entrance to the bar. Moody and relaxed interior with sharply dressed bartenders. The signature cocktail is named after a type of flower that only blossoms at night - it is an aromatic and citrusy drink that comes in a unique pottery like cup that mysteriously stays chilled the whole time. The bon bon chocolates are a perfect snack to go with your...

Excellent drinks. The Phoenix Martini was really special - it had a zing and slight sweetness to it that was unexpected but had great balance and worked well. The Kyushu Old Fashioned was a top old fashioned - smooth and balanced, but maybe slightly less unusual than the Phoenix Martini. The bartenders were very friendly and the bar was atmospheric, though there was no space at the main bar and I couldn’t see the drinks being made from the spillover side-bar which was a bit of a shame. Definitely recommend...