Utanoki — Restaurant in Kumamoto

Horrible! I hate the use this kind of speech but what a painful and sad experience. After living in Korea for two years as a white man and now travelling through Japan, I (luckly) never experienced this kind of discrimination before. On this last night of my trip and by recommendation of a Japanese friend, I went to this place. First I was refused by the door because it was completely 'full'. It was more than half empty. I didn't understand at first and after waiting outside, somone else who worked there came outside, looked at me and closed the door again. At some point, I used Google Translate and politely asked when there might be space again because I walked 50 min to get there and was so excited. I could go in and was put at the corner of the bar, instead of at the table area. When the first dishes came, my portion were certainly smaller then of the people next to me. I keep almost over the top polite and nice because I want to make it a good last night. At some point, I ordered something extra. After waiting for 60 min and checking it proactively, it seemed like the order didn't come through. Then the clearly microwaved something - both by sounds of the microwave itselt and the taste after. It had nothing to do with a big Japanese portion of fresh waguy but wanted to charge me the price of an A5 steak so had high expectations when ordering. I didn't want this super expensive - for a microwave - small dish. He / the owner still wanted to charge me. After, the last dish that I didn't eat was removed from the bill. Despite all the waiting, miscommunication, etc no compensation was given and he got mad acting I was the rude white guy. Horrible, sad and very unpleasant. I...

Some places are worth circling back to. I first heard of Utanoki through friends who used to live in Kumamoto. I missed my chance to visit in April, but something about the way they spoke of it made me eager to visit. So I returned today, traveling down from Yokohama just for this meal.

It was worth the journey.

With the help of friends, I made a reservation, and a good idea as the space feels personal and carefully paced. The kind of place that fills up not from trend, but from trust.

The food was exceptional. Fresh, balanced, beautifully presented. Each dish had its own quiet character, and together they told a story of thoughtful hands and practiced care.

The atmosphere felt warm, like visiting a relative’s home where the table is always set with intention. Staff were kind, and while some spoke English, it wasn’t necessary. The menu worked well with Google Translate.

Utanoki is now a new favorite. A place I plan to return to every time I find myself wandering back to...

Delicious meal in a homey and relaxed izakaya atmosphere. Special mention for extraordinary service: my family and I had made a booking via our hotel which was located nearby. My dad left his earmuffs at the restaurant and the staff took the trouble to return them to our hotel...