#yame

Lunch at Tonkatsu Nikuryori Yoshioka (とんかつ肉料理 吉岡)

On one of my trips, I had the pleasure of visiting Yame, a picturesque town located further south of Fukuoka City. Yame is renowned for its hillside green-tea plantations and its famous Yame Green Tea, celebrated across Japan for its rich flavour and high quality. The town itself is brimming with charm, offering serene countryside views and a calm, unhurried pace of life that invites you to slow down and soak it all in.

During our visit, we stopped by a restaurant called Tonkatsu Nikuryori Yoshioka (とんかつ肉料理 吉岡), and it was an experience I won’t forget. The atmosphere was wonderfully traditional, with warm wooden interiors and beautiful, rustic decorations. A striking display of samurai armour near the entrance immediately caught my eye, adding a unique historical touch to the space.

Tonkatsu is one of my absolute favourite go-to dishes, and at Yoshioka, it was served to perfection. The golden, crispy tonkatsu was accompanied by a fresh side salad, a starter of tender beef slices delicately laid over thinly sliced raw onions, fluffy rice, a comforting bowl of miso soup, and, to top it all off, a cup of coffee to finish.

One fascinating detail I learned during my visit is that the owner of the restaurant used to run a meat shop. This background gives them access to the best quality and freshest cuts of meat, which is why their tonkatsu and other meat dishes stand out so much. You can truly taste the difference in every bite—the meat was juicy, tender, and cooked with so much care.

Another aspect I loved was the option to choose the thickness of your tonkatsu slice, allowing you to customise your meal exactly how you like it. The prices for a set meal range from 1,000–3,000+ yen, depending on the cut and size you choose, and for the quality of food and presentation, it’s worth every yen!

Yame, with its rolling tea fields and culinary gems like Tonkatsu Nikuryori Yoshioka, is a town that perfectly encapsulates the essence of rural Japan. Whether you’re a lover of food, tea, or simply looking for a tranquil getaway, Yame has so much to offer. I know I’ll be back—not just for the incredible green tea but for another unforgettable meal at Yoshioka!

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