Local food and drink from Kumamoto Prefecture are sold here, and highlights include frozen horsemeat sashimi (Y580 for 70g); fresh ginger, yams and kabosu; and a good assortment of shochu, including small-size bottles. Upstairs is the Asobi Bar, a pleasant bar area where you can sample various types of shochu along with regional snacks. (Bar open 5-8pm; last order 7:30pm; closed most Sundays and Mondays.)

We enjoyed a hefty plate of peppery charcoal-grilled horsemeat (very tender and flavorful) and yamauni-dofu, tofu that's been marinated in miso, resulting in a rich, sweet concentrated flavor that goes well with sake or shochu. Beside the restaurant is a small shop selling various non-food products, including character goods in the image of Kumamoto's famous mascot bear, Kumamon.