Shoo Town is a town in northern Okayama Prefecture where agriculture, industry, nature, and culture coexist. Located about an hour and a half by car from the Kansai region, including Osaka and Kyoto, Shoo Town is easily accessible, attracting an increasing number of tourists from outside the prefecture. Here are five recommended lunch spots to visit in Shoo Town.
2025.12.09-
Table of Contents
- 1. Akarian
- 2. cafe136
- 3. POPOLO KITCHEN
- 4. OICOS
- 5. Ishokuya Friends
1. Akarian
This restaurant serves stone-ground 100% buckwheat soba noodles, as well as black bean soba noodles made with black beans (Sakushu Kuro), a specialty of Shoo Town. The black bean soba noodles made with Sakushu Kuro beans have a subtle sweetness and aroma. The soup also uses Sakushu Kuro tea, known as Kokukokucha, giving it a deep flavor.
The restaurant commands a view of the magnificent Mt.Nagi to the north. If you sit at the counter facing the large window, you can enjoy your meal while looking at the beautiful scenery framed in the window, like a painting.
[Akarian]
Address: 2148-1 Uetsukinaka , Shoo Town, Okayama Prefecture Prefecture
Business hours: 11:00 - until sold out
Closed: Thursdays
Parking: Available
2. cafe136
This cafe, directly managed by Itasaka Farm, serves dishes made with 100% Japanese Black Beef. Located in a cozy log cabin surrounded by trees, you can enjoy hamburgers, roast beef bowls, roast beef sandwiches, gyudon (beef bowls), and more. Pictured is the most popular lunch item, the Hamburger Steak Plate (150g/1,200 yen). The rich red wine-based sauce brings out the flavor of the meat, making it a dish that goes perfectly with rice. For those who want a hearty meal, there is also a 300g (1,600 yen) option.
The restaurant is open four days a week, from Thursday to Sunday. In addition to its signature beef dishes, you can also enjoy parfaits and cakes made with seasonal fruits such as peaches, grapes, and strawberries, mainly sourced from local farms. The restaurant's mascot, a Shiba Inu named Moko, can be found in the garden, providing a relaxing atmosphere. Pets are allowed on the terrace.
[cafe136 ]
Address: 136 Mino, Shoo-cho , Shoo Town, Okayama Prefecture Prefecture TEL: 080-1570-2170
Business hours: Thursday and Friday 11:00-15:00, Saturday and Sunday 11:00-16:00
Closed: Monday to Wednesday
Parking: Available
3. POPOLO KITCHEN
This popular restaurant offers a wide variety of hot sandwiches. In addition to intriguing menu items such as focaccia burgers, tuna and potato butter sandwiches, tenderly simmered chicken sandwiches, and pork kimchi sandwiches, they also offer sweets such as chocolate banana sandwiches and apple and custard sandwiches. Enjoy them with healthy medicinal soup. Take-out is also available.
This stylish container cafe is located next to a gas station along the national highway. The cafe's mascot is a Shiba Inu named Popo-chan. Pets are welcome in the garden seating area, where you can enjoy your meal under a parasol or tarp.
[POPOLO KITCHEN]
Address: 41-1 Okayama Prefecture, Shoo Town, Okayama Prefecture
Business hours: Weekdays 10:00-15:00, Saturdays and Sundays 10:00-17:00
Closed: Sundays, Mondays (open on the first Sunday of each month), public holidays
Parking: Available
4. OICOS
OICOS' signature menu item is their rice ball lunch made with homemade miso. The set includes a triangular rice ball topped with either meat miso or yuzu miso, a main dish, a side dish, miso soup, and a drink. The main dishes, which change every two weeks, include fried chicken with sweet and sour sauce, stewed hamburger steak, stir-fried green peppers with pork, mapo tofu, and stuffed green peppers with meat. They also use plenty of seasonal ingredients.
The cafe at the B-type employment support facility, which utilizes the building of a former nursery school, has a style where you take off your shoes at the entrance, put them in the shoe locker, and change into slippers. In addition to table seating and semi-private rooms, there is also a counter, making it convenient for solo diners.
[OICOS ]
Address: 58-3 Kurosaka , Shoo Town, Okayama Prefecture Prefecture
Business hours: 11:00-15:00
Closed: Sundays and Mondays
Parking: Available
5. Ishokuya Friends
This popular restaurant serves chicken dishes such as fried chicken and chicken cutlets, along with homemade udon noodles. We especially recommend the "Chicken Nanban Set Meal," which features homemade tartar sauce and the flavor of sesame oil to whet your appetite. The set meal comes with not only rice but also udon noodles. This hearty and reasonably priced lunch is sure to fill you up.
Located about a five-minute walk from JR Katsumata Station, the restaurant is bustling with people at lunchtime, from locals to those visiting Shoo Town for work. With an extensive menu and a wide range of dishes, the restaurant is loved by people of all ages and is easily recognizable by its yellow walls.
[Ishokuya Friends]
Address: 84-1 Katsumata , Shoo Town, Okayama Prefecture Prefecture
Business hours: 11:15-14:00 (last orders 13:40)
TEL: 0868-38-4138
Closed: 2nd, 3rd, 12th, and 22nd of each month
Parking: Available
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