Tsuyama Horumon Udon: Where to Eat & Prices (Okayama)

Tsuyama horumon udon is a local specialty beloved in Tsuyama City in northern Okayama Prefecture. Tsuyama has a meat-processing facility that makes fresh, inexpensive horumon (offal) easy to obtain, so a beef culture has long taken root here. It is thought to have begun when cooks grilled equally inexpensive udon together with horumon on a griddle to fill people up. At the 2011 B-1 Grand Prix in Himeji, it won the Silver Grand Prix (second nationwide).

Highlights

A stamina-packed dish where the springy texture of horumon, the fragrantly grilled noodles, and a deep sweet-and-savory sauce come together as one. From miso-flavored to sauce-flavored, each shop uses different cuts of horumon and different sauce blends, so comparing them is enjoyable. Among the griddle restaurants in Tsuyama, nearly every shop serves this horumon udon.

Seasonal Enjoyment

Enjoyable year-round, but a piping-hot plate sizzling on the griddle is an especially welcome treat in the chilly season. Pairing it with cherry-blossom viewing at Tsuyama Castle (Kakuzan Park), a famous blossom spot, is also recommended.

Access and Basic Information

You can enjoy it at diners and yakiniku restaurants around JR Tsuyama Station. Many shops are within walking distance of Tsuyama Castle (Kakuzan Park), so you can enjoy it alongside sightseeing.

A Quick Tip

Fresh horumon with little odor and easy to eat is a Tsuyama hallmark. Adding rice and coating it in the sauce is also a popular way to eat it.

Practical Travel Notes

• Origins and awards: In Tsuyama, which has a meat-processing facility, it is said to have begun by grilling cheap horumon and udon on a griddle. It won the Silver Grand Prix (second nationwide) at the 2011 B-1 Grand Prix in Himeji.
• Where to try it: It is served at diners and yakiniku restaurants around JR Tsuyama Station. Nearly every griddle restaurant in the city serves it.
• Flavor differences: From miso to sauce-based, each shop uses different cuts of horumon and different sauce blends.
• Price guide: A plate is in an affordable range, and adding rice to enjoy it is a standard choice (varies by shop).
• Trip pairing: Many shops are within walking distance of the famous blossom spot Tsuyama Castle (Kakuzan Park), so you can enjoy it with cherry-blossom viewing or castle-town sightseeing.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Main area where it is served: More than 50 restaurants serve it within Tsuyama City. The ingredients, seasoning and way of grilling differ from restaurant to restaurant.
• A public facility where you can try it: The Kume no Sato roadside station (563-1 Miyao, Tsuyama City / 0868-57-7234). Horumon udon is on the menu of its Shokuyukan restaurant. The shops are open 9:30-18:00, closed on the first Monday of the month (the following day when that Monday is a public holiday) and from December 31 to January 2.
• Access: About 5 minutes from the Innosho IC on the Chugoku Expressway. About 2 minutes by bus from JR Mimasaka-Sendai Station, getting off at Michi-no-Eki Kume no Sato, right by the stop. There is parking for 46 ordinary cars.
• Enquiries: Information about the restaurants that serve it is also provided by the Tsuyama City Tourism Promotion Division (0868-32-2082).

Note: Opening hours and prices differ from restaurant to restaurant.

(Sources: Okayama Kanko WEB (official), Tsuyama Horumon Udon; the same site, Kume no Sato roadside station; the same site, Shokuyukan at the Kume no Sato roadside station)

Sources of the Information

This article is compiled from Okayama Prefecture's tourist information and from information published by the individual restaurants. Prices, menus and seasons can change, so please check each establishment's official information for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Budget guide: From around 1,000 yen per plate
• Where you can eat it: Diners, yakiniku restaurants and specialist shops in Tsuyama City
• Recommended time of day: Both midday and evening. Ideal when you want a hearty meal
• Avoiding the crowds: Popular restaurants get busy, so shift your visit to a quieter time
• Enjoy it together with: The rich taste of fresh offal, Tsuyama Castle, and Tsuyama's beef culture