Barbeque. Chicken. Alert! from Way Down South in Japan
First, calling all basketball fans. Does anybody remember who used to declare cryptically “Barbeque. Chicken. Alert!” before virtually every game? I’ll give you a hint. He was one of professional basketball’s greatest players during his 19 years in the NBA. While now retired, he is still hard to miss at 216 cm. You guessed it! Shaquille Rashaun "Shaq" O'Neal, of course. Shaq literally used to look down on and refer to the centers of his opponents by declaring “That’s barbeque chicken down there,” meaning that the game is going to be an easy meal.
Although Shaq would probably have trouble keeping from constantly hitting his head on the ceiling in Japan, there is a special place nestled deep in the mountains of Oita Prefecture on the southern main island of Kyushu where he could find some of the best BBQ chicken in the country. As it is all “do it yourself” (DYI), you have to work a bit before you can eat. The extra effort is, however, definitely worth it. Plus, after working up a sweat on the grill, you can finish off your meal with a dip in the adjacent hot spring.
Shaq needs to visit one of my favorite restaurants called Tororo-an (“toe-row-row-on” = とろろ庵) at the Tororo-no-Yu Onsen (“toe-row-row-no-yoo-own-sen” = とろろ乃湯).
Tororo-an specializes in jidori ryori (地鶏料理) which means “free-range local pedigree chicken cuisine” in Japanese. The restaurant is managed by the same people who farm right next door. While there is indoor dining, it is best to sit outside to appreciate the full experience (and not become a victim of smoke inhalation). It is almost like being at a campsite. Each table has its own dug-out section to accommodate a small table-top grill. Do not, by the way, worry about rain, as there is a thatched roof over the indoor/outdoor section of the restaurant.
Most people simply order the first item on the menu called sumibiyaki teishoku (炭火焼き定食) which means the “charcoal grilled special.” After placing your order, an extremely hot bed of coals will be delivered directly to your table. It will be followed by a tray of raw chicken and a few vegetables to grill, a steaming hot bowl of miso soup, rice infused with maitake (マイタケご飯) or hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, and some pickled vegetables. You are expected to take it from there. Although you’ll need to allow plenty of time for the chicken to cook, you should be off and running within about 5 minutes. While your chicken is grilling try some of the other items on your tray. It will be difficult to resist finishing off all of the rice mixed with mushrooms. It is supposed to be eaten throughout the meal, but it just tastes too good to put down after the first bite.
The chickens come, apparently, from a nearby chicken run. Nothing goes to waste. In addition to the more mundane breast meat, you will also be served plenty of giblets including gizzards. Each piece has already been cut to make it easy to grill using chopsticks. (Word to the Wise: The trick is to use an extra set of chopsticks to transfer the raw chicken meat to the grill and flip over each piece while it is cooking. You can then eat the cooked pieces of chicken with your own set of chopsticks.)
It does not take long after the chicken is placed on the grill for the heavenly scent of barbeque chicken to waft around your table. It is now becoming more apparent why Shaq considers this to be an easy meal.
Take your time with your lunch or dinner; There is no need to rush. Tororo-an is truly a place of retreat.
At first the name Tororo-no-Yu may remind you of the anime classic Tonari-no-totoro. While the natural surroundings may be similar, the words in Japanese are different. In Japanese “tororo” means “grated yam,” “an” means “a place of retreat,” and “yu” means “hot spring.”
Almost everyone orders the charcoal grilled special which only costs 1,200 JPY (approximately US $12) no matter if it is ordered for lunch or dinner. There are, though, other things on the menu. One of the most unusual items is shika-sashi (鹿刺し) or “raw venison” which you can sample for only 650 JPY. There are also plenty of more common Japanese dishes.
While Japanese people typically choose to take a dip in the adjacent hot spring before their meal, I recommend visiting the bath afterwards. Oita Prefecture on the southwestern main island of Kyushu is known for its 3,000+ geothermal hot springs which provide the ultimate in relaxation. The Tororo-no-Yu hot spring does not disappoint. It is definitely worth the extra fee of only 400 JPY per adult. The cost for children is only 150 JPY. You can stay for as long as you want (within reason).
For the uninitiated during any visit to Japan a trip to a traditional, communal hot spring is not to be missed. They are designed for deep, long soaks. You are, moreover, expected to be quiet while bathing, so as not to bother your fellow bathers who will, most likely, be strangers.
The Tororo-no-Yu hot spring has separate baths for women and men which are interchanged on a daily basis. (Some hot springs in Japan still feature mixed bathing, although nowadays this custom is fairly rare.)
There is a changing area where you disrobe. The next step is to sit in front of the row of water faucets and scrub from head to toe. Make it a point to lather up and take your time cleaning every surface of your body. (Although they will probably not stare, the other people in the bath will, no doubt, be surreptitiously checking to ensure that you follow this correct procedure—especially concerning a liberal use of soap.) Rinse off and then gently lower yourself into the inner hot bath. It’s okay if the bath overflows like an infinity pool. Just think of how much water Shaq would displace! Don’t let your hand towel touch the water. You can park it on the edge of bath or just put it on top of your head.
The inner baths are called hinoki buro (桧風呂) which are made from Japanese cypress. The inner baths at the Tororo-no-Yu hot spring have always seemed a little hotter than most of the other hot springs in Kyushu. While I did not measure during my most recent visit, I would estimate that the temperature of the water is about 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit). Close your eyes, stretch out, and simply let your body relax. All that you should hear is the sound of the hot spring entering the bath at one end and the excess water slowly dripping over the edges.
If it gets too hot, try going outside to enter the rotenburo (露天風呂) or outer bath. (You can cover your privates to a certain extent with your hand towel.) Just remember not to let that hand towel touch the water. From the outer bath you can hear the river only a stone’s throw away and have a clear view of the mountains on either side. As the Tororo-no-Yu hot spring is pretty high up in the mountains, if there are clouds, they will appear close.
The outer bath tends to be a bit cooler. If necessary, you can also dip into the copper goemonburo (五右衛門風呂) next to the rotenburo which is automatically replenished with cold water. It’s actually quite refreshing to go in and out of the hot and cold baths. You know what I am going to say, right? Make certain that you keep that hand towel out of the cold bath, as well!
After you are finished with your bath, wring out your hand towel and dry off as much as possible before returning to the dressing room where you can dry off completely with a dry towel. Don’t go into the dressing room dripping wet and subsequently cause water to pool on the floor. Don’t be anxious. The whole process is actually fairly straight-forward.
Outside the dressing room there is an alcove where you can wait for your fellow travelers to emerge from the bath. It is well stocked with lots of books in Japanese. If you do not read Japanese, then you can at least leaf through one of the manga comic books. This space is, in fact, a mini lending library which allows any visitor to take out two books at a time and simply return them during a future visit. Everything works according to the honor system.
I am not going to lie. It’s kind of a hike to reach the Tororo-no-Yu hot spring. It is near the gorgeous Yabakei Ravine (耶馬渓). This hot spring is accessible only by car or bicycle. It is at the end of a long road that meanders through the mountains, and the immediate surrounding countryside looks like it has been lifted from the pages of a fairy tale. The road is big enough to handle only one direction of traffic at a time. Thus, on either the way in or out you may need to pull over to let another car pass going the opposite direction. Remember; There is no need to rush. Just take your time and enjoy the journey.
The address is as follows: 5927 Yabakeimachi Oaza Yamautsuri, Nakatsu, Oita 871-0421 JAPAN, TEL +81-979-55-2080, http://tororo-no-yu.sakura.ne.jp/
You can find it here on Google Maps. Try the satellite view to get a sense for just how far out there this place is!
This YouTube video will also give you a taste for what to expect:
One Final Note: At the entrance you will find an unmanned farm stand where local farmers have left some fresh produce. The prices are very reasonable and, like the lending library in the bathhouse, payment works on the honor system.
It is, naturally, highly unlikely that Shaq will ever make it to the Tororo-no-Yu hot spring. Just in case he does, he will not be disappointed. I can hear him now declaring “Barbeque. Chicken. Alert!” upon turning down that last corner to reach the Tororo-no-Yu hot spring!
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