When driving, you sometimes see unique restaurants that require a bit of courage to enter, commonly known as "Kusetsuyo Shokudo" (restaurants with strong personalities). Unlike chain stores or popular restaurants with long lines, these places are full of "too unique charms."

This time, we visited "Yaoyu" in Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture.

Almost all customers order it! The 80-year-old famous "Negiyaki"

"Yaoyu" is an 80-year-old Kusetsuyo Shokudo located along the old Tokaido highway, where the "Kuwana-juku" post town once stood. The "Yaoyu Negiyaki," which has been consistently popular for 80 years since its establishment, is a signature dish ordered by almost all customers.

Roughly chopped green onions are generously placed on the batter, sprinkled with red ginger and tempura bits, soaked in soy sauce, and then grilled until browned, making it ready to eat.

(Customer)
"The green onions are cut quite large. Because they are cut large, they are crunchy and delicious."

Another popular menu item, almost as popular as the "Yaoyu Negiyaki," is the fluffy "Tamagoyaki" (omelet) grilled on a hot griddle.

(Customer)
"Just the egg and a little soy sauce is good."

Customers who took a bite showed smiles, very satisfied with the taste.

Only one griddle! The reason why a one-hour wait is common

Eri Suzuki (61), the owner, is the one who cooks these popular dishes alone on the griddle.

(Owner Eri Suzuki)
"I do strength training as a hobby! If I have a 30-minute break, I go to the gym!"

The first "Kusetsuyo point" is the powerful owner whose hobby is "daily strength training."
In fact, this restaurant has only one small griddle. Therefore, Eri cooks all grilled menu items by herself.

The second "Kusetsuyo point" is that only customers who can wait patiently come.

Even if all 16 seats in the restaurant are filled, there is only one griddle. Since all cooking must be done on a single small griddle, regular customers avoid griddle dishes that would burden Eri and start with oden. After about an hour, they finally order okonomiyaki.

The third "Kusetsuyo point" is that it's good manners for regulars to order when they see Eri has a free moment.

"A shop thought to never revive" The third generation decides to take over the noren

Furthermore, seasoned regulars who come three times a week have a different way of spending their waiting time. While waiting for okonomiyaki, a regular named Su-san, who loves DIY, made a "noren hanger" with an attachment to hang the shop's noren (curtain).

The fourth "Kusetsuyo point" is that regulars even do maintenance for the shop, such as installing parking guidance signs, using their waiting time.

(Owner Eri Suzuki)
"(Su-san, the regular who does DIY) comes about three times a week. He came yesterday, and he's coming today too!"

We asked why they insist on only one small griddle despite being so busy.

(Owner Eri Suzuki)
"I started working here three years ago. The shop was thought to never revive."

"Yaoyu" was started 80 years ago by Eri's grandmother. The second generation, Suzuko, Eri's aunt, stood at the shop as its famous old lady until she was 91.

For three years after Suzuko left the shop until her passing, "Yaoyu" was closed, but then Eri took over the noren and revived the shop.

Reviving the "Negiyaki" without a recipe, relying only on memory!

When Su-san, a regular customer since the previous generation and a DIY enthusiast, heard that Eri decided to revive "Yaoyu" despite having zero cooking experience, he said...

(Su-san)
"I wondered what this person was saying. I thought she was joking. But she was quite serious."

Since 80 years ago, "Yaoyu" has cooked on only one small griddle, so the recipe only existed in the minds of the grandmother and the second-generation Suzuko. If they couldn't revive the signature dish, "Yaoyu Negiyaki," they couldn't face the regulars.

(Owner Eri Suzuki)
"Yaoyu is a shop with strong fans. The regulars know everything. I can't change the taste."

Her sister, Hiromi, who helps out in the hall on weekends, was instrumental in the revival. Relying on memory and trial and error, they revived the "Yaoyu Negiyaki." By keeping the small okonomiyaki shop with one griddle, which has continued since her grandmother's generation, exactly as it was, Eri brought back the old regulars who had frequented the shop for many years.

As a next step, Eri, who took over three years ago, devised new menu items: "Beef Tendon Yakisoba" with a fragrant soy sauce aroma, and "Kuwana-yaki" with an excellent combination of soy sauce tare and scallops.

(Owner Eri Suzuki)
"(Q: Don't you use Kuwana's famous clams?) I tried it, but it was bad! Not bad, but... not good enough to sell. Preparation is difficult."

With new menu items added, a new customer base has expanded, and "Yaoyu" is full again today.

From CBC TV "Chant!" broadcast on March 26, 2026