Suginoko Keichan Restaurant

Suginoko specialises in keichan, chicken and cabbage cooked on a griddle, a dish found across Hida and other mountain areas of Gifu. Its version uses Ena chicken thigh with garlic-soy sauce; diners finish cooking at the table as the cabbage softens.

When sauce and juices remain, the restaurant suggests adding yakisoba. Customers often praise flavour, staff guidance and the noodle finish; some would like more vegetables or feel extras increase the bill. Ask what each set includes before adding ingredients.

Keichan has no single recipe: miso, soy, garlic and seasoning vary by household and town. Suginoko turns this everyday cooking into a hands-on meal rather than a ready-made plate. It is in Ogawa, outside the hot-spring pedestrian core. A local guide says about five minutes by car from the station; the restaurant site gives around ten minutes from the spa area. The hotplate lets diners see how the sauce and cabbage change as they cook, which helps first-time visitors understand the dish. Ask about garlic and other ingredients before ordering if you have dietary restrictions, and plan the return journey from the restaurant outside the spa centre.