Last Updated on 2026-10-26 by Tsubaki
Hi! I’m Tsubaki, a Taiwan-born travel writer who’s been living in Japan for since 2016! When visiting Lake Akan in Hokkaido, there’s something I wouldn’t miss alongside the beautiful lake scenery and Ainu culture: trying traditional Ainu food! PORONNO (ポロンノ), in the Lake Akan Ainu Kotan village, is a restaurant with more than 40 years of history. Its dishes feature ingredients such as venison, salmon and mountain vegetables, offering a delicious introduction to the Ainu people’s connection with Hokkaido’s natural environment.
On this visit, I came to PORONNO with friends. Between us, we ordered the venison soup set, a venison rice bowl and Ainu herbal teas. The biggest surprise for me was tasting venison for the very first time! I was worried it might taste too gamey, but the experience was nothing like I’d imagined.
So what does traditional Ainu food actually taste like, and what should you order at PORONNO? Here’s our firsthand dining experience, along with the menu, prices at the time of our visit, opening hours and directions to help plan your trip to Lake Akan.
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PORONNO | Traditional Ainu Restaurant in Lake Akan Ainu Kotan
Located inside Lake Akan Ainu Kotan, Mingei Kissa PORONNO (民芸喫茶 ポロンノ) has been serving Ainu cuisine for more than 40 years. It’s a lovely place to discover an important part of Ainu culture through food.
Here’s a fun detail: in the Ainu language, PORONNO means something like “many” or “large.” It’s quite a grand name for such a cosy little restaurant! The menu highlights local ingredients from the Lake Akan area, including venison and salmon, as well as contemporary dishes inspired by traditional Ainu cooking.
Compared with many familiar Japanese dishes, traditional Ainu food tends to use simpler seasoning that lets the ingredients shine. If you usually eat ramen, sushi or yakiniku while travelling in Japan, this is a very different side of Hokkaido’s food culture to explore.
If you’d like to learn more about Ainu food traditions and the stories behind these dishes, I’ve also written a separate guide to traditional Ainu cuisine around Lake Akan.
PORONNO (民芸喫茶 ポロンノ)
Address: 4-7-8 Akanko Onsen, Akancho, Kushiro, Hokkaido (Google Maps)
Opening hours: 12:00–15:00 and 18:30–20:30 (irregular days off; advance booking recommended in winter)
Getting there: Around a 10-minute walk from Lake Akan Bus Center (阿寒湖バスセンター)
Reservation: Reservation website . Confirm current hours and availability before visiting.
PORONNO Menu
PORONNO’s menu at the time of our visit was divided into main dishes, side dishes and drinks, with a range of traditional Ainu specialities.
For a main meal, you could choose a traditional Ainu set meal (本格アイヌ料理の定食) or order one of the à la carte dishes.
The traditional set included your choice of Yuk Ohaw or Cep Ohaw (venison or salmon soup), Mehun (salted and fermented salmon kidney), and Amam (Ainu-style cooked rice). Other mains included a venison rice bowl (ユック丼), venison curry with Ainu-style rice (アマムカレー), and Mehun pasta (めふスパ), made with a sauce featuring salmon offal.
There were four sides on the menu: Potcheimo (ポッチェイモ, Ainu-style potato cakes), Sito (シト, traditional Ainu dumplings), Rataskep (ラタシケップ, a pumpkin-based dish), and Potche Pizza (ポッチェピザ, a more modern take on traditional potatoes). Unfortunately, Sito wasn’t available when I visited.
There were also three kinds of Ainu tea. I couldn’t reliably identify the exact ingredients from the Japanese menu, so I’ll leave the individual tea names untranslated rather than guess!
Venison Soup Set (Yuk Ohaw)
My close friend ordered the Yuk Ohaw set (ユクオハウ定食), a traditional Ainu meal centred around venison soup.
The set came with venison soup, Amam (Ainu-style cooked rice) and Mehun (salted and fermented salmon kidney), so it was a chance to try several traditional Ainu dishes in one meal.
Yuk Ohaw is one variety of Ohaw, a traditional Ainu soup made by simmering venison with other ingredients. Unlike richly seasoned Japanese soups, the emphasis here is on the natural flavours of the ingredients.
When we visited in 2021, this set cost ¥1,000.
* 1,000 JPY (≈ $6.33 USD / £4.76 GBP / €5.69 EUR)Mehun Pasta
Mehun pasta was made using a sauce based on preserved salmon kidney. It cost ¥900 when we visited in 2021.
* 900 JPY (≈ $5.70 USD / £4.28 GBP / €5.12 EUR)To someone like me who’s hesitant about organ meats, this sounds like quite an adventurous dish! But for fans of offal, it’s a rare treat. Our friend Ajiao ordered it and finished every last bite, I was impressed!
Venison Rice Bowl (Yuk Don)
As for me, I went for the venison rice bowl (ユック丼)!
Believe it or not, this was my first-ever taste of venison. Before ordering, I wondered whether it would have a strong, gamey flavour. To my surprise, PORONNO’s venison rice bowl tasted a little like a Japanese yakiniku rice bowl, without the strong gamey taste I’d expected.
On closer inspection, though, venison really is different from beef or pork. It felt leaner and firmer, with a satisfying chew. Venison is generally high in protein and relatively low in fat, too. If you’re curious about trying game meat for the first time, I think this rice bowl is a friendly introduction.
A venison rice bowl cost ¥1,000 when I visited in 2021
* 1,000 JPY (≈ $6.33 USD / £4.76 GBP / €5.69 EUR)Ainu Herbal Tea
PORONNO also serves Ainu herbal tea alongside its traditional dishes.
There were three varieties to choose from when we visited, and since there were three of us, we each ordered a different one!
The flavours reminded me of herbal tea, but with an earthy, medicinal-herb character that’s quite different from the green tea or roasted hojicha usually served in Japanese restaurants.
Each tea cost ¥350 during our 2021 visit. If you’d like to explore the food culture beyond the main dishes, trying a cup of Ainu tea is a lovely extra
* 300 JPY (≈ $1.90 USD / £1.43 GBP / €1.71 EUR)PORONNO (民芸喫茶 ポロンノ)
Address: 4-7-8 Akanko Onsen, Akancho, Kushiro, Hokkaido (Google Maps)
Opening hours: 12:00–15:00 and 18:30–20:30 (irregular days off; reservations recommended in winter)
Access: Approximately 10 minutes on foot from Lake Akan Bus Center
Reservations: Ｂooking page. Check current opening hours before visiting.
That’s my introduction to PORONNO and our Ainu food experience in Lake Akan Ainu Kotan! I hope it’s given you a few ideas about what to try on your own visit.
FAQ
Do I need a reservation for PORONNO?
PORONNO accepts reservations. I especially recommend checking opening days and making a booking in advance during winter.
What should I order at PORONNO?
To try a traditional Ainu meal, consider the Yuk Ohaw venison soup set. If venison is new to you, the venison rice bowl I tried may be a good place to start.
Does PORONNO accept credit cards?
The official Kushiro tourism listing says credit cards are not accepted. Bring some Japanese yen in cash and confirm the current payment options at the restaurant.
Can I try Ainu food without eating venison?
Yes. Depending on the day’s menu, look for salmon soup, Ainu-style rice or potato-based dishes.
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The insights shared above are based on my personal experiences and subjective perspectives. When planning your trip, please consider current weather conditions and your own travel preferences.
Please note that all English articles on this site are AI-assisted translations of the original Traditional Chinese content. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy and natural flow, occasional nuances or expressions may differ. Thank you for your understanding.
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