Decades-Long Delight: The 40-Year Wait for Asahiya’s Extreme Croquettes

Imagine eagerly awaiting to dine at a new hotspot in town, only to find out there’s an hour-long wait. Now, multiply that anticipation and patience by thousands because there’s a place where the wait isn’t just an hour, a day, or even a year—it’s an entire generation. Welcome to Asahiya, a humble family butcher shop in Takasago City, Japan, home to the legendary Extreme Croquettes with a waitlist of over 40 years!

Yes, you read that right. Suppose you’re in your 20s and dream of savoring Asahiya’s famed deep-fried beef, potato, and cheese croquettes. In that case, you might be able to tickle your taste buds with this culinary delight by the time you’re considering retirement. This extraordinary waitlist saga began not because Asahiya wanted to create an exclusive dining experience but because their croquettes became an overnight internet sensation in the early 2000s.

The secret to their mouthwatering appeal? Kobe beef. Asahiya began selling Kobe beef croquettes online for a mere $1.80 each, a price significantly less than the meat, around $2.70. To manage costs and maintain quality, Asahiya limited production to just 200 croquettes a week, inadvertently creating a demand far exceeding supply and leading to the legendary waitlist.

For those who can’t wait four decades for a taste of Asahiya’s Extreme Croquettes, there’s a slightly less elusive option: the premier croquettes, also made with Kobe beef, boast a shorter wait time of “only” four years. While still a testament to patience, it’s a blink of an eye compared to the marathon wait for their most exclusive offering.