ハギー
After watching a segment about Kishiwada on the previous "Tetsuwan Dash" show, I decided to visit Kishiwada on Saturday. I had heard about "Kashimin yaki," a local specialty, while researching lunch options. I remembered trying it at a shop called "Izumizuya" in the now-closed "Dotombori Gokuraku Shotengai" back in 2009. I tried to find more information about it, but surprisingly, there wasn't much available. Some sources mentioned that it originated there. I drove there but had trouble finding it. There were no coin parking lots in the area, making it difficult. I parked at a free parking lot near Namikiri Hall and continued my search on foot. I spotted the factory of "Betsumi," a kamaboko shop. The restaurant was located in a narrow alley between here and a park to the northwest. It was surprising to find it in such a small street. A sign for okonomiyaki hung in the middle of the alley, reminding me of "Yamamoto Manbo" in Kyoto. There was no line outside the shop before 1 pm. When I was a child, eating out wasn't as common as it is now, and each region had local okonomiyaki shops or dagashiya (cheap snack shops) that provided affordable and delicious food while serving as important community spaces. This area seems to be known for the Kishiwada Danjiri festival. It felt a bit awkward to intrude on the local people's gathering spot, but when I opened the sliding door, it was quiet inside. No TV or background music. There was only one empty seat, and when I mentioned that there were two of us, the staff kindly asked us to wait outside for a while. I checked if they served beer since I was with my wife, but it seemed they didn't serve any alcohol at all. After waiting for about 15 minutes, we were able to enter. The small counter was in the shape of a "ko" with long benches around it. It was packed with seven people (even though they could only accommodate six at a time). The cooking was done by a woman in her 50s, with an elderly man assisting her. They first cooked a round pancake-like dough made from flour, then topped it with cabbage, followed by a mixture of lightly stir-fried chicken and beef fat on top, sprinkled with a little more flour, flipped it over, and cooked it until the cabbage became soft from steaming. They offered three sizes: large, medium, and small, and asked if we wanted sauce or soy sauce (there was also a sign for ponzu vinegar on the wall). We chose sauce. We also ordered minced yakisoba. (At that time, they asked, "The minced meat will melt and disappear, is that okay?") They boiled the soba on the teppan (iron griddle) before cooking it. The cabbage was cut very finely into small squares, which looked cute. It was enjoyable to watch the efficient process of making the dishes right in front of us. Both the Kashimin yaki and yakisoba were simple and delicious, with a light taste. The service was very polite and pleasant. It felt like a small food stall with a teppan surrounded by a counter. Customers had to be aware of each other. That day, there was a local man, a couple who had returned home for a visit, and the two of us. The shop treated outsiders equally, with no sense of alienation. It seemed that there used to be a famous older lady running the shop. The place had more depth and character than just the food served.