Yamada Service Area is clean, so I always take a break here when heading to Oita. They recommend the curry bread, and they also had a new long curry bread available. I tried the 300 yen chunky curry bread. The texture of the meat is good. If you're hungry, you should try the long curry bread too. The cheese bread was also delicious. The coffee is 200 yen and they accept PayPay.

I stopped by on my way to Oita for the Rugby World Cup. I expected that buying tournament-related merchandise at the venue would take a long time, so I bought it in advance. My prediction was correct! Also, on the way back, the same merchandise was already sold out at the service area. Service areas are convenient for situations like forgetting to buy souvenirs.

I went to a bakery to try their famous curry bread with chunks of meat, but unfortunately they were sold out for the day. So, I went to the snack corner and got a gold award croquette instead. It was creamy and delicious, like eating a stew. I finished it in no time and it was a satisfying snack. Thank you for the meal!

On this day, two old men stopped by Yamada Service Area on their way to snowboarding for a day trip. The restaurants at ski resorts are always crowded and I don't really like waiting in line, so we decided to have a meal before we arrived. The food court at the service area these days has a great variety of menu options! We were hesitating between set meals and fancy dishes, but finally decided and went to buy food tickets at the vending machine, only to find that most items were marked with an "X" (>_<). It turns out that the full menu is available from 11 a.m., and until then the menu is limited. The meat soba and chicken rice were delicious! The sweetness of the meat in the meat soba was really good! The chicken rice was also tasty. The portions were generous and we were satisfied. It was great to have a meal quickly in a short time!

I visited the Yamada Service Area in Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture and stopped by the Farmer's Stand. They had a wide variety of dessert menu options. Even though I had just eaten ramen, I felt like having something light to snack on. I was tempted by the soup dumplings, but ended up buying the Gold Award Croquette for 150 yen each. It was served to me quickly. The size was normal for a croquette, but when I took a bite, the moist and flavorful mashed potato filling overwhelmed me. It was irresistible. The coating was on the thinner side. There was also a little bit of minced meat inside, making it a very satisfying croquette. I devoured it in no time. One piece was not enough for me... I wonder what the "Gold Award" in the menu name stands for? Perhaps it won an award at some event. It truly is a delicious croquette that stands out from others.

Amakusa soft serve for 400 yen. I stopped by on the way to Oita for a break. I usually don't eat soft serve when I stop by, but since customers were constantly buying it, I decided to try it. The Amakusa flavor was rich and very delicious.

The croquettes at Mexicano Dog are delicious and slightly spicy.

In Fukuoka, I used the highway to travel and stopped by the "Yamada Service Area." It was so hot that I wanted something cold, so I bought a soft serve ice cream. They had "Amaou" flavor as well, but I ended up choosing the regular milk flavor because I wanted something refreshing. It cost 300 yen. The soft serve ice cream had just the right amount of sweetness and firmness. It was perfect for a hot day. It's nice to have this kind of snack on a trip.

I went on a trip to Yabakei in Oita prefecture and made a quick stop at a service area. I was lured by the delicious smell coming from the snack corner... They were selling two types of fried chicken, salt and sauce flavored. I tried the salt one! It cost 500 yen for a cup. The crispy fried chicken with a garlic flavor was delicious. I wonder if it's only available for a limited time? They also had local vegetables for sale, so I bought some on my way back.++++++++++++++++++++++++Yamada Service Area (downhill)1427 Yamada, Asakura City, Fukuoka0946-52-31037:00-22:00++++++++++++++++++++++++

Today's stop is here. I visited the snack corner at Yamada SA on the way down, and saw some delicious-looking warabi mochi priced around 400 yen. There were several varieties available. One that caught my eye was the Blissful Caramelized Baum. Priced at 280 yen, it may seem a bit pricey for a snack, but it looks delicious. Brulee de Sanku. A difficult word indeed (°_°). Burnt Caramel Baumkuchen. It's exactly that kind of taste. It has both bitterness and sweetness, so it might be nice to enjoy it with coffee or black tea.

On the way from Fukuoka to Yufuin, I took a break at Yamada Service Area on the downhill lane. I felt like having something to eat, so I decided to go for ice cream. I wanted to try something with a local touch, so I chose the Yamada's specialty Kyoho grape soft serve (360 yen). It was made with local Kyoho grapes from Asakura-ya. The color was a light purple and it had a strong Kyoho grape flavor, very delicious. The cone was crispy and paired well with the ice cream. It was a satisfying soft serve. Overall rating 3.5, Food 3.5, Service 3.0, Value for money 3.0, Atmosphere 3.0.

During a trip to Oita in late November of the 27th year of Heisei era, I stopped by the crowded Yamada Service Area on the Oita Expressway. I was surprised by the congestion in the parking lot despite the presence of many security guards. I decided to join the line at the "Farmers Stand" takeout corner with high hopes. I purchased the limited edition "Chicken Cartilage Dumpling Tempura" (310 yen tax included) and a regular vanilla soft serve ice cream (300 yen tax included). The soft serve ice cream was enjoyable in terms of both price and taste. However, the chicken cartilage tempura was a big disappointment. I was looking forward to the texture of the cartilage, but unfortunately, the taste did not meet my expectations. The dumplings were about 3 centimeters in diameter with only a small piece of chicken cartilage mixed in. All three dumplings on the skewer were lacking in chicken cartilage flavor. It felt more like simple dumplings without the promised chicken cartilage. It was a bit disappointing to have come across dumplings with extremely little chicken cartilage.

This is a service area in Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture, with a lot of solar panels. It seems that all the electricity in the facility is covered by them. While wandering around the souvenir shop, I found the word "the only place you can buy on the highway fast..." and couldn't resist. I bought an apple pie and apple madeleine. The height of the pie is no joke. The apple's crispiness remains, making it a delicious pie. But maybe it wasn't such a big deal after all... The madeleine had a subtle taste with the presence of apples and was delicious. Personally, I think the madeleine was better than the pie. There is also a restaurant, so it might be a good place to take a break and relax.

[2014.12.25] I was looking for something to satisfy my hunger, and I found it. A bite-sized pork bun that was easy to eat. The taste was rich and the size was just right. I bought a pack of 5 mini pork buns and shared them with my mother and aunt. The staff members were friendly and had great smiles, especially at this Yamada Service Area (downhill).

I often use the Yamada Service Area for breaks. The beautifully clean toilets at this service area are really nice. When I hear about the old Yamada Service Area that was renovated, I remember eating ramen there. Since the renovation, I haven't actually gone inside the new store even once. I wonder if the taste of the ramen has changed. Recently, whenever I stop by, I always buy tempura and tea if the tempura shop is open. By the way, if the young female staff at the tempura shop is friendly and charming, then there's nothing to complain about.

On the way to Hita, we took a restroom break. The service area we stopped at was eco-friendly, with solar panels covering the grounds, giving it a futuristic feel. It was renovated on November 21st, 2012, and even had automatic doors that opened and closed based on your weight, using natural wind power to ventilate the area. They also had interesting features like a sink integrated into the urinal. On our way back to the car, we couldn't resist trying the soft serve ice cream from the Farmers Stand. We got the vanilla flavor for 300 yen, and it turned out to be surprisingly rich and delicious. When you stop by, be sure to try out the restroom and the soft serve ice cream.