Sometimes I casually stop by an old-fashioned coffee shop on my way back from work. Of course, smoking is allowed, which can be a bit tough for non-smokers who are there for a meal. On this day, I visited as my final meal before my medical check-up the next day, simply because I didn't feel like cooking (laughs). Since they didn't have a daily special, I ordered the Meat Cutlet Set for 850 yen. It's basically a regular Tonkatsu Set for 750 yen with meat sauce on top. The meat sauce is not homemade, but it was satisfying enough. However, the best dish at this shop is probably the "Yokubari Apache," which is a combination of curry spaghetti and curry rice on one plate. It was a filling meal. Thank you for the meal.

Showa era cafe in front of the station. Before heading to work in the direction of Yahata, let's have lunch in front of the station. "Shuppatsu" is a cafe facing the rotary where the Showa era atmosphere remains. For some reason, a raccoon welcomes you at the entrance. There is a manga bookshelf in the middle of the shop... and even in the Reiwa era, smoking is allowed inside the shop. It must be a valuable place for smokers. The fact that they provide hot towels is also a good Showa touch. The daily special is 600 yen. On this day, it was spinach omelet. It's simple... it's okay, but then you end up with too much rice. I wish there were some rice accompaniments... ● Shop Information: Shuppatsu 093-661-4837 2-8-11 Nishihonmachi, Yahata Higashi-ku, Kitakyushu City

After a year, I visited Kawachi En for a break with a cake set. I chose the cheesecake with strawberry sauce, just like last year. I enjoyed it with a cup of coffee. I planned to see the night view from Mt. Sasagura, but due to strong winds, transportation like buses and ropeways were not operating. There were fallen trees as well, so I was unsure what to do. I decided to relax in a cafe and have an early dinner instead. I took a short rest. There were plenty of manga to read, so it was a good way to pass the time. Bon appétit!

The restaurant is usually about 80% full at 12:30 on weekdays. They offer a popular daily lunch set for 600 yen, with unique fried dishes that are always a bit different. The salad, side dishes, and rice portion are quite generous and satisfying. While the standard set meals are a bit pricey, they have a unique flavor that is enjoyable. I have been here a few times and this is my first review.

In April 2021, I finally visited Kawachi Fuji-en and then came to have tea. I had to wait for the free shuttle bus to Mt. Sarakura for about an hour, so I ordered coffee and cake. I chose cheesecake, which came with sauce. There were manga books available, so I relaxed and enjoyed the moment. It was a nice break from the daily grind. However, I started to feel a bit hungry on the weekday, so I looked at the menu and ordered takoyaki. It took a while to come out, but it was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

Blend 400 yen, Coffee Parfait 550 yen A café in front of Yahata Station. It said smoking is okay so I stopped by to have a smoke. I ordered coffee and parfait from the lady. The coffee is labeled as Toraja coffee but it's quite weak in flavor, almost like drinking hot water. The parfait is overly sweet and lukewarm. Somehow, the image of this area has deteriorated. Today, 3/27, is the day for the Buddhist altar.

I had the daily lunch special at a cafe near Yahata Station during my lunch break. It cost 600 yen and I was quite full afterwards. The food and the atmosphere of the cafe had a retro feel, which I liked. They also had manga and magazines available, so I would like to relax there if I have the time. ^_^

Today's set meal was chicken cutlet. It came with a reliable sunny-side-up egg, making it a very filling meal ^_^

A restaurant where they make the order of customers who arrived 15 minutes later first.

I went to "Tabidachi" and felt a positive "departure" mood, so I said "I'll come back" to the large raccoon statue in front of the store and headed back home. I ordered a meat sauce pasta for 500 yen. The cost performance is also very reasonable, like in the Showa era. However, men may prefer to order set meals. And then, it's time to get on the hot plate! Sizzling hot, even the back side is sizzling, so it was slightly burnt and delicious.

Located on the left side after leaving Yahata Station in Kitakyushu, there is a place called "Tabidachi." I visited this place again, as I have developed a hobby of visiting cafes. While waiting for the bus to Ajisai Onsen at Sarakurayama 10 years ago, I stopped by this cafe. They have a wide variety of menu items displayed outside, including toast and Ogura toast, but I couldn't find a breakfast menu. Since I had breakfast in Hiroshima, I decided to just have the Ogura toast. The cafe felt surprisingly spacious compared to my previous visit. There were plenty of manga and magazines, giving it a cozy atmosphere despite the slightly cluttered feel. When I asked the owner about breakfast, she said they do offer it. Lucky me! The coffee brewed with a siphon was a light brown color and had a refreshing taste, which I liked. The cabbage-based salad had a sesame dressing and was accompanied by tomato, cucumber, and macaroni salad. The 2cm thick toast was crispy, topped with a perfectly cooked sunny-side-up egg, giving me another Laputa-style meal for the day. I made sure to take a picture this time. The breakfast set costs 500 yen and is available from 10:00 to 11:00, so I recommend visiting during that time frame. They also offer a variety of other menu items such as pasta, curry, and champon, and it gets very crowded during lunchtime.

JR Yahata Station in Kitakyushu. As soon as you get off, you can see a landscape with palm trees spreading out. It has a tropical atmosphere. But on the other side is an industrial area. It's a strange town. The specialty here is the Yahata Chanpon, a thin noodle dish. But there was another shop that caught my attention. The name of the shop is "Departure." It's a very good name for a shop. Everything has a beginning. Departures come with hope and anxiety. Just like me now. What kind of experiences are waiting for me in the future? The exterior looks like an old coffee shop you can find in any town. There are so many items on the menu that you might wonder if they can really make everything. I enter the shop. Oh, the counter is messy. But all the seats are taken by customers. It's packed at 11:30! Everyone is elderly. It feels more like an "arrival" than a "departure." In the center, there is a bookshelf with manga, newspapers, and science magazines. It's chaotic. The atmosphere is too nostalgic. I feel a bit overwhelmed. Finally, I manage to find a seat. Now, I try to focus and look at the menu. There are so many options. They have set meals and also Chanpon. I notice a "Greedy Apache" dish, which is a large serving of pork cutlet curry and spaghetti. Readers might urge me to try it, but wait. It's too much for me. I'm feeling lost and my head is spinning. I decide to go for the "Chef's Special" set meal for 600 yen. I ask, "Excuse me, what is the Chef's Special today?" and the response is, "Pork cutlet, fish cake tempura, and... leave it to me!" I feel uncertain, but I decide to go for it. It takes 10 minutes to secure a seat and 30 minutes from ordering to the meal being served. I had time to spare, which was good. I was worried about whether they would let me stay for too long, but it turned out they took quite a while to prepare the food, so I could pass the time. While waiting, I see grandchildren coming to pick up their grandfathers. At the table in the back, grandmothers are talking about their grandchildren. In the leisurely atmosphere, the set meal arrives! It has a fantastic portion size. The pork cutlet is lightly fried but crispy, and goes well with the rich sauce typical of Fukuoka. It's incredibly delicious! The fish cake tempura also has a different texture compared to Tokyo. It has a firm and tasty texture. The additional dish turned out to be simmered pumpkin. It tastes like home cooking. It was a very satisfying set meal. By the time I finished eating, it was past noon, and salarymen started coming in. Some of the elderly customers left. I paid the bill and left the shop. It was a really nice atmosphere in the shop. I didn't want to come in at the last minute, but I would like to visit again. I also noticed the "Keys to Longevity" posted in the restroom, showing that it's a place for the elderly to relax. I was wondering why this shop was named "Departure," but later I thought, "Oh, it's the departure to heaven!" and strangely, I felt satisfied. I won't write any more, as I might end up back in the draft. ===========

On a Sunday afternoon, I made a stop here and tried the special champon set. Unlike the champon at the soba restaurant which comes with chicken cutlet, this one had plenty of pork and vegetables. The light soup was quite filling, and the noodles were thin, giving it a pasta-like texture. The set came with onigiri, a drink, and pickles. The rice in the onigiri was warm. Since it was a Sunday afternoon, there were a few locals around. The owner was running the shop alone, so it took some time, but I didn't mind and relaxed by reading manga in the middle of the shop.

If you exit at Yahata Station and go left, you'll find a coffee shop with a fitting name right away. I entered around noon and ordered the daily special set meal (fried chicken) and a hot coffee later. When I entered, they provided a hot towel service. Instead of disposable paper napkins, they provided cloth towels! The shop has a counter and table seating, with additional table seating in the back. There are plenty of manga, magazines, and newspapers in the center. It's a traditional coffee shop. I pondered if it was a coffee shop where people watch those leaving Yahata as they embark on their journey while waiting for the train. The shop was crowded, so I refrained from taking photos of the menu posted inside. The set meal with chicken wings was served. It came with a side dish, salad, and was quite filling! I was happy to see simmered hijiki on the menu. The fried chicken was freshly fried and served promptly. They must have a well-organized system being located in front of the station. It seemed that mainly office workers or people working in the area were dining there on a weekday afternoon. Some people seemed to be passing the time waiting for the train, and when they asked if there were quick menu options, the staff kindly recommended the daily special set meal. They are very accommodating. Apparently, they don't have designated days off. They are open even on holidays like Golden Week and Sundays. It's a must-visit place in Yahata, even if you have to make a stop on your journey.

I actually wanted to use the title "The Departure Song of Mr. Children" or "Marina del Ray's Fighting Spirit Towards Tomorrow" for this review, but when I searched for the title, this song came up so I decided to use it instead. It seems to be a famous song that won the grand prize at the "World Song Festival" hosted by Yamaha. The menu at the restaurant was so extensive that I couldn't figure out what kind of place it was at first. The atmosphere felt like a cafe, but with the entrance having a tanuki statue, I was a bit confused. I visited the restaurant while looking for the location of a meetup. I hadn't eaten lunch that day, but I had just eaten a Hoikoro set meal at a restaurant called "Gohanbar" before heading to this place. The restaurant was an old-style cafe where smoking was allowed, and there were many menus posted on the walls. I ordered the recommended pork and ginger stir-fry set meal for ¥700. There were many manga available, so I picked up five books to read. There were three customers in the restaurant, one was having the set meal at the counter, and another was having coffee and a sandwich at a table. I enjoyed the stir-fry, but I found the meat tofu side dish to be even more delicious. I also visited the restaurant on the day of the meetup and ordered a Viennese coffee for ¥450. I spent about 20 minutes there just enjoying my coffee. The coffee had whipped cream on top, which reminded me of when I used to think Viennese coffee had actual sausages in it when I was a child. The restaurant seemed to have a characteristic of locals bringing in vegetables they had grown themselves and sharing them with the staff. There are many interesting restaurants near the station, and I found three more that I want to visit in the future. After visiting this restaurant, I went past the station and headed to the meetup location.

Lunch at the cafe and dining "Tabidachi" near JR Yahata Station. The atmosphere is old-fashioned, even from the outside. The entrance is filled with many menu displays. Inside, there is a counter and about four tables. There is also a small secret room in the back left, with one table. It's dimly lit, which might be a bit depressing, but it could be good for secret information exchanges (laughs). There is a bookshelf in the center, piled high with manga and magazines. There is a TV as well. Overall, it's quite messy. There is a lady who seems like the owner of the shop. I sat at a table in the back and ordered the "Yokubari Apache" (850 yen) that caught my eye. For an additional 100 yen, it came with a salad and coffee. When you hear Apache, you think of the Native American tribe or the attack helicopter. It gives off a wild impression. I expected it to be curry -> India -> American Indian -> Apache. By the way, not all the dishes have interesting names like this. After a while, it arrived. On a rectangular plate, there was pork cutlet curry on the right and curry spaghetti on the left. It was quite a generous portion. The curry had a slightly bitter adult taste but was simple. It wasn't very spicy. It had a thick consistency. The pork cutlet was thick and well-cooked, but since most of it was covered in curry, you could only taste the crispy coating in a small part. It's a bit of a waste... The spaghetti was just ordinary. It seemed to be tossed with margarine or something after boiling, without mixing with the curry. It had a nostalgic flavor but didn't quite suit my taste. The salad, despite being roughly arranged, had crunchy vegetables and a delicious homemade dressing(?). It was a large portion, so I got a bit tired of the curry flavor towards the end, but when I drank the iced coffee that came out, the bitterness, acidity, and refreshing taste made it enjoyable again. It's a cafe, so the coffee is good! In the second half, I added milk and syrup. By the way, the coffee is made by the master. I initially thought it was just the lady owner. But later, a grumpy-looking man in a T-shirt came in and stood near the counter without doing anything. When the customers left, he didn't say anything, so I thought he might be a regular from the neighborhood. But after a while, he started cleaning the tables. Furthermore, he started making coffee at the counter. He had a tough look and smoked. If only he wore an apron, he could pull off the tough master look. In contrast, the lady owner had a gentle customer service. Phew, I'm full. Thank you for the meal. I left the restaurant and headed to JR Yahata Station. This was the real deal for the day. Working on a holiday...

This is a café located in front of Yahata Station. They are open quite late, so I often stop by for dinner after work. It has a somewhat retro exterior, right in front of "Yahata Chanpon". Inside, there are counter seats and tables. The friendly owner manages the place alone, and it's always bustling with regulars from the neighborhood and train passengers. The menu offers a variety of dishes such as spaghetti, set meals, rice bowls, and noodles. The spaghetti tastes like the nostalgic school lunches, which is comforting. The coffee served after the meal has a unique flavor that is different from high-end cafes. I would like to visit again in the future.

I have been quite out of touch with this place as well. It's a cafe located right near JR Yahata Station. I used to have champon or karaage set meals here before. It's been about 4 and a half to 5 years since I last visited. It was around the end of lunchtime on a Sunday. The customers in the cafe were relaxing leisurely. I decided to try the "Apache" that had caught my attention for a while. The unique handwritten menu stands out. I wonder if the mother is running the place alone? It's quite laid back. Be prepared to wait as it takes some time. The Apache dish includes curry rice, tonkatsu, and spaghetti. I didn't ask why it's called Apache. It's quite hearty. The curry is slightly spicy. It's not too hot, at least that's how I feel as someone with low spice tolerance. I managed with the rice and spaghetti. Then I leisurely sip on my coffee. It seems like a lot of locals frequent this place. Even elderly customers come in lively. It must be a beloved cafe for the community.