Sometimes I pass by this area for work. I was curious, so I decided to go in. It was a Saturday afternoon and the place was quite crowded with people related to construction work. A regular customer arrived and ordered his usual: a bottle of beer and oyakodon. This time, I ordered a set of oyakodon and zaru soba. The restaurant has quite a few stoves, and the owner was busy preparing the donburi and hot soba. The owner's wife was ready to serve at any time. The soba noodles were dark in color and the oyakodon was simple but hearty. The noodles were firm and the flavor was strong. The soba dipping sauce was sweet and savory. The portion size was a bit small, but the donburi had a nice sweetness to it. The atmosphere inside the restaurant was cozy, with some raised seating areas where customers shared tables. It's not a very large place, but the simple and nostalgic flavors made for an enjoyable meal.

A spaghetti restaurant has recently become so crowded that they have started a waiting list. I found a nearby place called "Inaka-ya" in Dazaifu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. It's a udon and soba restaurant, but they also have various rice bowl dishes. I ordered the Katsu Don for 670 yen. The katsu was a bit small, but they fry it after you order, so it's fresh. The portion was surprisingly generous and the donburi sauce was slightly sweet, which I liked. The katsu was slightly overcooked, but it was still tasty. The miso soup that came with it was delicious, probably made from udon broth. I later found out that their udon is really good. I finished my meal and it was delicious. Thank you.

A shop near Inaka Yado Tofuro-mae Station, which has been around since old times. It was my first visit even though it's in the neighborhood. You can park in front of the shop, but be careful not to protrude onto the sidewalk. Inside the shop, there are counter seats and table seats. I ordered the Niku Udon for 520 yen (tax included) and the Gobo Tempura Udon for 470 yen (tax included). The broth had a strong bonito flavor with a slight acidity. Personally, I don't mind the sour taste, so I enjoyed the rich broth. The meat had a good chewy texture. The rice bowls are also popular, so I would like to try the rice bowl set next time. Thank you for the meal.

I visited during the day on a weekday and was in the mood for udon. I searched around and found several options, but most of them were chain restaurants. I decided to go to a small, cozy place a bit further away from the main area. There were about 3 parking spaces in front of the restaurant, and inside, there were 5 counter seats and 2 table seats. Since it was past lunchtime, there were no other customers, which made me a bit nervous. The menu had a wide variety of options, from udon to rice bowls to set meals. I ended up ordering the beef udon set for 850 yen, which caught my eye. An elderly couple, who seemed to be in their 70s, started preparing the dish with a lot of chatter, and it arrived in less than 5 minutes. The beef bowl was served in a slightly small bowl with a raw egg yolk in the center. The portion was just right, and the udon, despite looking darker than expected, was actually quite tasty. The broth was made with a combination of bonito flakes, kombu, and mackerel flakes. Overall, it was a delicious meal, although I personally prefer the broth to be a bit lighter.

Visited the restaurant around 11:20 am on a regular day, with memories of delicious zaru soba from about 10 years ago. The parking in front of the restaurant can accommodate 3 cars, maybe 4 if they are small. The owner, in their 70s, was alone with no other customers. I ordered the parent and child bowl with zaru soba set for 880 yen. The kitchen had a large stove capable of cooking 6 parent and child bowls at once, indicating that bowls are the main dish here. The zaru soba was visually appealing with a good texture and decent flavor, but lacked enough coldness. The sauce was well done. The parent and child bowl had 5 pieces of chicken thigh meat with a good balance of onions, cooked in a delicious broth. Three more customers arrived later, all locals who seemed to be regulars. The restaurant had a small and clean interior with 2 four-person tables and around 5 counter seats. Overall, compared to 10 years ago, I might have become more discerning with food or there are more delicious options now, but I still hope places like this one continue to thrive. The clientele seemed to be mostly older individuals. The set was on the smaller side, leaving me about 70% full, but as an old man with a big appetite, I could still appreciate it. If asked if I would return, I would say it's worth another visit.

I was drawn in by a sign saying "Homemade" and decided to enter the restaurant. It was just before 3 PM, so I was prepared for the possibility of items being sold out. As expected, the udon was sold out. This time, I ordered the meat soba and inari. I thought they were going to make a bowl by putting dashi soup, meat, and onions in a bowl pot and heating it up, but they actually started cooking the meat for the meat soba on the spot, which I found impressive as they don't do pre-made dishes. However, I wish they would remove the scum from the meat. The soba had a lot of binder, so it didn't have the typical soba texture, but it had a color close to Izumo soba. The dashi soup had a pretty good taste. The inari was made to order (whether it was by chance or not, I'm not sure) and was served warm. Personally, I would have liked a bit more vinegar flavor in the inari.

This is a pick-up at Fukuoka Airport. But before that, let's have lunch. There was a restaurant I had in mind near Nishitetsu Tobu-ryo Station, but it was full. Even after 1 pm, I had to give up on its popularity. So, I found a conspicuous flag nearby at "Inaka-ya" (Countryside House). True to its name, it has a retro atmosphere. It's a dining room with a Showa-era vibe. There are parking spaces for about 2 cars in front of the store. (Can you squeeze in 3 cars?) It's full of the atmosphere of a local favorite. (laughs) I went in with another person. Inside the store, there are 4 counter seats and 2 tables for 4 people each. It's a small layout. There was only one other group of customers, so we were allowed to use the raised seating area. Right next to us was a TV. The volume was kept low so as not to be too noisy, and the background music was enka (Japanese ballads). It's a typical selection for this kind of restaurant. We ordered the "Nabe-yaki Udon (650 yen, tax included)" and the other person ordered the "Miso Nitsuke Udon (670 yen)". Due to the stove, they came out one after the other. The ingredients included fish cakes, konjac noodles, burdock tempura, onion, chicken, egg, carrot, green onion, and surprisingly cabbage. It's quite a luxurious lineup for the price. Let's try it. Wow! The broth is delicious. (￣▽￣) Despite using all these ingredients, the taste is not muddled, but rather elegant and flavorful. It seems better to enjoy it as it is without adding any extra spice. Each ingredient pairs perfectly with the broth, bringing out their individual flavors. (*^^*)I was going to give it a high rating, but unfortunately, the cabbage was a big letdown! The core of the cabbage had a metallic or rather, that distinctive cabbage smell that is off-putting, bringing the overall experience down. Σ(×_×;)It seems they used cabbage as a substitute for Chinese cabbage due to the high prices, but it would have been better without it. (￣ー￣)The soft udon noodles also match well with this nabe-yaki, overall it's really well done, but I can't help but feel disappointed by the cabbage. (>_<)It ended up being a bittersweet nabe-yaki. Thank you for the meal.