In Omuta, there is a B-grade gourmet dish called Western-style Katsudon. I tried it at a restaurant in front of Omuta Station. Omuta, which prospered with coal mines, had a department store called "Matsuya" since before the war (closed in 2004). The Western-style Katsudon, beloved by the locals, was served on the 6th floor dining hall. After Matsuya closed, various versions of the Western-style Katsudon, either replicated or modified from the original recipe, can be found throughout the city. The Western-style Katsudon at this restaurant comes with soup and ice cream, priced at 970 yen. It consists of tonkatsu on rice, topped with a thick sauce. The side dishes include spaghetti, tomato, and cucumber. The tonkatsu is thin and cheap, with a starchy sauce that doesn't feel very Western but more Japanese. The rice is too sticky for a rice bowl, better suited for standalone consumption. Perhaps it's a nostalgic taste for the people of Omuta? Personally, I prefer the sauce katsudon over this. Thank you for the meal.

Kura and Uta Maro [What is Kurodaiya Curry] 2019 Curry Shop #328 451st Meal September 11, 2019 ■ Kurodaiya Curry ¥1,280. In front of what seemed to be a coffee shop near a station, a flag was raised. "Omuta specialty, World Heritage Site, Pirate Mountain Bandit Kurodaiya Curry." It appeared as a commemorative menu when the Miike Coal Mine ruins, a modern industrial heritage site, were designated as a World Heritage Site. The Pirate Mountain Bandit must surely refer to ingredients from the sea and the mountains. Kurodaiya is an analogy to coal from the Meiji era, a time of national prosperity and military strength. When you see something like this, you have to try it. I can't ignore it. Upon entering the shop, it had the atmosphere of a small traditional Japanese restaurant or an old-style snack bar that would suit enka music. When I looked at the menu, I was surprised by the high price of the curry, which seemed out of place in a town with low prices. Lunch usually costs around 500-800 yen, and curry is typically priced between 400-700 yen, but the Kurodaiya Curry was a whopping ¥1,280. Amazing! When I placed my order, the lady asked the kitchen if they could make the Kurodaiya Curry. Of course, it would be unusual. People who eat lunch at this price in this town or those who order curry are not common. It should be a menu item that is rarely ordered. A curry that costs 1280 yen in such a local town. The plate that came out was quite luxurious. The curry, which looked black at first, gradually turned green overall as I ate it, and I wondered if this was intentional. It was a delicious curry made with a good soup base. As I was leaving, I asked the lady if the black curry had a greenish hue, is it seaweed? She replied, "Oh, we ran out of charcoal, that's why (laughs)." This kind of openness is also a lovely aspect of local places. The end. #GoggleMask #KurodaiyaCurry

The old-school gourmet dish in Omuta, Western-style cutlet bowl. It seems to have been recreated from what was served at the former Omuta Matsuya dining hall. A strangely wonderful taste, but delicious. It's more like a cutlet than a cutlet bowl, I guess. It made me want to eat it again.

The Miike Coal Mine Miyanohara Pit, designated as an industrial revolution heritage site in Meiji-era Japan. To commemorate its registration as a World Cultural Heritage site, gourmet and products inspired by coal mines (black diamonds) are being introduced one after another in the Omuta-Chikugo area as part of tourism menus. This restaurant in front of Omuta Station, whether named after it or not, I did not confirm at all, but their lunch menu prominently features Black Diamond Curry. There are two types available, Bandit Curry (beef, fried chicken, pork cutlet) and Pirate Curry (shrimp, squid, scallop, mussel, clam), both priced over 1000 yen targeting tourists with a bold pricing strategy. As I arrived for a late lunch and there was only one other customer, the staff was friendly and we ended up having a chat, leading me to order this recommended curry. The color is pitch black, but the taste is just like regular curry. It was a good conversation starter for this visit as well.

Located in front of Omuta Station East Exit, this udon izakaya is adorned with works by Utamaro and Sharaku. In addition to udon, they also serve coffee and shaved ice, making it suitable for cafe use as well. I caught a cold, so my updates and visits have been delayed. On a certain day last week, I headed to Omuta Station to visit Omuta Shokudo. I hadn't used the East Exit last time I was here, but decided to check it out this time and found a new restaurant. Let's have a quick drink and then head out. It was still a bit past 5 o'clock, so the place was empty. The proprietress, who seemed to be preparing something, took a break to greet me. I sat at the counter and ordered a highball. There was a menu for "Omuta-made Mentaiko Udon" posted, but considering that I planned to have ramen later, I asked if I could just have the mentaiko, which was fine. The opening ceremony of the Omuta One-Person Non-Drinking Club has begun. The mentaiko had a fiery appearance, with a strong saltiness that seemed to encourage drinking. However, the highball was strangely weak, even though it had some carbonation. I didn't feel like I would get drunk even after drinking five glasses... It might have been a fluke, so I decided to order another one. For the next dish, I chose the "Ebi Chili (450 yen)," which didn't seem like a typical dish to order at an udon restaurant. The next refill of highball arrived. It was still weak... After a short wait, the Ebi Chili arrived. It was a simple dish stir-fried with chili sauce. It was moderately spicy, but lacked the sweetness of vegetables like green onions, giving it a monotonous impression. Two glasses of highball, mentaiko & Ebi Chili, cost around 1,600 yen. It wasn't quite as exciting as I had hoped. I have requested a correction as the kanji in the restaurant name was incorrect. It should be "Kamuro" instead of "Utamaro."

The location near Omuta Station was great. The interior of the restaurant was a bit small but clean and had a calming atmosphere. I tried the Western-style katsudon, which had a unique sauce that I had never tasted before, similar to a thickened sauce. It was delicious, but I would be happy if they could also serve it with demiglace sauce! (Sorry, I personally love demiglace sauce...) The katsu was crispy and tasty! Thank you very much! ★