I felt like having cold udon and karaage don for dinner after work. I went to a chiropractor today, so I was really hungry (lol). I thought about going to a different udon restaurant, but I wanted both rice and udon, and I wanted a calm place to eat, so I went to Nakau. It was hot and my body felt sluggish, so I wanted cold udon with a kick! Oh yeah, they had tantan udon. Karaage don is also delicious, so I ordered a small size of udon. The karaage was big and crispy with a sweet and salty sauce, so good! So, I ordered this menu! I was so full and it was delicious. Now I have to go back home and hang the laundry. I'm already sleepy (lol). The chiropractor relieved my stiffness and I'm full, but I have things to do so I'll do my best. Tantan udon is great on hot days!

The other day, I suddenly got hungry, so I had oyakodon with a raw egg at Nakau in Chitose. It was my first time going to Nakau, and I was surprised! It was so delicious even though it was cheap. I regret not going there before. Honestly, I only had bad memories of oyakodon from my childhood, so I never ordered it at restaurants. But when I saw it on the menu, I thought it might be good and decided to try it. When the oyakodon arrived and I tasted it, it was so delicious! I never knew oyakodon could be this tasty! I was so into eating it that I forgot to take a picture before I started. Well, it was so delicious! I will definitely try more items on the menu next time. ♥️♥️♥️

It took quite some time for the beef sukiyaki and fried chicken to be served, probably because the delivery service was busy. Waiting for more than 10 minutes at a fast food-like restaurant was disappointing. The eel was tender and juicy, but still, it was a bit pricey for over a thousand yen. I ordered it to boost my stamina, so I don't regret it and it was quite delicious, so I'll let it slide. I just hope they improve their slow serving time when you want to eat quickly.

I was indecisive about lunch today, and I only had an hour and a half before I had to go to the dentist. So, I decided to go to Nakau! It's fast, cheap, and delicious. They no longer have lunch set menus, so I ordered udon and a small rice bowl, which cost just under 1000 yen. The food was served quickly, and the karaage bowl was large with two big pieces of karaage, very satisfying. I ordered tantan udon, thinking it would be a small size, but it turned out to be a regular size, and I wasn't sure if I could finish it all. But I ended up eating it all (laughs). However, I later realized that I wouldn't be able to brush my teeth before going to the dentist with the tantan udon and karaage stuck in between my teeth (laughs). Oh well, it can't be helped. My stomach was full, and I headed to the dentist, even though I was nervous. I was curious about the limited-time menu, but I don't fry food at home alone, so I enjoyed the delicious karaage bowl. The Japanese-style sauce was really tasty.

I bought a meal ticket from the vending machine and waited at my seat. It was midday on a weekday, so it was not crowded. You can purchase meal tickets using cash, credit cards, QR code payments, electronic money, etc. The main dish is definitely the oyakodon, right? I ordered the oyakodon (regular size) which became a hot topic when the price was lowered during the egg price surge, along with a topping of one piece of fried chicken and miso soup. The oyakodon with its fluffy egg and delicious chicken is really tasty, and I think it's a taste that you can't achieve at home for this price. The staff were also very kind and polite. I would like to visit again. This is just my personal diary, so the evaluation and comments may not be reliable.

I went to the restaurant because I heard that their curry was delicious! The curry did have an authentic taste and was delicious. However, I found the pork cutlet curry and udon to be average. The speed of service was very fast, so I was able to enjoy my meal without waiting for a long time.

I went to Nakau for the first time in a while. It was my hospital appointment day, so I finished around 12 o'clock and was thinking about what to eat. I thought a hamburger would be nice, so I went to Denny's, but couldn't find parking so I gave up. Then I remembered that at Nakau, I could have a set meal with both udon and rice. I quickly looked at the menu outside and thought the rice and udon set looked good. I hesitated a bit - the kama-tama udon looked delicious, but what about the rice dish? The spicy cod roe rice also looked tasty, and it came with fried chicken, so I decided to go with the minced chicken rice set. It seemed like a good choice with a satisfying portion. I usually don't eat raw eggs. I don't like the slimy texture of egg whites since I became an adult. With kama-tama udon, I can just add the yolk! Eggs have been getting more expensive lately, and I don't use them much at home since my mother hardly eats them, so even if I buy a pack of 6, I can't use them all up. There were several set menu options, but it was nice that fried chicken was included. There was a separate bag of bonito flakes that added a nice aroma when sprinkled on top. The flavor of the egg and sauce was perfect, and the minced chicken rice was just the right amount. The large fried chicken was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, and it was delicious. I don't fry food at home anymore, so it was a treat. I might go back again sometime. The cost performance is good, and although the parking lot is small, it's manageable. It's been a while since I had delicious udon.

In December 2022 revisit The other day, I had the "Oyakodon" at Marugame Seimen, but it ended with a bit of a letdown as my expectations were too high. Personally, among the egg and rice bowl dishes, "Katsudon" stands out as exceptional, and I don't have many opportunities to eat "Oyakodon," so I want to redeem myself before leaving a bad impression. This reminded me of a story by the talent Ijichiin Mitsuru, who passionately recommended the "Torotama Oyakodon" from Nakau on a late-night radio show a couple of months ago. I checked the Nakau official website and learned that it is a regular Oyakodon with additional raw egg topping, and I decided to try it when the opportunity arose. I purchased the set of "Torotama Oyakodon" with "Chicken Dango Soup" and "Salad" from the ticket machine and sat at the counter. After a short wait, the dishes arrived, with the Oyakodon, a separate raw egg, soup, and salad. I had anticipated the separate egg but was a little concerned when it arrived in its shell. Now, how should I eat this egg? I decided to separate the yolk only with the included separator. After separating the yolk, I made a small dent in the middle of the Oyakodon and dropped the egg. After taking a picture, I mixed it to a torotama state and ate it. Honestly, adding just one yolk didn't make a significant difference, and maybe adding the white would have been better after all. At a price of 490 yen, is the quality of Oyakodon just not that high, or is it at that price range? One thing that caught my attention was the description on the ticket. I purchased the "Torotama Oyakodon," but the ticket said "Oyakodon (regular)" and "Special Egg," positioning it as a regular Oyakodon with an egg topping. This eliminates the feeling of ordering a specialty menu. Furthermore, since it is a raw chicken egg, there is no mistake in the description as "egg." However, when it comes to food and beverages, it would be better to use the word "tamago" for a better impression, or at the very least, "egg" rather than "tamago." ============================== ◇ 750 yen (Oyakodon 490 yen / Topping Special Egg 60 yen / Chicken Dango Soup, Salad 200 yen)

Today, my wife and I had a rare day off together, so we decided to stop by Nakau near the gas station to grab a bite to eat. When I saw the menu at the entrance, there was something called "Marinated Squid Yukke Don." I love squid almost as much as tuna, so I didn't hesitate to order the marinated squid yukke don. My wife ordered the parent and child bowl. The food arrived just 3 minutes after ordering. My wife's parent and child bowl came next. As we were chatting about how fast the food came, we realized that the free udon that was supposed to come with the meal was missing! We called the staff over, showed them the receipt, and mentioned that the udon was missing. They quickly returned with piping hot udon. It was so hot that I felt like I could burn myself just by touching the bowl. They must have forgotten to bring it out and quickly heated it up. Despite being quite hungry, I enjoyed the marinated squid yukke don, which was quite delicious. The yukke-style sauce was just the right thickness. I finished it in no time. However, the udon was disappointing, as it lacked firmness and was overly sticky. I wish they had served a better quality udon to match the delicious bowl. Thank you for the meal.

In August 2022, revisiting "Midsummer Day of the Ox" is synonymous with eel, but in our household, we always have "unadon" for dinner on Midsummer Day of the Ox, so there are hardly any opportunities to eat eel outside. Personally, I like eel but not to the extent of being a favorite, so I don't feel the need to eat it many times a year. As you may know, the so-called "Midsummer Day of the Ox" refers to the day of the Ox that coincides with the midsummer period, and this year there are two of them. The midsummer period itself lasts for 18 days, so the possibility of having two Ox Days among the twelve zodiac signs is high, averaging about 1.57 "Midsummer Day of the Ox" per year, meaning there are more two-day years. Occasionally, there are years when the second one falls within July, but usually it is after entering August, and this year, August 4th is the second Midsummer Day of the Ox, known as "Nino Ushi". Therefore, with a somewhat lengthy preamble, on the second Midsummer Day of the Ox, I decided to try eel outside. For many years now, during the eel season, even beef bowl restaurants and family restaurants offer eel menus, but I had tried "Unagi Gyudon" at Yoshinoya more than 10 years ago, and at that time, my honest impression was that the eel sauce and beef bowl didn't quite match. So this time, I avoided mixed dishes and decided to have an eel-only menu, comparing various official menus, and settled on "Nakau". I wanted to go a little more luxurious when eating eel, so I purchased the "Special Unaju" with two servings and a set of chicken soup and salad, which was a ticket-vending machine style. Recently, such family restaurants have increased, and reducing the labor and time of the staff for payment is probably a significant factor rather than infection prevention measures. Now, the unaju, to be honest, at this price, the volume and taste are both sufficient. The eel kabayaki is tender, and the sauce is just right, and the garnished kinshi tamago is a nice accent. You might feel unsatisfied with a single serving of "Unaju", but with two servings, the balance with rice is not a problem, and you can fully enjoy the unaju. If these types of restaurants serve eel at this level at this price, it must be tough for specialty shops. The chicken soup has two chicken meatballs and green onions as ingredients and is quite tasty, but honestly, I wish the bowl was a little bigger and the amount of soup was increased. As for the salad, it was different from the photo on the official website, using disposable containers, perhaps shared for takeout? In conclusion, you can definitely enjoy eel at family restaurants! Of course, it's also good to enjoy even tastier eel at specialty shops, but at this level, the general public can still experience a solid level of satisfaction. If there is a second Midsummer Day of the Ox next year, I might try it at a different restaurant... ============================== ◇ Special Unaju Chicken Soup Salad Set 1,580 yen

Today, I had a second check-up and then went for my regular examination on an empty stomach. My usual doctor was busy, so I had to wait until noon. Feeling completely hungry, I felt like eating eel, so I went to a nearby restaurant called Nakau and ordered their special eel rice bowl. Surprisingly, my order arrived in just five minutes, which seemed fast for eel. As I ate, I noticed a slight earthy smell coming from the eel. Despite that, I finished my meal. Maybe it's better to eat eel at a sushi restaurant rather than a fast-food place like this. However, it had been a while since I had eel, and it was delicious. Thank you for the meal!

I have always been a big fan of soba noodles over udon noodles when it comes to Japanese-style noodles. However, curry udon is a different story. It is one of my favorite dishes and stands out among all noodle dishes. My first encounter with something like curry udon was during my elementary school days when we had soft noodles with curry broth, which I found to be incredibly delicious. This may have been the starting point of my love for curry udon. I prefer the cheap and simple curry udon found in casual udon restaurants like Marugame Seimen, Nahamaru Udon, and Iyo Seimen over the more refined versions found in traditional udon shops. Currently, my favorite curry udon is from Nakau. The curry broth is just the right consistency, not too thick or too thin, with a good level of spiciness. The chicken in the dish complements the curry well, making it very close to my personal taste preference. If I had to nitpick, I would say that I prefer the udon noodles in curry udon to be a bit softer, probably because of my childhood memories of soft noodles. While Nakau is known for its oyakodon and haikara udon, their curry udon is also definitely worth trying.

I purchased a Katsudon bento for 590 yen at Nakau Chitose store located at 2-2-35 Kitasakae, Chitose City. It was in the evening after work, and since the nearby Katsuya was already closed, I went to Nakau instead. Due to the state of emergency, Nakau Chitose store only offered takeout after 8 pm. I have visited Nakau Chitose store a few times in the past. This is my third time featuring them on the blog. In the past, I have written about their Karaage set meal and Maguro Tekkadon. This time, I was torn between ordering Oyakodon or Katsudon at the ticket machine, but since I originally planned to have Katsudon at Katsuya, I went with Nakau's Katsudon. It cost 590 yen. I took it home and enjoyed it. The crispy coating on the pork cutlet and the egg topping, which Nakau is known for, were delicious. Thank you for the meal.

The morning after staying in Chitose City, I came to Nakau near the hotel. Since it was New Year's Day, there were no other open shops, so I was grateful that this one was open. I saw a poster for an ikura (salmon roe) bowl made with natural large grains of ikura. It felt luxurious for breakfast, but since it was New Year's Day, I decided to treat myself. They had four sizes of ikura bowl: small for 690 yen, regular for 790 yen, large for 1000 yen, and extravagant for 1800 yen. I chose the large size. They served it with locally grown Azumino wasabi, which I mixed with soy sauce. The bowl was covered with so much ikura that you couldn't even see the rice underneath. When I poured the wasabi-infused soy sauce over the ikura bowl and took a bite, the natural large grains of ikura popped in my mouth. The amount of large, evenly-sized ikura was plentiful, and the balance with the rice was perfect. I was satisfied with the meal. I had never tasted such a large amount of ikura before. Address: 2-2-35 Kitasakae, Chitose City, Hokkaido.

It's the first day back to work after the long weekend, but my body started feeling strange (although it has happened before). I decided to go to the dermatologist just in case. After the examination, they confirmed it was the same condition as before, so they prescribed some medication and assured me it would get better. Feeling relieved, I realized I was hungry (laughs). I decided to go to my recent favorite spot for lunch! Nakau Chitose Store It was my first time at the Chitose store. It wasn't too crowded, so I bought a set of udon and oyakodon from the ticket machine and took a seat. This time, I got the regular-sized udon and a small oyakodon. The food arrived in about 5 minutes. The udon was delicious! I slurped it up right away. The texture is amazing – soft and thin udon with a good chewiness. The clear and light broth is just how I like it. Now, the oyakodon. It's a must-try with its tender chicken and runny egg. The slightly sweet seasoning complements the flavors perfectly. The generous amount of sauce soaking into the rice is great. Nakau never disappoints with its tasty food! My morning started off a bit low, but this lunch really lifted my spirits. Tomorrow, I'll get back to work properly (laughs). It was delicious! Thank you for the meal!

I was looking for a delicious menu that I could take home, and I found it. It's a menu called "7 Cheese Oyakodon" with cheese added to it. While adding cheese to curry is common, adding it to a Japanese rice bowl seemed unusual at first. However, I remembered being told by the owner of a cheese factory in Kyowa town that the best way to enjoy Gorgonzola cheese is to mix it with hot rice. This experience made me confident that cheese would go well with Japanese dishes. So, my wife and I decided to try the "7 Cheese Oyakodon" and it turned out to be delicious. I tried ordering over the phone, but the restaurant didn't have a phone. I ended up ordering in person at the store. There was only one other customer when I visited, and I remembered visiting this place once before and not being impressed with their udon. The broth and noodles didn't meet my expectations. I tried to order a large and regular size portion using the touch panel ticket machine, but I couldn't add more than one item at a time. I had to call a staff member for help, and she explained the system to me. The food was served quickly, and when I opened it at home, I found the rice and ingredients separated. Mixing them together was a bit challenging. But when I took a bite, I agreed with my wife that cheese really does go well with the dish. The separation of rice and ingredients actually prevented the rice from becoming too soggy, which my wife appreciated. If you're unsure about cheese with Oyakodon, give it a try. You might be surprised by how delicious it is.

"April 2020 Revisit" Currently refraining from dining out, so this time it's takeout again. I prefer places with a drive-thru if possible, but not many restaurants have that option, so takeout inside the store is the norm unless it's crowded. This time, I decided to try the "Gyudon" (beef bowl) from "Nakau". Unlike other chains like "Sukiya" or "Yoshinoya", the rice and toppings are separated. The takeout container has two layers - the bottom foam container holds the rice, while the top plastic container holds the toppings. You have to assemble them before eating, which can be a bit tricky especially when eating in the car. "Nakau" is known for its "Oyakodon" (chicken and egg bowl), so I haven't had much opportunity to try their "Gyudon". It has a slightly different taste with ingredients like konjac, and the flavor may be a bit stronger. I might need to visit the store in person once things settle down after the pandemic to fully appreciate their dishes."

After finishing my night shift, I was craving curry so I was thinking about where to have breakfast before heading home. I considered various options like Yoshinoya, Sukiya, Nakau, East Asia Coffee House, Royal Host, and Gusto. I ended up choosing Nakau. Their curry is one of my favorites among beef bowl chain restaurants, second only to Matsuya. I ordered the curry with pork cutlet, but I think I should have gone with the regular curry next time. The curry here has generous portions of ingredients, but the pork cutlet and curry seemed to cancel out each other's flavors. I'll stick with the regular curry next time.

In recent years, Nakau has been showing an impressive improvement in their menu offerings. Compared to before, they have significantly expanded their breakfast menu as well. This time, I tried the "Morning Soba" topped with tempura and kamaboko, and the "Morning Soba and Karaage Set" which comes with rice and two pieces of karaage. However, there is one issue. As I mentioned in the title of the review, the amount of rice is quite large. I was expecting a small portion of rice since it's a set with soba, but it actually comes with the same amount of rice as their regular set meals. While some people may not mind the extra rice, for someone like me who is getting older, it's a bit too much to handle. It would be nice to have the option to add a raw egg and make tamago kake gohan, but since Nakau operates on a food ticket system, ordering additional items can be a bit of a hassle. The portion is a bit overwhelming when combined with the soba broth, so I ended up adding soy sauce to the karaage to enhance the flavor. If you're aware of this beforehand, you could either add an egg when purchasing the food ticket or opt for the "Morning Soba with Onsen Tamago Set" to enjoy tamago kake gohan. As I've mentioned in a previous review, Nakau, which belongs to the same Zensho group as Sukiya, has a somewhat challenging menu differentiation from Sukiya. It might be beneficial for them to clarify the menu offerings a bit more...

After finishing work, I had a late night meal at "Naka Tamago Chitose Store" in Kitasakae 2-chome, Chitose City, and enjoyed their marinated tuna bowl (720 yen). The bowl consisted of rice topped with seaweed and marinated tuna, sprinkled with white sesame seeds. It seems that the marinated tuna bowl has been available as a limited-time offer since August 8, 2019. I have visited Naka Tamago Chitose Store a few times in the past. This is the second time I am introducing them on my blog. The neighboring restaurant, "Katsuya Chitose Store," was introduced in a previous post. Naka Tamago Chitose Store's past post↓↓ ・Fried Chicken Set Meal (Naka Tamago Chitose Store) [2012-11-05] Cold tea was served. As for the marinated tuna bowl I tried, it was okay overall. Personally, I think the best dish at Naka Tamago is the oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl). Thank you for the meal.