"I cannot leave without trying the 'Dry Type' of the two major factions of 'Miyazu Curry Yakisoba', the 'Wet Type' and the 'Dry Type'. So, I visited the renowned old-fashioned okonomiyaki restaurant 'Daisen'. The genre of restaurants in Miyazu that offer 'Curry Yakisoba' seems to vary, including Japanese restaurants, Western restaurants, and cafes, but this one is an okonomiyaki restaurant. Naturally, it is made on a hot plate, so it must be the 'Dry Type'. The restaurant stands as if blending into the old-fashioned street. Nearby, there are also old ryokans, and the atmosphere of the once prosperous port town is still present, which is really nice. The door seems a bit intimidating for first-timers, but once you enter, the interior has a nostalgic Showa-era charm. It seems like an elderly lady is running the place by herself. There are two local customers and occasional conversations with the landlady, creating a relaxed atmosphere. I sit at the small counter adjacent to the hot plate and order the 'Curry Yakisoba'. 'Alright, Curry Soba,' ah, here it is called 'Curry Soba'. The cooking process seems to be the same as regular yakisoba. The sauce used is the 'Papaya Sauce' curry sauce from Kyoto. Here at 'Daisen', all sauces used for okonomiyaki are also 'Papaya Sauce'. The dish is ready. It looks like a very ordinary 'yakisoba'. However, when you taste it, it is indeed curry-flavored. When people hear 'Curry Yakisoba', most ordinary folks, including myself, would probably imagine this visual. This is the 'Dry Type Yakisoba' of Miyazu. It is different from the 'Wet Type' in Miyazu and the 'Curry Yakisoba' from the Aizu region, presenting the most easily imaginable visual for those unfamiliar. I ask, 'Can I take a photo?' and the landlady adds more pickled ginger for a better presentation. Thank you, landlady. The taste is as expected, but the more you eat, the more nostalgic and comforting it becomes. The subtly spiced gentle flavor goes well with beer. It feels like it can calm you from the bottom of your heart. The atmosphere here is really nice, isn't it? It's an old-fashioned restaurant, but that's what makes it so great. As the evening darkens a bit, enjoying shochu on the rocks, along with dishes like 'Grilled Squid with Salt' and 'Tonpei-yaki' from the hot plate menu, would be even better. Lastly, enjoying the coffee served as a service among the local regular customers, I gradually start chatting with the landlady. 'Well, the 'restaurant', the 'hot plate', and 'myself' are all falling apart, so I'll be closing the shop soon,' she says jokingly yet seriously, giving me a little thrill. When I said, 'I will definitely come back,' she responded with the best smile. It takes over 2 hours to transfer at Kyoto Station and then take the limited express train. It's not a convenient location, but that's why I want to visit this place again someday."

In Miyazu City, Kyoto, curry yakisoba has been enjoyed for a long time. The origin of Miyazu curry yakisoba is said to be a Chinese restaurant called "Heiwa-ken," which closed around 1990, but many shops in the city still offer it. One of those is Daizen, a okonomiyaki restaurant. Miyazu curry yakisoba is divided into two types: dry and wet, and Daizen is known for the dry type. I visited about a year ago, in late May of last year, on a weekday. The shop was located in a corner of an area that used to be a red-light district. The aged appearance of the shop gives off a rustic atmosphere. Upon entering, a lovely female owner greeted me. It was just after opening, and there was one regular customer, an elderly lady, sitting in front of the main teppan grill. There were several other teppan grills, but I couldn't see them all, so I couldn't quite grasp the layout of the entire seating area. I sat in a seat next to the elderly lady. The menu included okonomiyaki and yakisoba, typical of an old-fashioned konamon shop. In this shop, the curry soba (600 yen) corresponds to curry yakisoba. "What would you like?" "I'd like to have curry yakisoba." "Ah, okay." Perhaps she's gotten used to an increasing number of similar visitors due to the town's revitalization efforts. She went into the kitchen to prepare the ingredients. The elderly lady seemed to be having modanyaki. Next to her, the yakisoba cooking began. First, the meat, then the cabbage, bean sprouts, and noodles. Seasoned with salt, pepper, sauce, and curry powder, stir-fried and ready to eat. Of course, I ate it directly from the teppan grill. The noodles were medium-thick with a firm texture. It seemed like they used steamed noodles boiled in water. The ingredients were cabbage, bean sprouts, and pork. The cabbage was crunchy with a satisfying texture. The seasoning was as mentioned before, a combination of sauce and curry flavor. The sweet sauce with a hint of curry powder added a nice spiciness that was unexpected. It was delicious and made me crave a beer. I chatted with the regular customer and the owner, who spoke in a soft and elegant Miyazu dialect, similar to Kyoto dialect. To top it off, they even brewed coffee for me after the meal, leaving me with an even better impression. "Please come again, take care." I look forward to coming back for some curry yakisoba and beer next time.