On this day, I wanted to eat something healthy as I was recovering from an illness, so I decided to go with a meal centered around black beans. It took about 15 minutes for the meal to arrive, and it was quite substantial. The dishes included a black bean dish from Kyoto Tanba, and even the dessert featured black beans. The natural sweetness of the black beans complemented each dish well. It was quite delicious. On weekends, the restaurant gets busy quickly after opening, so by around 11:30 am, it's almost full. If possible, it's best to arrive right when they open to secure a more relaxed dining experience.

On the way back from Kamimachi, we decided to have dinner around 5:00 pm at a restaurant at Michi-no-Eki Ajimu-no-Sato. Since it was an early hour, the place was not crowded. Since we were in Kyoto Tanba, we decided to order a black bean special. We had black bean rice, black bean omelette, black bean tofu, black bean salad with Sawara fish, black bean miso soup, black bean chawanmushi, black bean pudding, and roast beef with plum sauce. The black beans were sweet and flavorful, it was delicious! We enjoyed the meal so much that we bought some black beans at the roadside station on our way back (laughs).

I think it was a black bowl, around 1100 yen. The main topping was a large mushroom tempura with a blackish sauce. It comes with a hot spring egg which you can put on top and eat. It's delicious, but having mushrooms as the main topping feels a bit lonely. I like mushrooms, but the chicken was too thin. The soup was miso soup.

I visited the Bonchi restaurant in the Satoyume no Sato area. The restaurant had few customers, as the Danba Daishokudo restaurant on the opposite side seemed to be more popular with its unique seating. Bonchi's prices are a bit high, and the portion sizes are not very large, but it seems to cater to those who want to enjoy the taste of local ingredients. Today, I ordered the Matsukado Bento for 1480 yen, which changes daily. The bento had a generous amount of side dishes and was quite luxurious. The tempura, seasoned with salt, highlighted the natural sweetness of the vegetables and was delicious. The shimeji mushrooms and moroheiya were outstanding. The signature dish, fried chicken, was also very tasty, with the sweet and spicy sauce complementing it perfectly. The miso soup, made with Danba black beans, was also delicious. As a vegetable lover, I found this menu to be a hit. Although the prices are a bit high, it's recommended for those who want to indulge in a luxurious meal once in a while.

I woke up thinking about the Tonkatsu of Tanba Highland Pork, so I decided to visit the restaurant called "Mushamusha". The restaurant is located inside the Michi-no-Eki "Ajimu no Sato" and has implemented social distancing measures with tables spaced far apart. I ordered the Tanba Highland Pork Loin Cutlet set meal (with salad, squid and fish, hijiki seaweed, black bean pork miso soup, tonkatsu, and black bean pudding for ¥1500), while my wife ordered the Tanba Black Chicken Karaage assortment for ¥1680. The salad, squid and fish, and hijiki seaweed were average. The pork miso soup was satisfying with plenty of ingredients and just the right amount of miso. The tonkatsu was thick and had a good chew, but it was fried too much, resulting in a dark brown color and slightly tough meat. The black bean pudding was unnecessary. I managed to take a piece of karaage from my wife and found it to be average. Overall, the view of the green scenery from the window added value to the dining experience.

On the way back from a day trip from Maizuru, we decided to stop by "Michi-no-Eki Kyoto Tamba Ajimu-no-Sato" for dinner before heading home. The Kyoto Jukan Expressway is not a route we usually take, so it felt refreshing to travel on it. We chose to eat at the "Tamba Satoyama Restaurant Bonchi" located there. I couldn't help but wonder why they named it Bonchi - it made me think of a Japanese comedian, but I guess others might not see it that way. Anyway, back to the main point. The specialty of Bonchi is using Tamba-grown black beans and local ingredients in their dishes. Looking at the menu, they offer dishes like tonkatsu and croquettes made with Tamba Highland pork, as well as Karaage made with Tamba black chicken. I ordered the "Matsukadobento (1480 yen)" and my companion ordered the "Black Bean Special (1380 yen)." Since the food is also available to eat outside, we took our dishes to a table outside. The interior of the restaurant had a stylish and cozy feel with lots of wood and glass, but my companion prefers eating outside. Now, let's dig in... Hmm, this is quite delicious. The bento box includes three kinds of tempura - shrimp, shiitake mushroom, and green pepper, along with black chicken Karaage, steamed black chicken, a savory chawanmushi with plum and bonito flavor, black bean miso and pork soup made with Tamba Highland pork. And of course, Tamba-grown Koshihikari rice... truly a local feast. It's bound to be tasty with all these local ingredients. My companion's "Black Bean Special" includes dishes like black bean rolled omelet, black bean tofu, grilled mackerel, roast beef, black bean chawanmushi, the same black bean miso and pork soup as mine, black bean rice, and black bean pudding - quite a variety. Even though mine was 100 yen more expensive, my companion's meal looked more impressive. After the meal, we enjoyed black bean tea while gazing at the scenery. It was nice to have self-serve black bean tea available. Thank you for the meal~.

We had dinner at "Bonchi", a restaurant located at the "Michi-no-Eki Kyoto Tango Mimitsu no Sato" along the Kyoto Jukan Road. The interior of the restaurant is cozy and they offer a variety of self-service teas, including black soybean tea. We chose to dine on the terrace. We ordered the "Matsukado Bento" (1,480 yen) which includes rice made with Tango rice, tempura, black soybeans, and pork miso soup. We also tried the "Black Soybean Set" (1,380 yen) which consisted of black soybean rice, black soybean chawanmushi, and black soybean pickles. Each dish was prepared with care and love, and the quality was exceptional. The Michi-no-Eki is very popular and offers various attractions such as BBQ reservations and a dog run.

When it comes to the Chukan-do highway, I always get excited to stop by this roadside station restaurant for some crab! There are no big restaurants along the Chukan-do, so I always end up here. The restaurant offers black bean dishes and black bean tea! Last time, I had a meal with black beans, so this time I tried the Tanba tempura bowl. It didn't have fried chicken, so it was healthy. The vegetables and Tanba Daikoku shimeji mushrooms were tempura-style! The seating is spacious, so you can enjoy your meal without worrying about the surroundings. A perfect stop for lunch! Thank you for the delicious meal ♡

At this service area that was approaching noon, I decided to have a meal. I wanted to try local food, so I wandered around and found this place next to the food corner. The entrance is small, but the inside of the restaurant is spacious, and I was surprised by the view of the mountains in the distance. The tables are spaced out nicely. A friendly lady guided me to my seat. True to its name, the menu is filled with dishes made from mountain ingredients. There are various options like pork, chicken, tofu, but I was in the mood for tempura, so I ordered the "Black Donburi". It is made with black beans, black shimeji mushrooms, black chicken, and other ingredients with the word "black" in their name, resulting in a unique black appearance. The bowl also comes with a hot spring egg that you crack and place on top yourself. Mixing it all together creates a smooth and delicious flavor. The sauce is lightly drizzled, perhaps to let the ingredients' flavors shine through. It's like a light tempura bowl, but it is definitely tasty. Water and tea are self-service, and they also offer "Black Soybean Tea" which has a comforting aroma. It was the perfect way to end the meal. Thank you for the delicious food! It was truly enjoyable!! When in the mountains, you have to try the local mountain food.

Saturday 11:50 am visit. The restaurant was full, but I managed to get a seat after a 10-minute wait. I ordered the affordable taco rice for 930 yen. The restaurant is located on a small hill at a roadside station along the Kyoto Jukan Road. It also has a local produce store that attracts a lot of customers. The Danba Daishokudo restaurant was crowded with people trying to find seats. The menu mostly has items over 1,000 yen, but the taco rice was a good deal. It was served in about 10 minutes and looked delicious with a beautiful presentation. The salsa sauce had a nice balance of sourness and spiciness, and the portion of rice was generous. I will definitely come back for a drive and another meal. Thank you for the delicious food!

When it comes to Tanba, is it black beans that first come to mind? With ingredients like hon-shimeji mushrooms and Kyoto vegetables, it may sound a bit rude to say, but I have a rich image of Kyoto's food. On my way back to Osaka, I stopped at this service area and tried the Kyoto Tanba black rice bowl. It includes salted black beans tempura, large black hon-shimeji mushrooms, Tanba black chicken, black Tanba eggs, black bean miso sauce, black bean miso pork soup, and pickles. This bowl allowed me to fully enjoy Kyoto. It was my first time having such an elegant rice bowl, and it was delicious. It's a self-service area, but they also offer black bean tea, which is fragrant and tasty.

I often use the restaurant at PA Ajimu no Sato. This time, I tried the neighboring Tanba Daishokudo for the first time. They use specialty products from Tanba in their menu, and the prices are higher compared to Tanba Daishokudo. However, the dishes are well-prepared. I ordered the Game Meat Kuro Donburi for 1380 yen. It is basically a black rice bowl with deer meat instead of chicken, which makes it 200 yen more expensive. The reason for the name "black" is because many of Tanba's specialties have the word "black" in them, such as black beans, black shimeji mushrooms, and black Tanba eggs. The dish is essentially a tempura rice bowl, but it comes with a salad topped with balsamic vinegar, and it is unique in that you mix in a half-cooked egg. The most delicious part for me was the tempura of shimeji mushrooms, which had a satisfying texture. The deer meat didn't stand out much, so I believe the regular black rice bowl would have been sufficient.

This restaurant was better than I expected. I learned that it is important to interact without preconceived notions, whether it be about the food or other things. The taste of this restaurant was honest and kind. During my 40 years of frequent job transfers, I always wanted to cook my own food every night, no matter how late I got home. So, I never really thought about dining out, but this restaurant is great. Next time, I want to visit with my wife. This kindness in flavor is something that should not be kept to oneself. Thank you for the wonderful meal. It was a very kind flavor. I look forward to visiting again.

■Visit Date: June 16, 2016 ■Items Received: - Tonkatsu with Tanba pork (for me) - Kyoto Tanba Satoyama Donburi (for my wife) ■MEMO Visited on June 16, 2019. We stopped by during lunchtime at the restaurant inside Michi no Eki Kyoto Tanba Ajimu no Sato along the Kyoto Jukan Road. It was on our way back to Kyoto from my wife's hometown. This was our first time visiting this restaurant. I ordered the Tonkatsu with Tanba pork, while my wife ordered the Kyoto Tanba Satoyama Donburi. The Tonkatsu with Tanba pork was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, with a delicious pork flavor sealed within the crispy coating. I was able to eat an extra two bowls of rice... I was thoroughly satisfied with the delicious meat. The sauce was a black bean miso sauce, a perfect combination of fragrant miso with a nutty bean aroma, complementing the rice well and making it a hearty meal. It came with a side of Daikoku Hon Shimeji mushrooms, black bean miso pork soup, rice, pickles, and a black bean dessert. As for my wife's donburi, it was a Satoyama bowl with salted black bean tempura, Daikoku Hon Shimeji mushrooms, Tanba black chicken, black Tanba egg, black bean miso pork soup, and pickles. It was a colorful and satisfying lunch for my wife. As the restaurant gets crowded on holidays, it's recommended to plan your visit with some extra time. ■Blog Post: [Link to blog post]

I had lunch at the restaurant Bonchi in the Tanba Satoyama Restaurant at the Road Station Kyoto Tamba Mirumonosato, located on the Kyoto Jukan Expressway on the way from Osaka to Amanohashidate. I ordered the Tanba Black Donburi for 990 yen, which included black bean tempura, shimeji mushrooms, Tanba black chicken, and local vegetables. The flavor was quite mild, but it was nice to see that they used local ingredients. It can get crowded, so the service may take some time. The self-service black bean tea is a nice touch, with a comforting aroma. I also ordered the local soba for 220 yen, which had a nice chewy texture and aroma. The restaurant can get busy, so the service may be a bit slow. Overall, the portion sizes were good. It's a service area and road station that I would definitely visit again.

I had a venison bowl. It came with black beans, oyster mushrooms, and locally grown vegetables tempura. It was topped with a sweet and savory sauce. It's like a tempura rice bowl. Miso soup and pickles were also served. It may be a bit pricey.

Tamba is all about black beans. It's great to have a variety of dishes with black beans, but the lunchtime service needs improvement. During busy times, they couldn't keep up with the demand. Some customers were made to wait outside even though there were empty seats, and there were complaints about food not arriving on time. We also had to wait quite a while after being seated. They might need to narrow down the lunch menu or switch to a buffet style to address the complaints. The food was just okay. Just some thoughts from naba.

On my way back from Kyoto, I stopped by for the first time. There are so many unique menu items at this service area that it doesn't feel like a typical rest stop! I had a hard time deciding, but ended up choosing the hamburger, which was delicious. The croquettes were also crispy and comforting. It might be nice to come here on my way back from a business trip.

When you come here, I almost always order the "Kuro Donburi". The tempura of Daikoku hon shimeji mushrooms is of course delicious, and the side dish of "black beans and dried young sardines" is great!

The black soybean tempura was so delicious...and the Daikoku Honshimeji mushroom tempura was also amazing!