[Kokura Lunch] A delicious and healthy set meal! A stylish restaurant loved by locals (Kitakyushu City)

Hello! I'm Haga Tomomi, a mother of four growing children.

These hectic days make me realise it's especially important to take care of my body.

This time, we will introduce you to a restaurant where you can leisurely enjoy seasonal ingredients.

Mizutama Shokudo (Uomachi, Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu City) where you can enjoy set meals in a retro pop space reminiscent of the "Kitchen of the Showa Era"

Mizutama Shokudo opened in Uomachi, Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu City in 2011. It is located on the second floor of Mercato Sanban-gai, a renovated facility in the Uomachi Sunroad shopping arcade, halfway between Uomachi Gintengai and Kitakyushu Monorail Heiwadori Station.

It's about a 5-minute walk from Heiwadori Station. It's located in the center of Kokura, and there are many paid parking lots nearby, so it's very accessible.

At the bottom of the spiral staircase leading to the dining room, there is a signboard placed on a wooden chair and a chalkboard with the day's set menu.

Image: Hagashi Tomomi

As soon as you go up to the second floor and enter the entrance, you will see a white wall with the store name written on it.

Image: Hagashi Tomomi

The first thing that catches your eye in the space that stretches behind the walls is the thick beams on the ceiling and the cute, retro miscellaneous goods.

The pots on the counter and the lights hanging from the ceiling also create a nostalgic atmosphere.

There are four seats at the counter, two four-seater tables at the back of the entrance, one two-seater table, and a four-seater sofa to the left of the entrance.

Image: Hagashi Tomomi

Behind the counter are rows of polka dot dishes that were used as tableware for the masses in the early Showa period. These are the very dishes that gave the shop its name.

Image: Hagashi Tomomi

Originally, the retro goods were purchased at flea markets around the country, but now customers sometimes give them as gifts, saying, "The owner must like them."

It's a comfortable space for me, born in the Showa era.

Image: Hagashi Tomomi

A hearty lunch made with seasonal ingredients and carefully prepared with care

The atmosphere is soothing, with nostalgic J-POP playing in the store, retro items, and the sizzling and rustling sounds of vegetables and meat being fried.

While I was waiting for the food, I was reminded of my childhood when my mother used to cook dinner for me, and I felt nostalgic. When the steaming food was brought to me, I felt very excited.

On this day, I ordered the "Healthy Meal" (1,350 yen). It is a set of rice, miso soup, a main dish, and three small side dishes. There is also the "Lunch Meal" for 880 yen and the "Solid Meal" for 1,100 yen.

Image: Hagashi Tomomi

The main dish for the day was "Chicken Teriyaki with Persimmon." The chicken was served in chunks on a plate and was tender, with the sweetness of the persimmon and the teriyaki sauce mixing well together for a delicious dish.

The three small side dishes were: pumpkin and carrot leaves tossed with pine nuts, winter melon and pear marinated in kabosu, and burdock and fennel salad.

It is clear that every dish is carefully prepared with care.

Image: Hagashi Tomomi

When you eat plump, newly cooked rice and miso soup with the mild aroma of dashi and miso, you will feel your body relax and take a breather with joy.

It was my first time eating fennel (a herb from the parsley family), and the unique flavor that spread in my mouth when I chewed it was a refreshing sensation. This was also delicious.

Image: Hagashi Tomomi

Each side dish was cooked to give it a nice crunch, allowing me to enjoy the flavor of the vegetables with every bite.

"Healthy meals" made by specialists in Chinese medicine and medicinal foods

The owner is a professional who is a certified Chinese medicine instructor and an international Chinese medicine clinical yakuzen practitioner. There is apparently a set definition of "yakuzen," but at this restaurant, he says, "I want to convey what you can do in your daily life."

Image: Hagashi Tomomi

The owner has been sourcing pesticide-free rice, miso, and eggs from a trusted source for many years, and he selects vegetables from Tanga Market or from stores that have freshly picked vegetables delivered that morning, and then decides the day's menu.

"Nature gives humans what they need, when they need it. That's why we create our menus by considering cooking methods and combinations of the seasonal ingredients that are available in store that day," he told us.

Image: Hagashi Tomomi

"Yakuzen" may sound complicated, but here it's easy to enjoy and delicious.

Apparently, some customers even ask for advice on ingredient combinations!

Apparently they also hold regular courses to learn about medicinal herbs.

In addition to eating in at the cafe, you can also get takeout bento boxes. "Osechi" (New Year's food) will also be on sale.

Please try this delicious, healthy meal. (Text by Haga Tomomi)

＜Click on the store name for more details about the store ↓＞
■ Polka Dot Restaurant
Address: 2F-1, Mercato Sanban-gai, 3-3-12 Uomachi, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture
Business hours: 11:30 - until rice is served *If there are ingredients prepared that day, open until 15:00
Closed: Mondays, Wednesdays, Sundays (classes only)
*This article is current as of the time of publication. *Prices in the text include tax.

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