Recently aired was “Solitary Gourmet Season 4 Midsummer Hakata Business Trip Special.”
I’m well aware that it can’t be helped due to the source material and viewership numbers, but “Solitary Gourmet” features almost exclusively restaurants in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
I never thought they would come to Fukuoka, so it was a pleasant surprise!
(Matsushige-san, who plays Goro, is from Fukuoka, so it might have been deeply moving for him)
I was watching with keen interest to see which restaurants would be featured.
One of the restaurants introduced there was “Miyake Udon.”
The old-fashioned storefront that made you feel like you’d traveled back in time, along with the atmosphere of the interior and the shop owner (played by Komatsu Masao, also from Fukuoka), had an indescribable charm.
It was personally a restaurant I’d been curious about since passing by it before, so I went there right away!
“Miyake Udon” – A charming restaurant that makes you feel like you’ve time-traveled
This is it, this is it. This atmosphere.
The Gofukumachi area where “Miyake Udon” is located still retains relatively Showa-era streetscapes, but this place stands out even among them.
The weathered signboard, noren curtain, and paper lanterns are so good. Excuse me for entering.
Since I went around 4:00 PM, there were no customers, and the owner was reading a newspaper at the back table where Goro sat. When I entered, he stood up and said, “We only have udon and soba.” Unfortunately, the inari sushi was sold out during lunch.
From the also-weathered menu, I ordered udon with maruten (fish cake) and egg.
The atmospheric interior.
The mysterious painting that was also shown in the broadcast is still there.
There are several autographs too. The newest one is, of course, from Matsushige Yutaka.
There was also a poster displayed.
Simple Hakata udon. But that’s what makes it good
It came out in less than 5 minutes. Udon!
(BGM plays in my head)
The noodles are extremely thick. Being chewy with no firmness is the Hakata way.
It’s a comforting, simple taste that you never get tired of no matter when you eat it. Deeply delicious.
Green onions are placed on the table and you can add as much as you want, so…
Naturally, this happens. Udon with plenty of green onions is the best.
A space with only the shop owner and me.
Only the sound of slurping noodles echoes.
Somehow, it’s nice.
Thank you for the meal, atmosphere and all.
Afterword
While the TV version of “Solitary Gourmet” often features trendy restaurants, the manga version tends to feature more of these charming, atmospheric places.
In that sense, this was truly a long-established udon shop where you could experience the authentic “Solitary Gourmet” feeling.
Please visit once by all means.
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