大分のちさと - Chisato, Oita

筑紫野から高速バスで大分に入って、法華クラブに投宿する。清潔、合理的で部屋も広い。しかも朝食付きで5100円。バイキング形式の朝食は特に和食が充実していた。
さてランチだが、すぐ近くの商店街の中に「ちさと」という臼杵ふぐの店があったので飛び込んでみた。僕はふぐ飯定食を注文、これは卵を溶いただし汁をかけて食べるもので、初体験。ご覧のように刺身も付いた豪華ランチが1365円だった。連れ合いはふぐ雑炊定食を選んだが、これも美味しい雑炊で、ここまで来ると流石に九州の食事情の豊かさを実感したようだ。




We took highway bus from Chikushino to Oita and checked in at Hokke Club Hotel. It was a well-managed, clean hotel with spacious room. And the charge was only 5100 Yen including breakfast. The buffet breakfast was quite pleasing especially the Japanese selections.
We then tried a blowfish restaurant “Chisato” in the shopping arcade near the hotel for lunch. I ordered “fugu-meshi” (blowfish-rice) set menu, poring dashi with beaten egg on blowfish and rice, which I had for the first time. As shown in the photo, the set comes with blowfish sashimi, and this whole lunch was 1365 Yen. My partner had porridge set menu which was equally impressive, and she by then realized how high the level of eating in Kyushu was in general.

Wonderful Dinner in Dazaifu - 梅の花自然庵

都内の駅ビルなどで和食店を展開している梅の花が、実はこちらの久留米が本拠地だとは九州に来るまで知らなかった。太宰府の自然庵という店でしっかりした夕食をいただいた。元々個人の別荘だった建物を使っているそうで、立派な庭に面した個室での食事は雰囲気・料理ともに満足。後でネットで調べてみたら、いただいたのは杏というコースだったようで、あれだけの内容が4000円とは驚きとしか言いようがない。[写真は撮っていないので、お店のサイトから拝借]


“Ume no Hana” is a chain of Japanese restaurants that are found in some station buildings in Tokyo, and I was not aware until I came to Kyushu that the group was originally from Kurume in this neighborhood. We had an impressive dinner in Shizen-an in Dazaifu. The house was originally built as a private retreat, and the rooms for dining face to a beautiful Japanese garden. The dishes in this atmosphere were amazing, particularly when I found later in the net that the course menu we had was 4000 Yen. I had no pictures taken, so borrowed the entrance shot from their webpage.

Green House - 太宰府の洋食

特に納得したわけでもない店を紹介するのは本来本意とするところではないのですが、太宰府で洋食の店を捜すのは難しく、容易な選択は九州国立博物館に隣接するグリーンハウスというニューオータニ博多系列のカフェでした。カレー、パスタ、サンドウィッチなどの軽食を中心にセット・メニューもあっていろいろ選べます。僕はハヤシライスを注文しましたが、味は昨夜ホテルで食べた刺身の方が点数は上でしょう。価格は都会並み。後から来た隣席の客がシーフード・カレーを注文し、とてもいいカレーの匂いがしていたので、そちらは正解かも。ミルクティーを頼むと、軽いアールグレーの香りの紅茶にちゃんと温めた牛乳が供されました。


I am a little reluctant to introduce the spot that I was not entirely satisfied with, but finding a western food restaurant in Dazaifu seemed practically unrealistic. A convenient option though was the cafe built next to National Museum Kyushu. It is run by Hotel New Otani, Hakata, and provides variety of such light food as curry, pastas, sandwitches, or some set of dishes. I ordered a hashed beef on rice, but I would rate it lower than sashima I had in the hotel I stayed the day before. A seafood curry was brought to the next table of mine that smelt quite good and I thought it was more promising. I also had a tea with milk, and they brought a pot with light flavor of earl grey with properly warmed milk.