Okayama Local Food
What do you think of when you are asked, “What do you want to eat when you visit Okayama?”
Kibidango, peach, pione, Ebi-meshi (shrimp rice). Sawala and mantis shrimp are also famous. Oops, don’t forget Mamakari. I wondered if there were Tsuyama Horumon Udon, Hiruzen Yakisoba, and Kakioko recently. You may find a famous gourmet that you have never heard when you search online.
There are many things I want to eat when I visit Okayama. I want to eat seafood from Setouchi, sushi and roasted chicken of “Kijosho”. I also want to eat sashimi of mackerel. The Ebi-meshi…No need to eat (^◇^;)
However, when I visit Okayama, I want to eat “Yamada-Mura” rice balls. It’s delicious. The shop is located on the second floor of the shopping mall “Sansute” across from the ticket gate of Okayama Station.
This shop is a rice ball shop. There are often line up many shoppers. There are also many young female customers. Sometimes Foreigners line up. Young shop assistants handmade rice balls. Although not written anywhere in the shop, the characteristic of Yamada-Mura is that each rice ball is held by hand rather than by a mold.
Lunch box set
My favorite is “Takana-Mentai (takana leaf light pickles and spicy cod roe)” rice ball. Put this in the lunch box and set another rice ball and fried chicken or croquette for a lunch. Very delicious. why? This shop is very particular about rice.
This shop always sells 20 kinds of rice balls. They have a wide variety of menus, from orthodox classics such as salmon, kelp, grilled tarako and tuna mayo to delicious dishes from all over Japan such as tempura, pork egg and miso cutlet.
Unfortunately, the pork egg rice balls in this shop are sweet egg fried. Okinawan egg fried is salty. I told the shop about this several times, but sweet pork eggs were already established in Yamada-Mura. In this way, the wrong Okinawa information spreads due to the selfish convenience of a mindless trader who prioritized the economy. (just kidding)
Many kinds of creative rice balls
There is also a light and healthy menu for women and the elderly such as bean rice and Umenozawana (Turnip Greens plum taste). The latest work is “Meat Miso Zasai (Sichuan vegetable)”. This shop has finally expanded to Chinese food.
Handmade rice balls are not as hard as convenience store rice balls. When eaten, it slowly crumbles in the mouth. It has a feeling of security that reminds me of rice balls that my mother held when I was a child. Fried chicken and croquettes are also perfect for rice balls. This shop also sells saury Tatsuta fried chicken. I’m a conservative person who always orders the same food. Sometimes I get burned when I venture.
However, at Yamada Village, if I order Takata Mentai and fried chicken, I can choose one more rice ball. I tried the meat miso Zasai. I cracked a rice ball. Plenty of ingredients were present in the rice ball. OK. try to eat. This is a solid seasoning for men.
Sadly, the flight from Okayama to Okinawa departs at 8:30 am. For that I have to take a bus departing from Okayama station at 7 o’clock. I cannot buy Yamada-Mura rice balls as a souvenir for my family. Before I moved to Okinawa, I bought Mentai Takana and fried chicken as a souvenir for my wife. She was very pleased and liked it. She is also a glutton. How can I get my family to eat this rice ball? At any rate, I seriously consider whether I should open a branch of Yamada-Mura in Okinawa.
Yamada-Mura, Rice Balls Shop
Okayama-city, Okayama
https://tabelog.com/en/okayama/A3301/A330101/33010662/
I ate at more than 1,000 restaurants in 3 years!!
I am a Japanese middle-aged man living in Okinawa. I was an office worker until the corona shock. I went on a business trip all over Japan, and sometimes abroad. I visited more than a thousand restaurants in three years. (more info…)
