丸井亭（2021年7月11日） : Marui Tei

<(July 11, 2021) https://somegu.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-766.html > When I woke up in the morning, the weather was quite nice. However, I overslept, so a long trip was out of the question. Instead, I decided to take a short drive towards Okutama. On my way back while enjoying the fresh greenery, I started to feel a bit hungry and thought about grabbing something to eat. Just as I was about to give up after not being able to find a casual dining spot, I discovered the Okutama Lake Rest Center Marui Tei, which has a spacious parking lot. The appearance of the place had a distinct “Showa-era drive-in” vibe which made me hesitate a bit, but since it seemed to be open, I decided to go inside. The interior was wide, with a set of retro-style tables on the left side, populated by three or four groups of customers ahead of me. There was a wooden plaque menu displayed on the wall. I hesitated a bit between ordering the Okutama Yamame Set Meal (JPY 1,000) and the restaurant's highlight seemed to be the kamameshi (rice cooked in a pot), so I went for the Wild Vegetable Kamameshi (JPY 900, tax included). (I found it refreshing that they proudly focused solely on the Wild Vegetable Kamameshi without offering options like Chicken Kamameshi or Gomoku Kamameshi.) My meal arrived without too much of a wait. In addition to the miso soup and pickled vegetables, I was pleasantly surprised to find two small side dishes accompanying it as well. The side dishes of eggplant and green beans had a homemade taste that made me feel warm inside. The kamameshi lived up to its name, being very healthy and vegetable-centric. The thick shiitake mushrooms were well-seasoned and contributed nicely to the dish. The rice itself wasn’t bad either. I didn’t have high expectations, but overall I was more than satisfied, getting more than my money’s worth. #After returning home, I found out that there used to be a cable car station near Okutama Lake. #It must have been quite lively in the past.