牛ホルモン定食。 : Okagaki Shokudo Hon Ten

This is just my personal opinion, but at an izakaya, a good 'otsukuri' (snack served before the meal) and at a set meal restaurant, delicious small sides, miso soup, and rice indicate a trustworthy place. Following the recommendation of a beautiful reviewer whom I trust with my taste buds, I revisited 'Okagaki Shokudo,' where I first went a year ago. I checked the menu thoroughly and nearly ordered the half-and-half set meal of pork ginger and fried horse mackerel, but I realized that it was the same combination I had last time. This is what I call the reviewer's dilemma. So instead, I ordered the Horumon Set Meal (JPY 1,000). The stir-fried horumon (offal) with sauce was as delicious as I expected, but the stir-fried cabbage and bean sprouts with black pepper underneath the horumon was surprisingly good! The small sides consisted of two dishes: cold tofu and potato salad. The okra and myoga served with the cold tofu were a nice touch. I’m not a huge fan of potato salad, so I wasn't paying much attention while eating it, but to my surprise, it had edamame inside. It was delicious! The ingredients in the miso soup were shimeji mushrooms, fried tofu, and green onions. While I don’t usually dislike shimeji, I did find a bit of an aftertaste (I might have not needed to mention this). Nonetheless, it was a tasty miso soup. Next time, I'll try a half-and-half order of ginger pork with either salted mackerel, tonkatsu, karaage, or chicken nanban. With so many options, it's a bit of a dilemma, though. *smirk*

I visited Okagaki Shokudo for the first time, after a recommendation from a beauty reviewer. The restaurant is located within the producer's direct sales area, "Yappa Okagaki." Upon arriving at 12:30, the place was empty since "the peak time has passed," and the owner kindly seated me at a cool table with air conditioning. I had heard that the fried horse mackerel and miso soup were delicious, so I ordered the Pork Ginger Stir-Fry and Fried Horse Mackerel Half & Half Set Meal (JPY 900). The large plate included the pork ginger stir-fry, a whole fried horse mackerel, a salad, tokoroten (gelatinous noodles), white rice, miso soup, and pickles. The freshly fried, thick fried horse mackerel was served half and half with tartar sauce and tonkatsu sauce. The pork ginger stir-fry included two slices of pork loin with onions and bell peppers. The savory sauce was very appetizing. The miso soup was surprisingly hot, likely due to them running out earlier in the day. The owner mentioned that it’s different between the first and last customers, featuring a unique combination of mekabu (seaweed) and scrambled egg. It was my first time having mekabu in miso soup, and I really enjoyed it. The portion of tokoroten was substantial, not just a small bowl. It came with garnishes of green onions, myoga (Japanese ginger), and grated ginger, which made it refreshing and delicious. White rice was either served in a large portion or you could have one refill. Although the side dishes were quite voluminous and I initially planned to skip the refill, the owner also asked, "Would you like some more?" so I happily took a second serving. Even though it was my first visit, the conversation with the owner flowed well, and while it's not a frequent destination, I find myself wanting to return. It was a great meal!