今回はボーノポークハンバーガーとグループフルーツジュースを。米粉と小麦粉を使用したモチモチ食感なバンズと瑞浪ボーノポークの旨さを味わえるのは良いですが、バンズの存在感が強くなり過ぎているのが残念。 : Natural Heart

On December 3rd, after lunch, I visited the café "Natural Heart" in Inada-cho, Mizunami City. It's actually been four years since my last visit! (laughs) I arrived at 1:00 PM. The exterior and interior maintain a log cabin style, complete with a wood stove inside—it's all unchanged! When I entered, I was lucky to find that I was the only customer! A female staff member brought me a glass of cold water and a paper towel. This time, I ordered the "Bouno Pork Hamburger," part of the Mizunami Bouno Pork Gourmet Stamp Rally, for JPY 450. The food was served within 15 minutes. It usually comes with French fries, but since they weren't available today, I received a JPY 50 discount! The adorable hamburger is about 3 centimeters thick. The buns are made from a mix of rice and wheat flour, not 100% rice flour; otherwise, it wouldn't puff up this much. The patty is made from ground Mizunami Bouno Pork and chopped onions. It’s topped with a sauce that combines teriyaki sauce and mayonnaise, with lettuce underneath the patty. The flavor was good, but the chewy texture of the buns was quite dominant, which seemed to overshadow the quality of the Mizunami Bouno Pork; that was a bit disappointing. I chose grapefruit juice for my drink, priced at JPY 430. This came with a small round sugar rice cracker as a snack. I stayed until 1:55 PM. After my meal, I chatted with the female staff member for about 20 minutes. I got to hear some behind-the-scenes stories about the creation of this hamburger and some anecdotes from their stall at the Mizunami Bouno Pork Festival, which was a real bonus for me! (laughs) I'm glad things are still the same, and I definitely need to come back to enjoy their delicious taco rice again. It was a great meal!

On April 29th, after my night shift, I had lunch at "Natural Heart" located in Inazu-cho, Mizunami City. (*´∀`*) I arrived at 11:30 AM. This week, the restaurant featured a special lunch titled "Okinawa Fair," showcasing dishes made with Okinawan ingredients! (*≧∀≦*)♪ At the entrance, there were two shisa (guardian lions), showing their Okinawan theme from the start. Inside, there are table and counter seating, with a larger wood-burning stove set up at the back. I took a seat at a two-person table in the back, and a female staff member brought me a glass of water with a hot, freshly unfolded oshibori (wet towel). (^_-)-☆ This time, I ordered the taco rice lunch along with a hibiscus drink. The lunch was JPY 1000 plus JPY 250 for the hibiscus drink, totaling JPY 1250. Shortly after I ordered, the female staff prepared my tableware. The first dish was a salad featuring two types of leaves sourced from Okinawa (one being mizuna, and the other referred to as "kinjiso" locally, which has a different name in Okinawa) along with some dandelion leaves. Beside it was a kanape topped with boiled dandelion leaves. The dressing choices were between perilla and plum, and I chose plum. Finishing my salad, the taco rice arrived, beautifully served in a round black ceramic bowl. It was a healthy dish packed with lettuce and tomatoes, with a hint of spiciness. For dessert, I had brown sugar chiffon cake accompanied by strawberries with whipped cream and my hibiscus drink. Taking a bite of the chiffon cake while sipping the hibiscus drink was delightful! (*´∀`*) Each dish came with thoughtful explanations, and the service was friendly and genuine. I enjoyed the view of Inazu-cho's natural surroundings, especially from the counter seats, which added to the relaxing atmosphere. (*´∀`*) I stayed until nearly 1:00 PM. After settling the bill, I asked the female staff member about the leaves in the salad, and she kindly answered all my questions with patience, which I truly appreciated. (^_-)-☆ When I left the restaurant, the parking lot, which accommodates about six cars, was full, even though only two cars were there when I arrived! Σ(´∀｀；) It was a great meal! (*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)✩