Familiarity

[10 recommended lunch meals only: “Imari beef hamburger steak”]

The menu says, “Sincerity, devotion to flavor.” It is a lively, family-style restaurant run by three generations of a family. Founded in November 1974, it initially opened as a tempura specialty restaurant. The name was chosen with the hope that the restaurant would become familiar to local people. Nearly half a century has passed since its founding, and the restaurant has now become a place that is cherished by local customers, just as they hoped. The father, the founder, still makes the tempura. The husband and wife who currently run the restaurant are in charge of all the other dishes aside from the tempura.

The lunch recommendation is the “Imari Beef Hamburger Steak,” which is limited to 10 servings per day. The wife’s family home is in Imari City, Saga Prefecture, so this hamburger steak is made with 100% Imari beef sourced from there. “This hamburger steak wasn’t originally on the menu, but it was so popular that we promoted it to the main menu,” he said. When eaten with the special sauce made with onions and other ingredients, it was incredibly delicious.

With the third generation owner, the founder’s grandson, now in the kitchen, I feel this restaurant will continue to be a familiar and beloved part of the local community for many years to come.