Along National Route 150 in Makinohara, at the corner of the Shizunami Coast entrance intersection, you'll find a Japanese restaurant with a "soba" banner and a hand-dyed orange noren curtain swaying, where you can enjoy handmade soba noodles, eel, and set meals.Restaurant MineThere is a restaurant called "Mine-san." Actually, this is my family home. My parents opened it when I was little, and thanks to our local regulars and tourists, we've already reached our 37th year. Now that my father is 65, my younger brother has taken over, and the three of us run it as a small family business. The end of the year is a very busy time for Mine-san with "New Year's Eve soba," so every year my husband and I go back to my parents' home and help out together♪
Thanks to my father's brother, a carpenter, the restaurant has undergone several renovations, offering a warm and inviting space with a sense of history and wood. We have 6 counter seats, three tatami rooms for 4 people each, and two back rooms that can be combined to accommodate up to 20 people, making us suitable for various banquets. Our New Year's Eve menu features, of course, New Year's Eve soba noodles, made exclusively by my father and brother. We are grateful to be fully booked with reservations, creating a lively and festive atmosphere on New Year's Eve!
Zaru soba (cold buckwheat noodles) 700 yen
This soba is made with carefully selected, high-quality domestic buckwheat flour, and every step from kneading to cutting is done by hand by skilled artisans. The ratio of wheat to buckwheat is slightly reduced compared to the usual 2:8 ratio, enhancing the flavor of the buckwheat. The dipping sauce is a rich, sweet and savory broth with a robust umami flavor, made by adding dashi (broth) from thick bonito flakes to a special soy sauce base. For the dipping sauce, bonito flakes are blended with mackerel flakes, which have a light aroma and rich flavor.
On New Year's Eve, Tsushima Hiroki, also known as Tsushi, a close friend of my husband, and his family, who had gathered from Yokohama and Osaka for a family trip over the New Year's holiday and were on a journey on the Kanaya SL (steam locomotive), stopped by to have some New Year's Eve soba noodles! Tsushi was as refreshing and handsome as ever, and his kind and lovely wife, Tomoko, and their 3-year-old son, who also loves soba, ate a lot. It was our first time meeting Tsushi's parents from Osaka, and they were very cheerful, energetic, and fun—truly wonderful parents. They seemed to have a great time strolling along the peaceful Shizunami Beach in Makinohara and taking the SL train through the mountains of Kanaya! Tsushi and Tomoko, thank you for coming all the way here! It was a pleasure meeting you! We look forward to your continued support this year!
On New Year's Eve, we will be open by reservation only, and we are truly sorry to the customers we had to turn away. However, if you make a reservation in advance, we will be able to prepare a table for you. We look forward to seeing you again soon. We finished our lunch service a little after 3 PM. I heartily devoured the delicious staff meal my brother made for me to build up my stamina (lol). Immediately afterwards, I started preparing for the evening service and a banquet for over 20 people, including my brother's classmates!
These are my younger brother Suguru's (far right in the photo) close friends who always gather together on New Year's Eve. I've known these kids since they were young, and now they've all turned 30. Many of them are already good fathers and heads of their own families. As a result, their big get-togethers, often with small children, are always lively and fun. And when I look at the traditional group photo that I ask my husband to take, I feel the passage of time year by year, but as their older sister, I'm truly moved to tears by the unchanging friendship and bond between my brothers.
"Tuna sashimi"
Here's an introduction to our banquet menu. We can accommodate your requests regarding the menu content according to your budget. Many customers order sashimi, as it's a must-have local fish. On this particular day, we had rich lean tuna and fatty medium-fatty tuna, but you can enjoy the freshest fish available that day!
"Marinated octopus"
This salad features tender yet chewy octopus marinated with onions and bell peppers, served with leafy greens for a refreshing taste.
"Smelt marinated in sweet and sour sauce"
Crispy fried smelt marinated with onions, carrots, and bell peppers. It's refreshing and you can enjoy every part of it, from head to bone!
"french fries"
This isn't on our regular menu, but we prepared it because it's for a gathering with many children. It's lightly seasoned with salt and chopped parsley, but you can add ketchup and mayonnaise if you like!
"Spanish mackerel grilled in Saikyo miso"
Saikyo-yaki, made by marinating fish in Saikyo miso and then grilling it until tender, is a dish that offers a wonderful aroma and flavor. While the fish is delicious, we also recommend Saikyo-yaki made with pork loin!
"Grilled chicken sukiyaki"
The main dish this time is chicken sukiyaki. It's a sukiyaki dish where the skin of domestically raised chicken is lightly seared to bring out its fragrant aroma, tenderness, and delicious flavor, which is enjoyed with vegetables. I'm so sorry that I didn't take a picture of the pot being heated because I was so busy. Beef sukiyaki is good too, of course, but you shouldn't underestimate chicken! It's surprisingly delicious!
"Sweet and spicy fried young chicken"
Continuing with chicken, here's our hugely popular fried chicken coated in a sweet and spicy sauce. Unlike regular soy sauce-based fried chicken, this sweet and spicy sauce isn't too spicy, so even children can enjoy it!
"Oyster and broccoli stir-fry with oyster sauce"
The pre-cooked and blanched oysters are plump and tender, and the oyster sauce coats them perfectly, making them delicious. The colorful broccoli also has a wonderful texture!
At the banquet, which was lively until the countdown, the biggest laugh came from Robert Akiyama's parody of Tatsuo Umemiya's act! (LOL) It would be amazing if anyone could recognize him just from his belly (LOL) My brother is surrounded by truly bright, pure, and good kids. I'm already looking forward to seeing everyone again at the end of the year! To everyone who was involved with our family restaurant, "Shokujidokoro Mine," in 2013, thank you so much for your support! We look forward to your continued patronage in 2014♪ (Thank you)
Restaurant Mine
2276-2 Shizunami, Makinohara City TEL: 0548-22-1886
Opening hours: 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM, 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM. Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays.
http://mine.lade.jp/
