SANIN SHOKUDOU

At SANIN SHOKUDOU, Okuizumo Nita rice is the centrepiece of lunch, served with koji-seasoned mains and a selection of small sides. One diner who tried the daily lunch noted the balanced assortment of sides and the distinct, firm grains of the rice. The menu’s “Sanin Healthy Rice Meal” brings together house-made roast pork, daily deli sides, miso soup made with koji milk and Nita rice.

The pork shoulder is marinated in salt koji, slowly cooked at a low temperature, then seared over an open flame and served with house-made sauce. Choose the regular portion for a more substantial meal or the light portion for something smaller; the menu lists them at 1,400 yen and 850 yen respectively. Another diner described enjoying a plate of small dishes and soup alongside the Nita rice, and noted that a larger serving of rice was available at no extra charge with the regular meal.

For a lighter bite, there is also a dashimaki egg sandwich made with sweet koji. The menu describes the combination of a delicate sweetness from the koji, the aroma of dashi and the fragrance of toasted bread, and lists it for both lunch and takeaway. Coffee is one option to accompany the sandwich or finish a meal; koji vinegar juice is also available in apple and muscat or peach-berry blend flavours.