"Okayama Sunny Country Restaurant" opens at Okayama Prefectural Office! Introducing the menu where you can enjoy Okayama gourmet food
It will open in the basement of the main building of the Okayama Prefectural Government Office on July 22, 2024. It is open to the public and will allow visitors to enjoy Okayama gourmet food, including lunch made with ingredients unique to Okayama, such as horse mackerel, yellow chives, and Spanish...
-
Table of Contents
- What kind of place is Okayama Hare no Kuni Shokudo?
- "Sunny Country Gozen" where you can enjoy Okayama gourmet food
- How to buy and order meal tickets
- A relaxing interior
- Directions to the restaurant
- Is there parking?
- summary
What kind of place is Okayama Hare no Kuni Shokudo?
The Okayama Prefectural Office is about a 5-minute walk from the "Kencho-dori" stop on the streetcar (Okayama Tramway Higashiyama Line). The newly opened restaurant is located on the first basement floor of the main building of the prefectural office. Although it is underground, the restaurant has a bright interior thanks to the sunlight that pours in through the skylights. During business hours from 11:00 to 14:00, a full lunch menu including set meals, rice bowls, and noodles is available. From 14:00 onwards, coffee and sweets are served and the restaurant can also be used as a cafe.
*After 2:00 p.m., we can still provide rice bowls, curry, udon, and other dishes other than set meals.
"Sunny Country Gozen" where you can enjoy Okayama gourmet food
The "Sunny Country Gozen" (1,500 yen/tax included), which is limited to about 10 meals per day, uses plenty of ingredients from Okayama Prefecture. The contents change depending on the day, but on this day, there was a wide variety of Okayama gourmet foods such as "salt-grilled mackerel," "peach sea bream sashimi," "pickled horse mackerel," and demi-katsu with a thick demi-glace sauce. It comes with about 10 types of side dishes, miso soup, white rice, and pickles. It is a popular lunch menu that continues to sell out every day.
The cafeteria offers about 30 different items on the menu. There are also about five different types of bento boxes, making for a rich variety. Among them, the daily set meal (700 yen/tax included) is popular, as it uses locally produced ingredients. For those who want to enjoy Okayama cuisine, in addition to the previously introduced "Sunny Country Gozen," we also recommend the "Okayama Specialty Chicken Rice" and the "Peach Sea Bream Pickled Rice Bowl," which is farmed using peaches from Okayama Prefecture. If you also order white peach juice, Pione grape juice, or Muscat juice (each 400 yen/tax included), you're sure to enjoy Okayama cuisine even more.
How to buy and order meal tickets
Purchase a meal ticket at the touch-type ticket machine at the entrance. Take your meal ticket and line up in the lane. It is expected to be crowded between 12:00 and 13:00, as prefectural government employees also use the facility.
*Only cash is accepted at the time of coverage (cashless payment will be introduced in due course).
Set meals such as the daily specials are available in lane 1, while other Okayama gourmet dishes (including the Sunny Country Set Meal), noodles, curries, and sweets menu items are available in lane 2, where you can receive your food by handing over your meal ticket. Around lunchtime, bento lunch boxes are also sold near the entrance to the cafeteria. You can also order in advance on LINE. Takeout items such as beef bowls and pork cutlet bowls are available after 2:00 p.m.
A relaxing interior
The restaurant has 190 seats, including a counter, tables for 2 and 4 people, and space for larger groups. Large groups and families with children can relax and unwind.
Hot tea, hot water, and cold water are self-service. There is also a wide variety of dressings. There is also a microwave, which is convenient when you want to warm up your lunch box or children's meals.
There were three child chairs available for rental. Mild curry (500 yen / tax included) and udon noodles with sauce (450 yen / tax included) are easy for children to eat, and many customers order them. Children's spoons, forks, and plates are also provided. Strollers are also allowed inside the restaurant.
There are also seats with electrical outlets, so it can be used as a working space. For just 250 yen (tax included) per cup of coffee, it's great to be able to work or study there.
The colorful paintings hanging on the walls create a stylish atmosphere. Here, we exhibit the works of people who work at "Arigato Farm," a Type A employment support office located in Omotemachi, Kita Ward, Okayama Okayama City .
You can see part of the safe and the spiral staircase that have been there since the Okayama Prefectural Office was built in 1957. It was in use until 2021, but is currently not in use due to renovation work. It is open to the public so that you can get a feel for the original architecture. *Entry is prohibited.
Directions to the restaurant
The Okayama Prefectural Office was designed by architect Kunio Maekawa. Earthquake-resistance construction work, which took about three and a half years, was completed in March 2024. The wide open entrance is designed to make it easy for visitors to enter. From here, we will introduce how to get to the cafeteria on the first basement floor.
There is a sign for Okayama Hare no Kuni Shokudo near the entrance of the main building. Take the outside stairs in front of the convenience store down to the basement floor.
If you are using a wheelchair or stroller, please take the Chuo elevator from the 1st floor of the Prefectural Office Main Building to the 1st basement floor. If you are unsure, please ask the receptionist.
Is there parking?
Those using the cafeteria can use the Okayama Prefectural Government Office's outpatient parking lot. As you can see, it is often full, so in that case, please consider using a nearby parking lot, such as the Okayama Prefectural Library across the street.
If you use the Prefectural Office Outpatient Parking Lot (or if the Prefectural Office Outpatient Parking Lot is full and you use the Prefectural Library Parking Lot), parking is free for one hour. After processing your parking ticket at the "Discount Authentication Machine (right side of photo)" on the first floor of the Prefectural Office Main Building, please pay at the "Prepayment Machine (left side of photo)."
summary
The opening of a cafeteria in the Okayama Prefectural Office that anyone can use has made it easier for people who have never had the chance to visit the prefectural office before to visit. The cafeteria can be used for a variety of occasions, such as enjoying the architecture, visiting to see the Daigo cherry blossoms that bloom in early spring, or when you want to take a break or get some work done. It would also be nice to take a bento box sold in the cafeteria and have a picnic at Okayama Korakuen Garden, Okayama Castle , or Asahikawa.
[Okayama Sunny Country Restaurant]
Location: Okayama Prefectural Government Office Main Building, 1st basement floor, 2-4-6 Uchisange, Kita Ward Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture
TEL: 086-233-0080
Business hours: 11:00-18:00 (last order 17:30)
Holidays: Closed days
Parking: Available
*1 hour free Strollers: OK
Written by
Okayama Prefecture is located in the center of western Japan and is known as the ``Land of Sunny'' due to its mild climate with little rain throughout the year. Conveniently located in the middle of famous sightseeing spots in Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima! It is also the gateway to Shikoku via the Seto Ohashi Bridge. Okayama is also known as the "Fruit Kingdom," and the fruits that have been exposed to the sun in the warm climate of Setouchi are of the highest quality in terms of sweetness, aroma, and taste. You can enjoy seasonal fruits such as white peach, muscat, and pione! There are also world-class sightseeing spots such as ``Okayama Castle'', ``Okayama Korakuen'', one of Japan's three famous gardens, and Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, which are proud of their history, culture, and art!
The contents on this page may partially contain automatic translation.