After a nice day along the Nichinan coast I head back to Miyazaki City for dinner. The previous three capital cities of their respective prefectures left me charmed. As with the previous three cities, I went in not knowing what to expect, which is always the best way to go.
It definitely plays the part of a southern coastal city very well. Towering palm trees line the streets leading up to the station. The rest of the city is connected via covered shopping areas and malls. The covered sidewalks make sense for those hot, humid summer days. In between buildings are several alleys with places to eat and drink at tucked away.
My mission out this night, was to seek out the meibutsu known as chicken nanban. This dish is an interpretation of a western dish featuring fried chicken cutlets topped with tartar sauce. I have had this dish many times back in Tokyo and it is definitely a guilty pleasure as it is anything but light. I am always fascinated by dishes like this that move from one culture to the next and become there own unique thing. Chicken nanban got its start and fame in Miyazaki.
I looked up one of the best places to get this faux western dish and found myself waiting in an alley for about 45 mins. I must’ve found the right place.
The place I chose, was called Ogura Chicken Nanban. It claims to be the original and is a local attraction. I was seated at the counter by an obaa-chan, who seemed to move at her own pace seemingly unfazed by the line stretching around the corner. This is the kinda place that serves one thing and if you want it, you wait on them. I ordered my chicken nanban and examined the decor, it was homey enough with simple brick and plaster walls, copper ladles and pots hanging in front of the kitchen giving it an old European feel.
The chicken nanban came with a shredded cabbage salad and a small side of spaghetti. The chicken was a great portion and absolutely delicious. The tartar sauce is different from a typical sauce which would be made with gherkins and capers. Japanese tarutaru sauce contains diced egg, parsley, onions and a type of pickle. It is a bit different, but like the original tartar sauce, there are very few things it wouldn’t be good on.
To walk off the chicken nanban I took a stroll around the main part of Miyazaki City. As it was getting dark alleys lit up by lantern offered several drinking establishments with seating outside. Great atmosphere and made for a nice picture, but after yatai the night before in Kagoshima, I was looking for a quieter evening this night. So instead I searched for omiyage, in this case the “new type” cheese manju. Manju is a typical Japanese baked sweet, often filled with red bean paste. Miyazaki City has now become famous for one with a cheesecake-like filling, declaring it their new omiyage. I bought a few boxes and headed back for the night.
Miyazaki City was nice enough, but just a bit plain. The lit up alleyways were nice, and I’m sure it would a nice place to grab a drink as part of a group, but it did not have anything in particular that made it stand out from other cities. At the very least, it is a good place to get fried chicken smothered in tarutaru sauce, because why not?
The next day would be the last leg of this Kyushu trip. I would be heading to the onsen resort town of Beppu in Oita prefecture.
2 thoughts on “Miyazaki City”
That’s so cool. We had that in Tokyo!
Yum! The chicken nanban sounds delicious. Who doesn’t like fried chicken.
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