The Yufuin-no-mori express train connects Hakata with the hot spring resorts of Yufuin and Beppu in Oita Prefecture. This European-style, slightly retro Resort Express is positioned by JR Kyushu as a “D&S (Design & Story) train” to enjoy Kyushu with its design and story.
The “Yufuin no Mori Oita Wagyu Beef Bento” introduced this time is prepared for passengers who enjoy such trips.
You can make a reservation in advance by specifying the train you will be boarding, and pick up your ekiben at the onboard buffet on the day of boarding. Unfortunately, ekiben are not sold at stations, but in an age when it has become easier to buy ekiben from all over the country at major terminal stations and department store events, the fact that they are only available on specific trains makes them seem more like traditional ekiben that are meant to accompany passengers on their journeys.
The “Yufuin no Mori Oita Wagyu Beef Bento” is, as the name suggests, a lunch box that allows you to enjoy plenty of “Oita Wagyu” beef. The three types of Wagyu beef, roast beef, steak, and stewed beef, are all Oita Bungo beef of grade 4 or higher quality, and for me, as someone who does not eat marbled Wagyu beef on a daily basis, the appearance is a bit luxurious.
The roast beef has a very tender lean flavor. The fat is also very tasty. The fact that the fat tastes good even when it is cold gives it a good taste. On the other hand, a more fat-dominant steak with a whitish marbling is different from roast beef in that the fat is more pronounced. Of course, it is not too greasy, and the rare texture and taste of lightly seared beef is a very luxurious experience.
Both the roast beef and the steak were impressive for their very tender texture even when cold, and the overall satisfaction was not one, but two ranks higher. The sauce was very tasty and matched well with the sweetness of the fatty meat.
Shigure-ni is seasoned moderately as a simmered dish and makes full use of the goodness of the ingredients, so the original flavor of the meat can be fully enjoyed.
The three main meat dishes, which are spread out on a bed of rice, are each large enough to be a satisfying meal. The meat alone could be considered a meal in itself, but it is even more enjoyable when accented with a less sweet egg omelet and refreshing yuzu (citrus) flavored pickles.
JR Kyushu operates a number of D&S trains, each of which offers original meals using ingredients from the train line. This time we traveled from Yufuin to Hakata, but we would like to travel on other lines in Kyushu with special bentos.
© Source travel watch