On April 14, NEXCO East Japan Area Tract and NEXCO East Japan held the “NEXCO East Japan “2nd Highway Meal Koshien” Ceremony to determine the 2nd Highway Meal Champion. The “Highway Meal Koshien” is a competition to determine the No. 1 gourmet food at SA/PAs in the region based on evaluations by general users, sales results, and open voting via SNS. Hideo Yoshimi, President of Nexco East Japan Area Tract, took the podium at the ceremony to announce the winner, explaining that SA/PAs are more than mere rest facilities, but rather “show windows for the community where people can encounter the charm and stories of the area through its food. A total of 112,570 votes were cast this year. The winner of the top 125 “Highway Meals,” which made use of regional characteristics, was the representative of Ibaraki Prefecture, “Dream Trip to Ibaraki – The good luck charm is mikitty’s signature – THANK YOU SO MUCH cholo” from Joban Expressway’s TOMOBE SA (on the uphill line). Second place went to “Kaisen Mix Fry Set Meal” at Yotsukura PA (up and down line), representing Fukushima Prefecture, and third place went to “Calebonara Maze Udon” at Hasuda SA (down line), representing Saitama Prefecture.
Winner: Representative of Ibaraki Prefecture “Dream Ibaraki Trip – The good luck charm is mikitty’s signature – THANK YOU SO MUCH cholo” The “Dream Ibaraki Trip – The good luck charm is mikitty’s signature – THANK YOU SO MUCH cholo” offered at TOMOBE SA (uphill line) on Joban Expressway features Tsukuba Bi Pork Roast Pork The bowl of rice is prepared in a hitsu-mabushi style, with three different flavors to enjoy. The dish, which uses abundant Ibaraki Prefecture ingredients such as yam from Kasama, wasabi from Ohko, and beef stew from Hitachiniku beef, is served in a Kasama-yaki bowl. It was impressive that each of the people who produced the ingredients for these dishes was publicly announced with their faces.
Runner-up: Representative of Fukushima Prefecture “Kaisen Mix Fry Set Meal” The “Kaisen Mix Fry Set Meal” served at the Yotsukura PA on the Joban Expressway (up and down lines) offers freshly fried seafood purchased at a local fishing port. A message of joy was delivered to the venue from a local fisherman who has been a long-time customer of the restaurant since the PA was opened for service, and who has always insisted on using Joban products, even during the period when the nuclear power plant accident caused harmful rumors. The seafood changes daily depending on the supply, but this time, fried sea eel, anglerfish, and kanagashira were prepared as the Joban specialties.
No. 3: “Calebonara Mixed Udon” representing Saitama Prefecture The somewhat oddly named “Calebonara Mixed Udon” at Hasuda SA (off-road) on the Tohoku Expressway offers three different flavors: kamatama-style, carbonara sauce, and curry minced meat sauce. The wide udon noodles with a firm texture are made from Saitama Prefecture’s “Ayahikari” wheat, and are characterized by their rich flavor. The winners of the above three menu items took the stage with local characters and were presented with their awards by President Yoshimi.
NEXCO East Japan Highway Meshi Ambassador “Hasshi” selected the “Hasshi Award” from his unique perspective. In addition, the “HASSHEE Award” was presented to a gourmet who excelled in one particular art, chosen from his own unique perspective. The winners were “Chojameshi” (Miyagi Prefecture’s representative in the “Okazu Paradise” category (Chojabaru SA on the Tohoku Expressway Uphill Route), “Tochu-cha pork colorful pork rice bowl” (Iwateyama SA on the Tohoku Expressway Downhill Route) in the “Gohan Non-Stop” category, and “Wasabi croquette soba and yam rice set” (Joshin-etsu Expressway Matsudai PA on the uphill line).
© Source travel watch