Even though the main store is right around the corner? Abeno’s famous stores are all here! Katsupan to Akemon Hirooka Ageden (first appearance in a department store) The second branch of Hirooka Seitan, which has been in business since 1964 in Showa-machi, one stop away from Abeno Harukas, has appeared in Abeno Harukas. The main store sells 1,000 croquettes a day and has sold over 15 million croquettes in total, and the standard lineup of menchikatsu and cream croquettes is almost the same. The main store is so popular that there is often a huge line of people waiting in line, and the fact that it will now be available at the department store is appreciated by Hirooka fans, even locals with strong roots in the area. With the cooperation of a vendor he met in Nagoya while searching for the ideal form of breading for croquettes and other items, the new store will sell as its centerpiece “Katsupan,” a “Hirooka croquette” sandwiched between bread from a boulangerie that is also wholesaled to luxury hotels and other establishments. Hirooka butcher store is also known as the family home of professional baseball player Taishi Hirooka of the Orix Blue Wave, and on game days at Kyocera Dome, baseball fans join the line, which is said to grow by 100 people in addition to the already long line. The owner says that he did not inform Hirooka of the opening of the restaurant, but he hopes that he will be able to taste the numerous fried dishes before the game as “the gourmet food that made the body of a professional athlete”. Osaka Abeno Takotsubo (first appearance in a department store), Imo Kasho Shimaya The main store of Takotsubo is about 300 meters south of Abeno Harukas, while Shimaya has a main store just to the south and another store to the north. Why did they open a branch so close to here? We asked Mr. Toshiaki Tsujii, manager of the Food Department of the Kintetsu Department Store’s main store, and he told us, “We invited Takotsubo, Shimaya, and Hirooka Frye to come within an extremely short distance of our store so that inbound and outside visitors can get to know the taste of the famous stores that have taken root in Abeno, the local area. The Kintetsu Department Store has often asked for cooperation from local businesses, and Shimaya has opened several times in the past. Takotsubo was also approached by Kintetsu because of a previous store opening, and it is precisely because Kintetsu is “Abeno’s Kintetsu, which values its locals” that the store was able to open its doors. Each of the new restaurants is trying to differentiate itself from the main store. While the main store focuses on Akashiyaki, Tachotsubo focuses on okonomiyaki, which is in demand as a takeaway or souvenir, and Negitada Horumon Yakisoba, which can be bought in a package and taken home. Shimaya will also sell the original “100 Days Potato” product with aonori (green laver). This town, which grew rapidly as a residential area in the Taisho and early Showa eras along with the development of the railroad, still has a lineup of excellent gourmet restaurants in its back alleys. We hope that the opening of the Hirooka Frye Shop, Takotsubo, and Shimaya will be an opportunity for the town to become better known.
HOKKAHOKKA TEI’s new business model “One Hand BENTO” arrives! One Hand Bento” developed by HOKKAHOKKA TEI, a to-go bento store that can be found in every town, will open its first permanent store. This one-hand bento gained popularity at last year’s “Osaka-Kansai Expo” and has sold a total of 220,000 units. It has been selling extremely well at food stalls at various expositions, and the recent renovation of the side dish section seems to have attracted a great deal of coverage and inquiries. What is different about this one-handed bento that looks like a rice ball? Ms. Shiori Nagacen, public relations manager of Hokkahokkatei’s general headquarters, told us, “In onigiri, the first bite is the rice, followed by the ingredients. One Hand Bento is based on bento, so we put the side dish on top and encourage people to eat it first.” “We use 16-grain rice, which is rich in dietary fiber and vitamins, and in nori bento, we use fried cod to appeal to people’s satisfaction,” she said. One-hand bentos are more filling than onigiri, take less time to eat, and are more convenient. The future of the second and third stores, for which there have been many requests, will also be closely watched.
© Source travel watch