まるみ Shí Táng - 八雲町

We were looking for a place to have lunch around Yakumo and ended up finding this restaurant located inside the rotary in front of Yakumo station. There are parking spaces in front of the restaurant and beside the building. There was also one in the back, but it seemed to be for employees only. It was lunchtime, so about 80% of the seats were filled. There were four table seats and around six sunken kotatsu seats. Although the noren curtain indicated it was a soba noodle shop, they also had set meals, ramen, rice bowls, curry rice, and other options to choose from. The Nika curry special comes with two types of curry – one with scallop fry, mille-feuille pork cutlet fry, and deep-fried vegetables, which looked appetizing. The rich curry with blended ingredients and the seafood-flavored curry with a spicy kick were both satisfying in taste. The portion size is quite generous, so it's best to go there on an empty stomach.

Non-smoking, the flavors are rich, and you can enjoy a generous serving of rice with hearty dishes. However, the fact that it is completely smoke-free and not a typical hangout spot for tough guys is good. The use of local ingredients is also impressive.

I tried the special curry at Niwai restaurant. It was mild at first but had a nice spicy kick afterwards, and it was delicious.