Two delicious lunch options to enjoy in Nishiawakura Village, a place where you can relax in the forests of Okayama

This time, we will introduce two places: a stylish cafe where you can enjoy local game dishes (dishes made with wild game meat) and dishes made with rice grown in the village, and a restaurant where you can enjoy authentic Thai cuisine in a quaint old Japanese house.

• Table of Contents
• 1. BASE101% -NISHIAWAKURA-
• 2. ARU NO MORI

1. BASE101% -NISHIAWAKURA-

"BASE101% -NISHIAWAKURA-" is a complex facility that was renovated from a lumber factory warehouse along National Route 373. At the restaurant and cafe, you can enjoy special menus that are unique to Nishiawakura Village.

The photo shows a lunch featuring rice balls (onigiri) made with rice grown using natural farming methods in the village. You can wrap the fillings and nori seaweed from Okayama Prefecture around the rice balls and eat them at your preferred time. They are also served with grilled salted mackerel (a fish commonly eaten in Japan), which goes perfectly with the rice.

This is the "Forest Game Roast Venison Rice Bowl." The roast venison is cooked slowly at low temperature, making it incredibly tender, and goes perfectly with the restaurant's special sauce.

The renovated interior of the store is a stylish and comfortable space, with the warmth of wood added to the simple atmosphere of the factory building. The tables were made in-house, and the sofas and chairs are from ELD INTERIOR PRODUCTS, an interior brand from Okayama City. You can feel the care that went into selecting the furniture so that you can relax and unwind.

[BASE101% -NISHIAWAKURA-]

Address: 461-1 Okayama Prefecture, Nishiawakura Village, Aida County, Okayama Prefecture

TEL: 090-2466-9378

Business hours: 10:00-17:00 *Lunchtime 11:00-14:00

Closed: Tuesdays

Parking: Available

BASE101% -NISHIAWAKURA- | Official website

BASE101%-NISHIAWAKURA-

461-1 Nagao, Nishiawakura Village, Aida District, Okayama Prefecture　...

2. ARU NO MORI

This cafe is housed in an old Japanese house run by a Japanese-Thai couple. It is a traditional building with a thatched roof and tin roof that is approximately 130 years old, and serves authentic Thai cuisine.

The photo shows the popular "Tri-Curry Taste Comparison" menu. Enjoy three different types of curry on one plate: classic green curry, Massaman curry, which is said to be the "world's most delicious," and the spiciness of red curry. The mellow sweetness of coconut, the refreshing spiciness of herbs, and the rich aroma of spices... this special set is perfect for those who want to try them all!

This is a classic Thai dish! Gapao rice is made with juicy minced chicken stir-fried with holy basil (a Thai herb) and the restaurant's special sauce is the key to its flavor. It's a classic Thai dish that goes well with rice.

The space has a calming atmosphere, with a tatami room facing the veranda (a hallway-like space on the outside of the building), and a wooden-floored room and tatami room arranged in a rice-field pattern. The wooden room has a large Irori (traditional sunken hearth)(a hearth built into the floor for heating and cooking) with a sunken kotatsu (a type of table with a tabletop that has been dug into the floor so that you can put your feet in), and the jizaikagi (a tool used to hang pots and other items over the Irori (traditional sunken hearth)) hanging from the ceiling are also charms unique to old houses. This shop also operates as a minshuku (simple lodging facility), and after the cafe's opening hours, each room is transformed into a guest room or living room.

[ARU NO MORI]

Address: 818-1 Okayama Prefecture, Nishiawakura Village, Aida County, Okayama Prefecture

TEL: 090-8531-6189

Business hours: 11:00-15:00 (last orders 14:00)

Closed: Mondays, 1st and 3rd Tuesdays

Parking: Available

ARU NO MORI｜Official website