On September 16, 2020, the delicatessen "kitchen Mori no Kumasan" opened in the Nishi Building, very close to JR Kurashiki Station.
It is a place where you can enjoy bento, hors d'oeuvres, and set meals available only during lunch at reasonable prices.
The shop's recommendation is two types of fried chicken named "Kurakara" with the aim of becoming a new specialty of Kurashiki, and the "Mori no Hamburger" featuring a homemade demi-glace sauce.
Both can be enjoyed as set meals during lunch or as takeout.
The owner, Yamashita Kikumi, once considered giving up on the shop.
We also heard about her feelings towards Mabi and stories from the time of the July 2018 heavy rain disaster.
"I want to preserve this important place"
Introducing the re-launched "kitchen Mori no Kumasan" born from such feelings.
Opened in September 2020. A delicatessen renovated from an izakaya
Located on the second floor of the Kurashiki City Plaza Nishi Building, "kitchen Mori no Kumasan" is very close to the south exit of JR Kurashiki Station.
It reopened as a delicatessen on September 16, 2020, in the place where the izakaya "Iso no Ie" used to be.
Nearby, there is a fruit sandwich specialty shop called Moto-ya (もとや).
The cute shop is based on red, matching the brick color of the Nishi Building.
It seems that a craftsman living in Mabi and the owner, Yamashita, designed it, and they arranged the shop's exterior in just about two weeks.
Inside the shop, you can find freshly fried karaage, fries, and homemade delicacies.
The interior still retains some of the izakaya's atmosphere, with a wide variety of alcoholic beverages available.
You can also order alcohol from the opening time, so you can enjoy a quick drink at the counter or have a drink with your delicacies during lunch.
▼ There is also a sunken kotatsu-style eat-in area at the back of the shop.
Bento, delicatessen, and reasonable lunch menu
Menus for bento, hors d'oeuvres, and delicacies are displayed all over the shop from the outside.
▼ Here is the specialty "Kurakara", which is chicken karaage and bento menu. They also support Uber Eats.
The bento is basically handmade on the spot for each order, and they do not prepare them in advance.
▼ Here is a sample photo of bento and hors d'oeuvres. You can customize the contents based on price, number of people, and preferences.
There is a wide variety of single-item delicacies! Here are some of them summarized below.
| Menu | Price (excluding tax) |
|---|---|
| Mori no Roast Beef | 980 yen |
| Mori no Hamburger | 580 yen |
| Nostalgic Beef Tendon and Daikon | 580 yen |
| Mother's Meat and Potato Stew | 580 yen |
| Teriyaki Chicken | 580 yen |
| Grilled Fish Made on the Spot! | 550 yen |
| Secret! Simmered Fish | 550 yen |
| Crab Cream Croquette (2 pieces) | 620 yen |
| Everyone's Favorite Shrimp Mayo Lemon | 680 yen |
| Seafood Grill | 1,000 yen |
| Garlic Shrimp | 680 yen |
| Scallop with Shell Butter | 1,000 yen |
| Gorgeous Salad | 680 yen |
| Salmon Salad | 550 yen |
| Scallop and Shrimp Carpaccio | 780 yen |
| Mushroom and Bacon Salad | 580 yen |
| Prosciutto and Cherry Tomato Cup | 480 yen |
| Salt and Pepper Stir-fried Gizzard | 500 yen |
| Kuma-san Onigiri | 100 yen |
| Overflowing Chan-chan Onigiri | 550 yen |
In addition to the takeout menu, there are also set meals available only during lunch.
You can also eat bento inside the shop. The lunch time starting from 11:30 comes with soup.
The key is the homemade sauce! "Mori no Hamburger Set"
Since it's a special occasion, I will have the shop's pride lunch menu, the "Mori no Hamburger Set" for 1,000 yen (excluding tax).
It comes with a daily small dish, soup, and white rice. The set meal is substantial with plenty of side dishes.
The hamburger is made with a homemade demi-glace sauce that was served at the predecessor of the seafood shop "Katatunmuri" run by the owner in the Kurashiki shopping district, "Wafu Chabo Katatunmuri".
The demi-glace sauce has a sharp taste with the acidity of tomatoes and the sweetness of onions, making it delicious!
I want to try the hamburger bento just for this sauce.
The daily delicacy is Chikuzen-ni.
Using taro's parent tuber, it has a comforting flavor.
"Uma Karaage Set" with a perfect sweet and spicy sauce
Another recommendation is the "Uma Karaage Set" for 850 yen (excluding tax).
kitchen Mori no Kumasan offers two types of fried chicken, and this one is "Uma Karaage" coated with a sweet and spicy sauce. The name itself sounds delicious.
Look at the size of this karaage. Four large pieces of fried chicken are so impressive that they seem to overflow from the plate.
The crispy fried chicken pairs perfectly with the soy sauce-based sweet and spicy sauce.
The crispy and juicy "sweet and salty" fried chicken is so delicious that it could become addictive.
Of course, it goes wonderfully with white rice, and even when you're full, the rice disappears quickly.
Not only bento and hors d'oeuvres, but also a great place for a good lunch and a quick drink, "kitchen Mori no Kumasan".
I interviewed the manager, Yamashita Kikumi, about the renewed shop and her feelings towards the izakaya and Mabi.
Data of kitchen森のくまさん
| Name | kitchen森のくまさん |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-7-2 Achi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, 2nd floor Kurashiki City Plaza West Building |
| Contact | 086-427-8898 |
| Parking | None |
| Business Hours | Tuesday to Thursday, Sunday: 11:30 AM to 10:30 PM (Last Order 10:00 PM) Friday and Saturday: 11:30 AM to 11:00 PM (Last Order 10:30 PM) |
| Regular Holiday | Monday If Monday is a holiday, open; closed on Tuesday |
| Payment Methods |
|
| Reservation | Available |
| Seats | 12 seats Tatami seating: 4×3 |
| Smoking | Completely non-smoking |
| Toilet | Western-style toilet |
