Interview with Kota Kasai, representative of Bukkake udon Kouta
Bukkake udon Kouta, which boasts a strong popularity in the local area of Kojima, offers flavors that can be enjoyed every day.
I spoke with the representative, Kota Kasai.
Aiming to be a shop familiar like a public dining hall
Please tell us about the background of your opening.
Kasai
I am from Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
I became interested in dairy farming and went to a high school where I could learn about dairy farming in Hokkaido.
After studying dairy farming, I wanted to try more things and returned home. I worked mainly in restaurants while traveling around the country.
For example, I worked at a ramen shop in Tokyo and an Okinawan restaurant in Okinawa Prefecture.
As I moved around various places, I eventually came to Kojima in Kurashiki City.
After coming to Kojima, I worked for about 10 years at an obanzai shop run by my wife's mother. I learned a lot of things here.
While working, I thought, "I want to create a shop with a friendly atmosphere where people can casually come to eat, like a public dining hall that I was familiar with as a child," and decided to open the shop.
I love ramen. Ramen is a dish that many people enjoy.
By the way, I also thought about including ramen in the menu if I were to run a public dining hall.
Opened the shop with the cooperation of local people
Did you train to become a ramen shop?
Kasai
When I was working at a ramen shop in Tokyo, I gained deep experience. I believe this experience was valuable.
Also, the know-how of running a restaurant came from my experiences at the Okinawan restaurant and my mother-in-law's shop.
That said, there were many things I didn't know, such as fundraising, property searching, construction meetings, and various procedures. With the wisdom and support of many people I had met so far, I somehow managed to open the shop.
I am truly grateful and still feel full of gratitude.
In this way, in 2016, I opened "Bukkake udon Kouta" at the current location.
In 2021, I opened the second store, Nakasho.
Making it friendly and enjoyable by intentionally leaving some "roughness"
I would like to know the points you are particular about in running the shop.
Kasai
I aim to be a shop where people can casually drop by without feeling tense.
The reason I originally wanted to run a public dining hall was that I wanted to create a friendly shop that is loved by local people.
Even after changing to a ramen shop, that remains the same.
I want to create a shop where you can enjoy casually like a public dining hall, a place you won't get tired of visiting every day.
My goal is to have a shop that people can come to without hesitation.
I intentionally do not narrow down the target audience. I want everyone, regardless of age or gender, to enjoy it.
My goal is for people to think, "Where should I eat today? Is 'Kouta' good?"
I am grateful that the shop can operate thanks to the support of local people and customers.
I want to continue providing ramen with that feeling in mind.
What about your commitment to taste and cooking?
Kasai
Not only in operations, but the theme regarding cooking is also "casual and enjoyable."
To achieve this, I am particular about intentionally leaving some "roughness."
This does not mean working in a messy way, but rather not over-arranging the way ingredients are cut or plated.
If everything is too neat, it can make people feel a bit tense.
By showing some roughness, I aim to create ramen that is friendly and enjoyable.
Menu utilizing experience from an obanzai shop
Please tell me the points of the ramen.
Kasai
The soup of the Bukkake udon is based on chicken bones.
The chicken bones are simmered slowly until they become cloudy, ensuring that the flavor of the chicken is well felt.
The homemade noodles are made to be thin and straight to match the soup of our shop.
The char siu is designed to be something that makes you happy when you find it as an ingredient, something that satisfies you when you eat it. It is thick, with a good balance of lean meat and fat, and the seasoning is finished so that the flavor of the meat can be felt.
This char siu is homemade and is made by aging for 5 hours.
One of the points of our Bukkake udon is spinach.
I thought it would be nice to have an ingredient that serves as a break for chopsticks, and I thought spinach would go well with our Bukkake udon.
This idea came from my experience at the obanzai shop.
The "seasonal soba" feels like a unique menu of Kouta.
Kasai
That's right. The seasonal soba is a unique Bukkake udon of our shop.
The soup and noodles of the seasonal soba are made with seasonal vegetables, thickened with chicken bone soup and egg.
The vegetables are mainly from the local area.
Since they are seasonal, the contents change depending on the season and also on the day's procurement situation.
The changing contents are exciting, right? Also, having a lot of vegetables is nutritious and pleasing.
The seasonal soba is a menu that utilizes what I did at the obanzai shop. I used to cook with seasonal ingredients.
Also, since the procurement situation varies from day to day, I would arrange the dishes I made.
This flexible cooking was incorporated into the ramen shop, giving birth to the seasonal soba.
Want to run a ramen shop with people who can enjoy it together
If you have anything you want to try in the future, please let me know.
Kasai
I would like to expand to multiple stores.
I want to do fun things, not create a systematic operation, so I run a ramen shop and work with a smile every day.
I want to run a ramen shop with interesting people who can enjoy it together.
Bukkake udon Kouta, a place you want to visit every day and enjoy ramen casually
As representative Kasai said, "a shop you can visit every day" and "a shop you can casually visit," Bukkake udon Kouta has a friendly atmosphere.
The chicken bone-based soup is light yet flavorful, with a taste that is somewhat addictive.
The homemade thick char siu is also irresistibly delicious.
Please be sure to try the delicious Bukkake udon.
Data on Bukkake udon Kouta
| Name | Bukkake udon Kouta |
|---|---|
| Address | 4047 Ajino, Kojima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-697-6686 |
| Parking | Available (15 spaces) |
| Business Hours | 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM |
| Regular Holidays | Monday 3rd Tuesday |
| Payment Methods |
|
| Reservation | No |
| Seating | 26 seats in total (maximum) ・Counter: up to 10 seats (varies depending on the situation) ・4-person tables: 5 tables ・6-person table: 1 table |
| Smoking | Completely non-smoking |
| Toilet | Western-style toilet |
| Childcare | Strollers allowed High chairs available Child-friendly utensils available |
| Barrier-free | Wheelchair accessible inside the shop, but the entrance has stairs, so assistance is needed Toilet is not wheelchair accessible |
| Website | Bukkake udon Kouta Instagram |
