Located in the Lassic Project of Kiyokawa, a former ryokan that was divided into cafes, restaurants and offices, O-mame is a great place for a quiet lunch, coffee, or evening meal. Owners and former track and field partners Sakata and Nakashima now serve well-balanced and healthy home-style Japanese meals. The name, o-mame (honorable bean) suggests a plethora of bean dishes, but alas, there isn’t a bean to be seen! The weekly set gives you a choice of udon or rice, soup, a side dish, and a mini-dessert. Lunch sets are just 750 yen and include a 300 yen discount on non-alcoholic beverages. In the evenings, a 100 yen discount is offered. Pictured here is shibazuke, a tangy rice dish made with pickles, a side of veggies, and miso shiru. Nothing fancy – simple and delicious. Vegetarians will love the yasai-ankake-don, and we also recommend the bin-biru set, a medium bottle of beer and three side dishes, for 700 yen. Be sure to save room for the O-mame Parfait: matcha ice cream tonyu (soy milk) pudding, tsubuan (sweet red beans), cake, and a crispy sesame biscuit – mmmmmm… divine!
O-mame Cafe
1-D Lassic, 2-1-21, Kiyokawa, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
092-523-6323
Open: Lunch: 11:30~15:00, Café/Dinner: 15:00~24:00 (LO 23:00)
Closed: Tue.
Prices: No table charge, Lunch sets: 850 yen, Dinner sets: 850 yen, Beer: 450 yen (small bottle) Coffee: 400 yen, O-mame Parfait: 650 yen
Originally published in Fukuoka Now magazine (fn107, Nov. 2007)