After a pre-opening period of three weeks, this restaurant has finally officially opened. I decided to try the new menu item, "baked curry," which wasn't available initially. The server warned me that the container was very hot, but when I tried it, the inside wasn't hot, and the egg was still raw. It seems like the heating time for this new dish hasn't been established yet. The restaurant is located a 2-minute walk from JR Nishitetsu Nijinomatsubara Station, just a 15-minute ride on the rapid train from Hakata Station. On the second day of opening, despite expecting a long line, there was none. However, the restaurant was packed, and I had to wait for a counter seat to open up. The baked curry costs 850 yen and is served in a deep ceramic bowl with mixed grain rice, a raw egg, vegetable curry sauce, and cheese on top, heated before serving. The curry, made only with vegetables, had a rich flavor, almost unnoticeable as vegetable-based. The restaurant only offers mild and sweet curry, so I chose mild and adjusted the seasoning to my liking using the homemade garam masala, cayenne pepper, and black pepper on the table. As someone who enjoys spicy food, I generously sprinkled garam masala and cayenne pepper, creating just the right amount of heat. The chicken curry I tried during the pre-opening was also mild and pleasant. The restaurant even has facilities for children on the second floor, indicating a focus on female customers. This type of restaurant was not previously seen in Nijinomatsubara, and I hope it becomes a part of the local community.

The vegetable curry plate, along with a variety of vegetable side dishes, was delicious and I didn't get tired of it until the end. By the time I finished eating, my body felt warm. The smoothie was also very tasty. The next day, my body felt great. I definitely want to visit this restaurant again.

A new curry specialty store opened on February 4th in a small town. The store is known for its spicy curry. Previously, there was a udon restaurant called "Morino" at the same location, but unfortunately, it closed down. The location is not very busy, situated in a residential area with little foot traffic. The curry is affordable, so I decided to go for lunch on a weekday right after the store opened at 11:30 am. There were already two customers ahead of me. The staff, two women, seated me at an empty counter seat. I ordered the Chicken Curry (medium spicy) for 850 yen with the standard 200g of rice. The dish included turmeric rice, pickled vegetables, and spices for flavor adjustment. The curry had a spicy kick with a hint of roundness, but lacked depth in flavor, possibly due to insufficient simmering. The aroma of the spices was strong. The dish included three pieces of chicken thigh meat marinated in garlic koji. The store seems to cater more towards female customers, as most of the clientele during my visit were women. Overall, it is a stylish and recommended place to enjoy the aroma of spices.

I went to a pre-opening tasting event at Curry House Hikari, which is scheduled to open behind JR Futamata Station for two days. The biggest feature of this restaurant is their family-friendly healthy spice curry with low calories, made without wheat flour and butter and with a mild level of spiciness. The spiciness can be adjusted using homemade mixed garam masala, cayenne pepper, and black pepper on the table. The Vegetable Curry Plate with medium spiciness and extra large portion at a discounted price of 500 yen includes carrots, pumpkin, shimeji mushrooms, broccoli, pickles, lettuce, and more, adding a delicious flavor to the curry. The Chicken Curry with medium spiciness and extra large portion at a discounted price of 500 yen has a different taste profile from the Vegetable Curry, with plenty of meaty goodness. While the curry is well-made considering its wheat flour and butter-free, low-calorie nature, it lacks a bit of spiciness and punch compared to other spice curries from different restaurants, even with the use of table spices. I have high expectations for the pricing and other aspects in the future.