Vol.5 "Mensho Yotsukado" - A place where strong commitment and kindness to people intersect

"Mensho Yotsukado" is located near the Honmachi Shikaku intersection.

We spoke with Mr. Okamoto, the manager of Mensho Yotsukado, a restaurant located near the Honmachi Shikaku intersection.

-Please tell us what prompted you to open Mendokoro Yotsukado in Hadano.

I was born in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, and grew up in Matsuda, a town next to Hadano. I had previously worked in restaurants and moved around the country, including Fukuoka and Tokyo, but a transfer five years ago prompted me to decide to move to Hadano. After that, I wanted to open a restaurant where I could serve food with confidence, so about two and a half years ago, I opened Mendokoro Yotsukado. The name "Yotsukado" comes from the name of a nearby intersection.

Mr. Okamoto, manager of "Mensho Yotsukado"

-What is the appeal of Hadano?

The kindness of the people who live in Hadano is its greatest charm. Where we previously lived, my children were unable to adapt to the environment and it was stressful, but after we moved to Hadano, they quickly made friends and I was deeply moved by the way they kindly taught us how to ride a bicycle. Above all, I myself have met many warm-hearted people through my life in Hadano and have come to appreciate its charm. Furthermore, Hadano is surrounded by nature and has a wide range of educational facilities, so I feel it is a good place for children to grow up.

Okamoto-san entertains a wide range of customers with his creativity and ability to execute, including coming up with new menu ideas and creating mask keychains.

-What kind of store is Yotsukado?

I built everything from the interior to the furniture, including the ceiling, walls, tables, and the chairs you're sitting in, all with my own hands. I reused the previous interior and materials, and attempted DIY for the first time to keep costs to a minimum. At first, I placed a board on a gravel floor, placed a low table and cushions on top of that, and had customers eat their ramen there. Of course, the footing was so rough that there was a time when people would say things like, "It's hard to walk on!" and "It's uncomfortable." Since then, I've made daily improvements and have grown into the shop I know today. The customers who frequent the shop have enjoyed the gradual changes to the interior, and local residents have given me paintings as gifts, watching the shop grow.

The interior is designed from scratch and features paintings donated by local residents, creating a warm atmosphere.

-What kind of food can you enjoy at Yotsukado?

We aim to be a restaurant where families can relax, with kids enjoying ramen and dad enjoying a drink. Although we are a ramen shop, I am also a certified sake sommelier, so we are very particular about sake. We place great importance on pairing ramen with the toppings and other sake, and we spend a lot of time developing our menu every day. Nowadays, many customers ask us, "What dish would go well with this sake?" We would like to convey how to enjoy sake by serving dishes that make the most of the flavor of each individual sake, and making them say, "Delicious!"

New, carefully designed menu items designed to pair with sake are constantly being introduced.

-You are currently selling Kanai Sake Brewery's sake. What has been the reaction from customers?

Since opening, we have been stocking Kanai Sake Brewery's " Sasa no Tsuyu " and "Hadano Monogatari." Sake brewed with Hadano water and ramen made with Hadano water go extremely well together, so we always recommend them to anyone visiting Hadano. For those looking for a drink to start, we recommend "Hadano Monogatari," which you'll never get tired of even if you drink it every day, and "Sasa no Tsuyu" is a great pairing with meat dishes like char siu and gyoza. Many local customers are also loyal drinkers of Kanai Sake Brewery, and many order the sake from Kanai Sake Brewery that they are familiar with.

A lineup of sake carefully selected by Mr. Okamoto, a certified sake sommelier

-Please tell us about the future of Hadano.

We want to make Hadano, which is a hometown for children, an even more enjoyable town. Many of the shopping districts in the Hadano area have closed, and the town has become deserted with few people on the streets. That is why we have a strong desire to bring vitality back to the town, and we are hiring part-time workers, mainly high school students, as a place where young people can thrive. By providing lunch for people who work in the town, and by providing a place where children and young people can gather and have fun, we hope to liven up Hadano and contribute to the community.

Introduction to "Mensho Yotsukado"
The manager, who is a certified sake sommelier, creates ramen that pairs perfectly with sake. Recently, he collaborated with local people to create and sell mask chains, and the interior design is full of the owner's unique ideas, making it a must-see.

Store name: Noodle shop Yotsukado <br>Address: 6-17 Sakaemachi, Hadano City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Contact: 0463-45-5617
Business hours: 11:00-14:00, 18:00-21:00
[Shortened business hours period] 11:00-14:00, 17:00-20:00
Closed: Tuesdays Access: 10 minutes walk from Hadano Station on the Odakyu Line