KANATYA renewed and expanded its store in the fall of 2016.
A new cake specialty store and bakery specialty store have been added, reusing an old private house, and continue to attract repeat customers with their playful cuisine and unique space presentation.

Prologue Italian Restaurant in the Suburbs of Nobeoka City

It was 2003 when the owner Takashi Kanai opened the Italian restaurant KANAYA in his hometown, the emotionally rich town of Todoro, which has long prospered as a fishing town. At the time, KANAYA was the talk of the town, as it breathed new life into the town with its innovative ideas and strong love of the local area, focusing on seafood landed in the town and locally produced ingredients. Now, some 15 years later, the restaurant continues to attract repeat customers with its numerous menu developments and storefront presentations, all in pursuit of local ingredients, health, and the enjoyment of food, without wavering in its beliefs.

The bread cube series is the mainstay of PANETTERIA. A number of flavors are available.

The bread is kneaded with vegetables, grains, dried fruits, and other ingredients to create a healthy and flavorful bread with a cute cube-shaped design, as well as sandwiches, salted bread, chocolate bread, and other items perfect for snacks and light meals. The breads are available in cute cube-shaped designs and are perfect for snacks and light meals, such as sandwiches, salted bread, chocolate bread, etc.

The main dish on the lunch menu is a cocotte dish, which Kanai has been wanting to introduce for some time.

The Italian menu, which has been the focus of attention since the opening of the restaurant, is based on the theme of "traditional Italian cuisine and original style utilizing local ingredients, which we hope you will enjoy without any hesitation," and will feature "cocotte dishes" that are high in protein and low in calories, and more "healthy" in nature. The main dish will be "cocotte cuisine," which is high in protein and low in calories. Cocotte dishes are steamed with the moisture of the ingredients instead of fried in oil, which reduces calories considerably and brings out the flavor of the ingredients, resulting in a more delicate taste. This is why, in this renewal, all the cooking equipment in the kitchen, including the induction cookers, were replaced with a focus on cocotte cooking.

The new "KANAYA" was designed, renovated, and developed its menu by hand with the image of a countryside restaurant in the suburbs of Nobeoka City in mind. The new "KANAYA" was designed, renovated, and developed its menu with their own hands, inspired by a countryside restaurant in the suburbs of Italy. In this report, we introduce the restaurant and interview Kanai about his vision for the future.

 

Restaurant Introduction

Address: 6-1734-1, Tsuchizaro-cho, Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture
Phone: 0982-37-3911
Hours of Operation:
Lunch 11:30-15:00 (LO 14:30)
Dinner 17:30-22:00 (LO21:00)
Closed: Every Monday

The restaurant reopened on December 6, 2016, following the bakery and dolce workshop that opened earlier. The restaurant was renovated by reusing driftwood, dead wood, and scrap wood found in the local sea, and its appearance is reminiscent of a nostalgic scene. The space has been expanded from its previous location to include a new table space with terrace seating, allowing the restaurant to guide more people.

▲ Newly built table space. Light pours in from the terrace, and the warmth of the trees and earth colors create a soft atmosphere.

Pendant light handmade by Kanai owner. Playful details such as reused tomato cans and old tableware are scattered throughout.

▲Terrace seating adjacent to the table seating. It is recommended to dine while admiring the greenery of the garden.

 

Restaurant Menu Pickup Introduction

Aqua Pazza with today's fish and seafood 1,200 yen (included)

*Dinner menu will be available from 5:30 p.m.
Using a large STAUB, this aqua pazza boasts seasonal homemade vegetables and fresh fish landed locally. On this particular day, the dish was filled with Yamato kampachi caught on Shimanoura Island, a remote island in Nobeoka City, as well as home-grown summer vegetables. The delicious broth oozing from each of the ingredients combined with a gentle yet satisfying taste in the mouth.

 

Grilled Dodoro pork shoulder with cured ham 1,500 yen (included)

*Dinner menu will be available from 5:30 p.m.
Saltimbocca" is a grilled dish that is well-known in Italian cuisine, but arranged in the owner's style. A large piece of prosciutto ham is used to cover the grilled shoulder, which is then topped with steamed vegetables, creating a gorgeous dish.

The renovation to an induction kitchen for cocotte cooking has eliminated the need for open-flame cooking equipment, but this has worked out well, as grilled dishes are cooked over a luxurious charcoal fire. The owner himself originally planned to incorporate charcoal cooking into the renewed menu, as he is fond of cooking outdoors.
The cured ham moistens and locks in the flavor of the tender loin meat, filling the mouth with juicy juices and the aroma of charcoal.

Other fish/meat dishes] (all incl. tax)

Nagasaki mussels and octopus steamed in white wine 1,200 yen
Sauteed sturgeon from Tsuchitaro: 1,200 yen
Fritter of prawns 1,400 yen
Hamburger steak, KANAYA style, 1,300 yen
Charcoal-grilled Jitokko chicken with lemon 1,500 yen
KAYANA Beef Stew 1,500 yen
Charcoal-grilled beef filet with porcini mushroom cream sauce ¥2,300, etc.

Other Dinner Appetizer Menu] (All prices include tax)

[Cold appetizers]
Assorted 3 kinds of appetizers 500 yen
KANAYA bread bruschetta with pâté of Tsuchiaro pork 400 yen
Pickles with homemade root vegetables 350 yen
Caprese with Shinmon farm tomatoes and mozzarella cheese: 450 yen
Salad with homemade miso and ricotta cheese, 600 yen, etc.

[Warm appetizers]

Rice croquettes with bacon and porcini mushrooms: 500 yen
Pizza dough fritters flavored with green laver: 450 yen
Oven-baked vegetables with bagna cauda sauce ¥600
Prawns and flower vegetables ajillo ¥700, etc.

 

Seafood pescatore 900 yen (included)

*Dinner menu will be available from 5:30 p.m.
Pescatori, made with seafood landed locally and other seafood, high quality olive oil, and tomato sauce, has been one of KANAYA's most popular pasta dishes since the opening of KANAYA. The seafood broth, the acidity of the tomatoes, and the mildness of the olive oil are exquisite.

Other Pasta/Risotto Menu] (All prices include tax)

Aglio Aglio Peperoncino ¥750
Bongolevianco with kama-age chirimen and clams from Tsuchidoro, 850 yen
Amatriciana with pancetta and mushrooms: 900 yen
Bacon and Gorgonzola Cheese Cream Sauce ¥980
Smoked sausage and porcini mushrooms in cream sauce
Cream risotto with shrimp and pumpkin 980 yen
KANAYA original vegetable bread 300 yen, etc.

 

Tsuchitaro Pizza half 630 yen / full 1,150 yen (included)

Authentic Italian pizza baked in our newly renovated stone oven. Pizza dough carefully prepared in the bakery is baked at once in the high heat of the stone oven. Among them, "Dodoro Pizza" is an original that uses local specialty, kama-age chirimen and plenty of high-quality olive oil, and the aroma of basil and the sea passes through the rich milk flavor of mozzarella cheese in a refreshing manner.

Other Pizzas] Half/Full (all tax included)

Marinara 430/750
Bianca Normale 480/850
Pizza with smoked sausage 630/1,150
Pizza with Parma ham 700/1,200, etc. (toppings menu available)

 

Meat Lunch (with bread and salad) from the lunch menu: 1,200 yen (included)

Lunch time 11:30-15:00
The contents vary depending on the season and availability, but on this day it was char-grilled pork loin with a special honey mustard sauce set. The aroma of the charcoal fire was trapped inside the cocotte, and the steamed vegetables served with it were also soaked in the savory aroma. The bread was carrot bread and spinach bread, both made in the bakery, and a vegetable salad, KANAYA's specialty, was also included in the set, adding to the flavor and colorful composition of the dish.

 

dolce

The original sweets that we have been focusing on since our opening are made at the newly established "PASTICCERIA (Dolce Workshop). In addition to the popular sweets that have been a staple since the opening, a series of new sweets using seasonal fruits and vegetables have been introduced. *Can be purchased and taken out at the Dolce Workshop (see below).

From left.
Rare Cheese Cake with Tomatoes from Shinmon Farm 300 yen
Hebes jelly with mango topping: 300 yen
Coconut tofu with molasses ¥300

■Lunch menu (all tax included)

KANAYA Margherita Pizza Lunch (with salad) 1,000 yen
Today's pasta lunch (with salad and bread) 1,000 yen
Today's fish lunch (with salad and bread) 1,200 yen
LUNCH COURSE (appetizer, pasta or pizza, salad, fish or meat dish, bread, dessert, drink) 2,500 yen

■Dinner course 3,000 yen (tax included)

3 kinds of appetizers / Salad / Fish or meat dish / Dessert / Drink / KANAYA bread (all-you-can-eat)

Dinner course 5,000 yen (tax included)

Appetizer / 5 kinds of appetizers / Pasta / Fish dish / Salad / Charcoal-grilled beef filet with porcini mushroom cream sauce / Assorted dolce / Drink / KANAYA bread this and that

 

PANETTERIA (Bakery)

Address: 6-1734-1, Tsuchizaro-cho, Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture
Phone: 0982-20-0802
Business hours: 9:00-18:00
Closed: Every Monday

On October 6, 2016, an old private house adjacent to KANAYA was renovated and a new bakery was established. Using an old-fashioned Japanese-style dance, a clock with a spring-loaded clock, an old glass door with a sense of history, and old wood, the workshop is full of design, where Japanese and Western elements coexist.

The theme of the bakery is "Bread," which is made in a variety of variations in pursuit of a fluffy texture and safety without preservatives or additives. The bread is made in a variety of variations, with the aim of making it easy to enjoy as a snack, as well as visually pleasing to the eye.

The breads made are displayed in a charming, elegant manner, reusing an old Japanese-style chest of drawers from a traditional Japanese house. Through the glass, visitors can watch the bread being prepared.

A female staff member specializing in bread working in the workshop. From morning until just before the transitional period at noon, I was impressed to see them molding dough at a high tempo and using the machines to prepare as much as possible in a limited amount of time.

 

KANAYA main cube bread 200 yen (tax not included) (800 yen for 2 loaves / 400 yen for 1 loaf, tax not included)

From left.
Sweet potato / carrot / spinach / five grains / raisins

 

Egg sandwich 430 yen (tax not included)

This hearty sandwich combines spinach bread with a slightly sweet thickly baked egg and special sauce. It has become a popular item since its introduction and is sold out as soon as it hits the store shelves. Since there is a limited number of these sandwiches available, we recommend that those who wish to try them come to the store in time for the opening of the business.

 

Dodoro Burger 500 yen (tax not included)

It is a local burger that was served at a KANAYA event and won the first prize in the "Specialty Cuisine and Confectionery Contest" at the "Noborizaru Festa" food and product event in Nobeoka City. It is a unique combination of hiroshi smoked pork with balsamic sauce and wasabi mayo as accents, with pineapple sandwiched in between, and sometimes with a hint of an Asian flavor.

 

Tsuchitaro pork cutlet sandwich 500 yen (tax not included)

A meal-type sandwich consisting of a juicy cutlet made by layering several thin slices of Dodoro pork in a mille-feuille-like pattern, sandwiched between two slices of carrot bread. Combined with the soft and fluffy bread, it is tender enough for even small children to easily bite into. Another popular point is that it is small enough to eat without making a mess around the mouth.

 

PASTICCERIA (Dolce Workshop)

Address: 6-1734-1, Tsuchizaro-cho, Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture
Phone: 0982-20-5822
Business hours: 9:00-18:00
Closed: Every Monday

The warehouse adjacent to the previous restaurant was torn down and the old house hidden in the back was renovated to house the dolce workshop, which, like the bakery, opened on October 6, 2016. Until now, dolce had also been made in the restaurant, but the workshop was built independently in order to improve work efficiency, to actively engage in new product development, and to allow customers to easily purchase KANAYA's signature dolce.

The workshop is located in a secluded area, but the bright, heavenly-colored door is eye-catching and makes its presence known. The owner himself did all the work, including painting the door and walls, reupholstering the wallpaper, and adding the driftwood handles.

Bellini, a coffee shop that formerly operated out of a warehouse as a storefront, is now attached to the building, and after 1:00 p.m., visitors can enjoy coffee time at the counter or in the garden space with their purchased dolce and takeout coffee.

 

Pick Up Recommended Dolce Introduction

■Cheese tart 200 yen (tax not included)

From back left: Gorgonzola / Chocolate / KANAYA Cheese Tart
From left to right: Pumpkin / Matcha

The Cheese Tart series is also offered on restaurant dolce menus. The round and cute shape is filled with the rich flavor of the ingredients.

Back row stand dolce from left to right

■Shinmon farm tomato rare cheese cake 300 yen (tax not included)
■Hebes jelly with mango topping 300 yen (tax not included)
■Coconut tofu with molasses 250 yen (tax not included)
Grapes topping 300 yen (tax not included)

Front row, from front

Roll cake with fresh chocolate jelly Special price 200 yen (tax not included) *This is the price at the time of the interview.
■Bellini collaboration thick coffee pudding 250 yen (tax not included)

 

Interview with Takashi Kanai, Owner

It has been about 15 years since KANAYA opened. The concept and dream have not changed since the beginning. We would like to continue to challenge new things by creating a playful and creative area to attract people interested in visiting the suburbs of Nobeoka City.

Q: First of all, congratulations on your renewal. You have so many customers!

Thank you very much. After the renewal, operations were completely different, and we had to scramble around a lot, which caused us some inconvenience, but we finally got used to it, and it is very rewarding.

Q: The menu seems to have changed completely.

Yes, we did. First of all, we have renewed our kitchen with a focus on cocotte cooking, which we have wanted to introduce for a long time. Cocotte dishes are steamed with the moisture of the ingredients, so they are very healthy, and the flavor of the ingredients is combined to create a multifaceted positive effect. Also, we considered Pizza as one of the main menu items as well. We had a specialized company come in and create KANAYA's original oven. Furthermore, since we have made induction cookware to match the cocotte dishes, the grill dishes are cooked over charcoal. As a result, I can now shape what I want to do."

Q: Any new concepts or themes?

The basic concept of KANAYA has not changed. Based in my hometown of Tsuchizaro-cho, Nobeoka City, I want many customers to know about local vegetables, fish, and meat. I always try to structure the menu with a sense of seasonality and a playful spirit, and I want customers to enjoy the food and the space. I am always thinking of ways to make my customers enjoy the food and the space. Of course, we are particular about food safety and security, and we do not use any additives in our bread or dolce. We are also more than ever committed to using home-grown, pesticide-free vegetables and other vegetables grown with care by farmers as main dishes, not as ”garnish,” like meat and fish, and to introducing dishes in which vegetables play the leading role. We also devise recipes with vegetables as the main ingredient.

Q: What made you decide to renew?

As part of our future plan since the opening, we had a plan to create a workshop and store in a separate building from the restaurant, where homemade bread and sweets could be casually taken out. So, we were thinking of renovating and developing a warehouse next to the parking lot where the coffee shop Bellini used to operate, but after the Kumamoto earthquake last year, we reviewed the building and found that it had not been earthquake-proofed and renovation would be difficult. So, what should we do? We were at a standstill, and then we learned that the house next door was going up for sale at just the right time to give us goosebumps, and we thought, ”Now or never! And with that, we took the plunge into the renewal project. While the restaurant continued to operate as usual, we opened the bakery and sweets studio on October 6, and then spent the next two months renovating the restaurant, which opened on December 6.”

Q: Both the bakery and dolce workshop are well equipped!

"With the renewal, we also took the plunge and installed equipment. We haven't quite mastered it ourselves yet, but thanks to it, we are now able to make ideal breads and dolce. Before, we could only work inside the restaurant, which limited the amount of bread we could make and the time we had to work with it, but now that we have a workshop, we can focus on creating new recipes as we go along, and I think we can try many more things.

Q: Did you have any concerns about taking some time off from the restaurant?

We were anxious, of course, but our clients were looking forward to the renewal, so we put a lot of effort into the renovation work. We were excited ourselves, knowing that they would be even more pleased than before. The signboard being installed and the exterior walls being repainted were visible to cars passing on the national highway, and we were often approached by them. We also had the bakery and dolce workshop up and running a step ahead of the others, so although it was only a small amount, we hope that the essence of KANAYA could be felt without interrupting the flow."

Q: After the renovation, the store retains the atmosphere of the previous store, but has a retro feel, like a café in the suburbs of Italy.

We designed it to look exactly like that. We wanted to create a space with a retro atmosphere in the suburbs of Nobeoka City, a place where customers can stroll and relax. We used dead wood and driftwood we picked up at the beach near the store as interior decoration, intentionally scratched the exterior walls after painting them white to give them a retro look, and renovated most of the wallpaper, paint, and approach to the entrance ourselves to create a warm atmosphere with a handmade feel. We painted and used tomato cans and old cooking utensils for lighting umbrellas, and set up tables in the space made wider by the demolition of a warehouse so that people can enjoy café hours even after restaurant hours.

Q: What is your outlook for the future?

It has been about 15 years since we opened, and some of our customers have been coming to us since the beginning, and we are very happy that they seem to have grown old with us and with KANAYA. We would like to continue to develop our stores with a playful spirit so that we can grow together. We would also like to continue to develop a presence in the suburbs so that even after 5 or 10 years, our old fans will still want to go to KANAYA, and those who have never visited us before will think of us as a place they would like to go someday. I want KANAYA to be a store that attracts interest from many directions, so that nail salons, beauty salons, and other stores of various genres will gather here in the suburbs.

Thank you for your time.

 

Epilogue: After the interview

Model: Yuka Yoshikawa

The store now has an impressive exterior with sky-blue walls. When you enter the newly renovated store, you will smell the sweet aroma of flour. The freshness of the ingredients can be seen and felt from the open kitchen.

I had my first taste of the owner's new challenge, cocotte cooking using a cast-iron enameled pot, and I recommend it for the variety of cooking expressed in a single pot. The "Marinated Tuna with Onion Sauce," steamed tuna topped with onion sauce, was a fresh taste I had never had before.

The restaurant also offers a wide variety of pizzas, traditional KANAYA a la carte, and special wines, and is truly a "trattoria" where you can enjoy eating while feeling good about your health. The newly added sweets store allows you to enjoy a leisurely café time, and the bakery offers take-out of natural breads that are small in size and delightful. It was a place I would like to visit with friends, family, and loved ones.

 

Access 5 min. drive from Minami-Nobuoka Interchange on Higashi-Kyushu Expressway.

KANAYA

Restaurant
Address: 6-1734-1, Tsuchizaro-cho, Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture
Phone: 0982-37-3911
Hours of Operation:
Lunch 11:30-15:00 (LO 14:30)
Dinner 17:30-22:00 (LO21:00)

PANETTERIA (Bakery)
Phone: 0982-20-0802
Business hours: 9:00-18:00

PASTICCERIA (Dolce Workshop)
Phone: 0982-20-5822
Business hours: 9:00-18:00

All closed: Every Monday

 

Interview and editorial staff

Model Report: Yuka Yoshikawa
Editing: Nozomi Nakamoto
Photography and production: VOKE Ltd.