“Chuka Hirune,” located near Nishinomiya Shrine, has been in business for over 50 years and is still frequently featured on TV, in newspapers, magazines, and more.
The restaurant used to be open from evening until morning, and since the owner slept during the daytime, it was apparently named “Hirune” (“nap”). These days, it also operates at lunchtime under the name “Teishoku Hiruma.”
It was already known as a great-value restaurant, but apparently the lunchtime deals are even better.
So this time, we stopped by during lunch.
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Food at “Chuka Hirune (Teishoku Hiruma)”
The specialty here is, without a doubt, the roast pork. It is used in almost every dish, but this time I ordered the “Roast Pork Set” (750 yen).
This is a menu item focused entirely on the roast pork itself.
Here is the roast pork.
It comes to a little over 200 grams, so the portion is very satisfying. Above all, the secret sauce is outstanding, and it makes the rice disappear fast.
I will write a little more about the roast pork later, but this roast pork is made with pork shoulder loin, so it is not as fatty as the more common belly-cut roast pork, and the balance with the lean meat is excellent.
A set with this heaping portion of their famous roast pork, rice, soup, and pickles costs 750 yen, so the value is hard to beat.
How the Roast Pork at “Chuka Hirune (Teishoku Hiruma)” Is Made
How exactly is their famous roast pork made?
Let me introduce it in a little more detail.
This is the domestic pork shoulder loin used as the main ingredient.
The owner of “Hirune” often says, almost like a catchphrase, “If you can copy our roast pork, go ahead and copy it as much as you like,” but ordinary people would first have no way of getting this meat.
For restaurants, building reliable supply routes is more important than anything, and this must be the result of the trust the owner has steadily built up over many years.
Many places use pork belly for roast pork, but this shop uses shoulder loin, so it is not overly fatty and produces roast pork with a wonderful balance of lean meat and fat.
The blocks of shoulder loin are trimmed and tied with string so they keep their shape.
The blocks of meat are then hung inside this special oven for roast pork and cooked slowly.
This is the meat partway through roasting.
To make sure the heat reaches every part evenly, the pieces are moved around during cooking and roasted further.
Here it is after roasting.
As it cooks, moisture and fat drip away, and the weight becomes less than half of what it was.
That is how concentrated the flavor of the pork becomes.
Finally, the meat is soaked in this special sauce.
This sauce is made by continuously adding to the existing batch, and it contains many ingredients, including soy sauce, sake, and sugar.
If you are curious, why not try it at the restaurant and see if you can guess what is in it? (Though I do not think you will get it right.)
The roast pork can be eaten in the restaurant, and takeout and delivery are also available.
Please ask the restaurant for details.
Menu at “Chuka Hirune (Teishoku Hiruma)”
This is the lunch menu.
At lunchtime, you can enjoy great-value set meals.
By the way, this is the evening menu.
Please note that the menu and prices are a little different from lunchtime.
Roast pork and other menu items are also available for takeout.
Inside “Chuka Hirune (Teishoku Hiruma)”
The restaurant has table seating only.
This is what the inside looks like.
There was also a newspaper article that had just recently featured the restaurant.
Exterior of “Chuka Hirune (Teishoku Hiruma)”
The restaurant is located along National Route 43, right next to Nishinomiya Shrine.
This is the restaurant entrance.
“Shokudo Sekai” is located on the second floor.
Store Information for “Chuka Hirune (Teishoku Hiruma)”
★Hours 11:00～3:00
★Closed Sunday
★Phone 0798-35-8752
★Address Hyogo PrefectureNishinomiya CityHonmachi8-12 1F
★Seating 45 seats
★Smoking Allowed
★Credit cards Not accepted
★Related links
HP/Tabelog
(*Prices, menu items, business hours, and other details are as of the time of coverage. Please contact the restaurant directly for the latest information.)
