An "Airbnb Meal" Made Only With Local Ingredients in a 150-Year-Old Traditional House in Ukiha: Peach Somen and a Somen Champloo Born From a Mistake

The first stop was a farm stand in Ukiha. Blueberry fields stretched along the way, and the two were struck by how fresh the air was. Inside the shop, grapes stood out, and there were even rhinoceros beetles for sale. On Shine Muscat grapes, Morita advised that the larger and whiter the grapes, the sweeter they are. Ryuji compared prices, noting that for just 300 yen more you could get a slightly bigger box with everything included, but went with the cheaper one.

Other items they picked up included peaches, figs larger than any they had ever seen, kabosu citrus at 200 yen each, eggs, horse sashimi, a whole block of local pork (Sennen Buta), takana mustard greens, and garlic pepper. Of the peaches, Ryuji said they are "great in things like pasta," and also mentioned the incident in which Ukiha pears were stolen and made the news. Ryuji had also heard that Ukiha is a noodle-making region, and the shelves were lined with lemon soba and locally made champon. According to the shop, the good water throughout the area is the reason it became a noodle-producing region.

For vegetables, they bought garlic chives, wood ear mushrooms, a full bag of okra for 100 yen, a sweet corn variety called Dolce Dream, garlic, and bacon. One problem was that there was no umami seasoning anywhere in the shop. Instead, they bought a bottle of "Yorozu Dressing," which the shop recommended. For Morita, a sake lover, they picked out a local sake based purely on its bold, spirited label.

Their lodging was a 150-year-old wooden traditional house. According to the owner, the structure was restored using traditional building methods, while the interior and visible areas were carefully reworked by a designer. The moment they opened the door, the two exclaimed at how cool and spacious it was. The kitchen was equipped with a grill, and Ryuji was delighted, saying "I can definitely work with this," meaning real cooking was possible here. Drinks were complimentary welcome drinks, limited to one per person. They also noted that the front of the building was designed so guests could set off fireworks, and were impressed that it had been thought out so visitors could make summer memories.

In Ukiha, all the water is well water, and this lodging reportedly isn't connected to the municipal supply either. The two compared the water and described it as soft, with no hint of chlorine at all. They said it was on par with bottled natural spring water. Ryuji also said, "I want to cook rice with this." For their toast, they chose beer from a brewery that recently opened in Ukiha. Both remarked that it had a strong hop aroma and a rich flavor.

The first dish was a simple one using the okra bought for 100 yen. At home, two to three bags is a good amount. According to Ryuji, rubbing the okra with salt isn't necessary, but you should wash it. The calyx is tough, so it gets trimmed off, and the okra is cut on the diagonal. For the bacon, they used "King Bacon" found at the farm stand, though Ryuji added that supermarket bacon works perfectly well too. Sneaking a taste, the two agreed that the saltiness was restrained and just right.

Only a very small amount of butter was used. Ryuji explained that a usual butter dish would get more, but this time it wasn't needed because the bacon fat was so tasty. For seasoning, about 1 tablespoon of Kyushu soy sauce. If you don't have Kyushu soy sauce, you can substitute regular soy sauce mixed with a little sugar and umami seasoning. On how well scorched soy sauce and butter go together, Ryuji used a quirky expression: "It's at max overheat." It's finished with salt to adjust the taste. Okra can actually be eaten raw, too.

When plating, it was served with the garlic pepper bought at the farm stand. It's made only from green chili peppers and garlic, pounded together. A small amount packs a punch. Ryuji called this dish "what I think is the ultimate Airbnb meal." Morita was surprised that something so simple could be so delicious, and praised the okra as fresh despite some blemishes. They also wondered why garlic pepper hasn't caught on nationwide.

Between dishes, they explored the building. At check-in, guests receive a key code and retrieve the key. There are eight private rooms in total, and according to the owner, every room has proper insulation and soundproofing, so even a group can spend time separately. There are five toilets, and in addition to a shower room, there are two identically designed baths. Enough sinks were provided for each person to use their own. Some rooms had high ceilings, and the two were surprised that "the rooms are like apartments." They also found a large room with filming lights and said they could shoot videos there too. Morita added that this wasn't staged, but a "genuine reaction."

Next was an original peach somen that Ryuji said "I created." Morita said he'd never heard of peach somen, and Ryuji admitted that this is a dish that wouldn't appear among the usual viral recipes. The noodles are somen from a noodle maker in Ukiha. Capellini can be used as a substitute.

The problem was that the peaches they bought were still young and firm. With ripe peaches, the skin slips right off after a quick blanch, but this time it wouldn't peel properly even after dipping them in hot water, so the skin was shaved off with a knife. Ryuji recommended that viewers use somewhat riper peaches. Firm peaches need to be sliced thinly, and while not very sweet, Ryuji judged them not bad as an ingredient in a dressed dish. The pit was scooped out, and one whole peach was used.

For seasoning, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 4 pinches of salt for two servings. Ryuji first said "one and a half tablespoons," but immediately corrected it to 3 tablespoons. There's a reason behind the order too: by coating the peaches in olive oil before salting, osmosis is less likely to draw out moisture, so they keep a crisp texture. Hand-torn prosciutto is added to this. It's the same idea as prosciutto and melon, since fruit and cured ham go well together. Supermarket prosciutto is fine too. A little grated garlic also goes in, but too much will overpower the peach flavor, so only a tiny amount was used for two servings. This is then chilled in the refrigerator.

Ukiha somen isn't hand-stretched, so it needs to be boiled thoroughly. According to Ryuji, hand-stretched somen takes about 45 seconds, but this somen is different. After boiling, it goes into ice water and is rinsed until your hands get cold. There was also a remark that Ukiha somen is a bit thick. After tossing everything together, 6 shakes of Hi-Me. Hi-Me is hard to shake out when the container is full and comes out more easily as it's used, so for a partially used container, 6 shakes is a good guide. Finally, a pinch of salt is added, kabosu zest is grated over it, and olive oil is drizzled around to finish. If you like, squeeze in some kabosu juice for extra acidity. Lemon or sudachi also work well.

Morita rated it highly after tasting. Rather than any single ingredient dominating, everything is "doing its job beautifully," Morita said, singling out how well those firm peaches had been turned into a finished dish. Ukiha somen is delicious thanks to the good water, but what surprised Morita even more was the layered umami. Slicing peaches and preparing them salad-style brings out an umami that even tomatoes don't have, Morita pointed out. Morita further praised the dish, saying it alone could carry an entire video, that it was something they themselves would never have thought of, and that Morita respected it as a chef. Ryuji replied, "I went all out."

The third dish was born from a mistake. Ryuji had boiled a different somen for 1 minute, but that wasn't long enough for this non-hand-stretched noodle, and the texture came out completely different. So Ryuji decided to use these slightly firm noodles for champloo, tossing them in oil to keep them from sticking. It was a decision "not to waste anything."

The ingredients were about 150 g of fresh Ukiha-grown wood ear mushrooms (very springy), one piece of pork of about 100 g (thin slices or anything else is fine), takana, garlic chives, and eggs. The takana cost around 300 yen, and the two said this kind of thing can only be found by going to the local area. It turned out to be quite salty when tasted, so Ryuji explained that the takana would be treated more as a seasoning than an ingredient. The garlic chives are roughly chopped, because having some green makes the dish look nicer.

As the stir-frying began, Ryuji said, "I messed up a little," but carried on regardless, frying the pork and adding the prosciutto, wood ear mushrooms, and takana. As long as the pork is cooked through, it's fine. A light sprinkle of salt, then local eggs are beaten and added. It came up that the name of these eggs means "white," and when cracked, the yolks were indeed pale. The two were amused, guessing it was due to the rice the hens were fed. Once the garlic chives went in and everything turned green, the somen, which had clumped somewhat, was added.

Ryuji said the key was how to recover from this mistake. Adding soy sauce and a little water loosened the clumped somen. In total, about 4 teaspoons of soy sauce and 3 shakes of umami seasoning were used, finished with pepper. Morita called it a "nice recovery," noting that the takana forms the backbone of the flavor and that the fresh, not dried, wood ear mushrooms have a great texture. Morita also mentioned how good the local soy sauce was.

With that, Ryuji wrapped up their part and announced that next time Morita would cook with Ukiha ingredients.

The next morning, Ryuji made sudachi somen for breakfast. To 300 cc of cold water, add 1 tablespoon of Kyushu soy sauce, and make up for the lack of dashi with 6 shakes of Hi-Me. Add a pinch of salt and 3 sliced sudachi. Since there was sudachi left over and the flavor wasn't quite coming together, another pinch of salt was added. Ryuji said salt is what makes it work. Boil and chill the somen, pour the broth over it, and add a little garlic pepper to finish.

Morita had already left the lodging for work in Nagoya. Ryuji had been asleep and couldn't see Morita off, but Morita apparently left peeled figs on the table, and Ryuji praised that hospitality. Ryuji's impression of the sudachi somen was that it was flavorful and perfect for summer.

Finally, Ryuji reflected that the most delicious thing this time was, in the end, the garlic pepper. Ryuji said they planned to take some home, adding that since it's made from green chilies and garlic, making it at home might work too. After thanking the lodging, "Ukiha City Traditional House Goen," the Airbnb meal episode came to a close.