Antenna Shop Expert "Shinjuku Miyazaki-kan KONNE" Edition ~Comparing Cheese Buns~

In the second half of the article, we will select "recommended items to buy" within a budget of 3,000 yen, and tell you about the appeal of each food item along with a taste test report. By the end of the article, you will not only be more knowledgeable about antenna shops, but you will also have a deeper love for the local area.

Cheese buns, available individually, are recommended for comparing different flavors

This time we visited "Shinjuku Miyazaki-kan KONNE", which opened in 1998. It is an information hub for Miyazaki Prefecture that was renovated in 2018 and will celebrate its third anniversary this April. The first floor is a product store and the second floor is a restaurant, making it an antenna shop where you can experience the charms of delicious food.

The restaurant is located about one minute on foot from the south exit of Shinjuku Station, along the Shinjuku Southern Terrace promenade that leads to Yoyogi. The restaurant's name, "KONNE," means "Why don't you come and visit?" in the local dialect. It's a perfect name for a convenient location that's easy to drop in to.

The interior of the store is decorated with plenty of "Obisugi" cedar, a famous tree that grows near Nichinan City and is one of the cedars that Miyazaki Prefecture boasts as the number one producer of in Japan. In this warm and cozy space, 700 to 800 kinds of products are lined up.

First, let's start with the corner near the entrance, which features traditional and local sweets. The "Cheese Buns" in particular have a wide lineup, with about 10 items to choose from, one at a time. According to the store staff, this is probably the only place in Tokyo that can boast such a wide selection.

It's surprising that there are so many varieties, but the taste of the "Cheese Buns" is apparently completely different depending on who makes them. Some ingredients have a short expiration date, so they are only sold on weekends when there are many visitors, or are displayed in the frozen section. Sometimes, "Cheese Buns" from makers that are not usually available are sold only at events, and they are so popular that they sell out immediately.

Famous traditional sweets include the steamed "Fukuregashi" and the mochi "Akumaki." There are also other fruit jellies and puddings made with mango, hyuganatsu, and yuzu, making this corner a very fulfilling place.

If you like sweets, the takeout corner is a must-see. The shop is famous for its soft serve ice cream made with ingredients unique to Miyazaki, and at the time of our visit, three flavors were available: "Premium Kan'nyuso," "Premium Kumquat," and a mix, all for 500 yen (tax included) (soft serve ice cream is available from April to October).

The taste of the mix is an adult taste that harmonizes the bitter freshness of kumquats and the mild sweetness of sweet milk. Sweet milk is a food that is called "ancient Japanese cheese" and has a mellow taste without the distinctive taste of cheese. It is secretly popular as a nutritious food. The flavors of the soft serve ice cream and the products themselves change depending on the season, so please look forward to it.

There are about 100 kinds of shochu in the lineup.

Speaking of Miyazaki, shochu is also a highlight. There are 38 shochu makers in the prefecture, and Shinjuku Miyazakikan KONNE always stocks around 100 brands from 26 of these breweries. The bottle designs are diverse, ranging from traditional to stylish. Many of the bottles are displayed in boxes, making it easy to choose a gift. Some brands also have mini bottles, making them easy to buy.

The store also focuses on craft beer, and carries three brands from eight breweries in the prefecture. Until May 6, 2021, the store will be holding the "Spring Miyazaki Beer Fest (https://www.springmiyazakibeerfest.com/)" in collaboration with the nearby "Petit Delirium Tap Cafe Shinjuku Southern Terrace Store." For this special event, all eight breweries will come together to sell 29 types of beer on a weekly basis on the first floor of "Shinjuku Miyazaki-kan KONNE," and one type of beer will be offered on tap each week for four weeks on the second floor.

A wealth of "blessings from the sun" including Japan's best chicken and pickled radishes

From the center to the back of the store, there is a wide selection of processed vegetables, grains, and meat products. First, let's start with meat, which boasts high domestic production volumes, including chicken, pork, and beef. Miyazaki is the number one producer of broilers (young chickens used exclusively for meat) in Japan, so there is a wide variety of chicken products, including the local delicacies "Chicken Nanban" and "Charcoal Grilled Chicken," available in a wide variety of room temperature, refrigerated, and frozen varieties.

Pork products include the familiar "meat-wrapped rice balls," pork loin marinated in miso, and prosciutto, while beef products include hamburger steaks and croquettes. They also want to stock gyoza, which has become popular recently, as a frozen food item, so keep an eye on their future product lineup.

The widest selection of processed vegetable products are pickled radishes, including takuan (pickled radish) from the Tano and Kiyotake regions of Miyazaki City, which won the Good Design Award last year as "Japan's No. 1 Dried Radish and Radish Yagura."

Miyazaki Prefecture is also the number one producer of pickled radishes in Japan. In addition to the classic long, thin takuan, the shelves are lined with a wide variety of pickles, including the long-loved local "tsubozuke" and canned radishes.

Additionally, Miyazaki's local dish, hiya-jiru, comes in a wide variety of types, including miso and retort versions.

Don't miss out on Miyazaki's local "spicy noodles," which have recently started to appear in specialty shops in Tokyo. Masumoto, known as the original, also offers curry and tomato flavors, so it's recommended to try them out. Dried noodles are available from 162 yen (tax included) per serving, so why not try them out first?

In addition, crafts are exhibited in the back space. Generally, the products are replaced every two weeks to one month. When I visited in March, slipware (pottery with a surface decorated with slip, a mud-like cosmetic material, and glazes) from "Seirakutouen" was on display and for sale.

Enjoy meals and drinks at the restaurant on the second floor.

The restaurant on the second floor is called "Miyazaki Fudo Kwanne." "Kwanne" means "Please eat."

The local cuisine, even the seasonings, are made with Miyazaki produce. You can enjoy a variety of local delicacies, including chicken nanban and fresh fish sashimi of the day. In the evening, you can enjoy snacks such as charcoal-grilled Miyazaki Jitokko chicken, a local chicken that Miyazaki is proud of, and charcoal-grilled Miyazaki beef, along with a drink of shochu or other alcoholic beverages.

During lunch hours, you can enjoy dishes such as the "Chicken Nanban Set Meal," which won the gold medal in the Chicken Nanban category at the "11th Karaage Grand Prix," Miyazaki Jidori Chicken Oyakodon, and Hiyajiru Set Meal.

A selection of recommended items that can be purchased for a total of 3,000 yen!

This time, the foods we selected for under 3,000 yen in total are mainly the ones mentioned above. We picked out five "cheese buns" that are all unique and fun to compare.

Let's start with the "Cheese Buns". I bought three room temperature types and two frozen types, and when I opened the bag, a sweet aroma wafted out of the air. There were clear differences between them in terms of size and browning, and some were delicate and crumbled easily.

For example, the "Miyazaki Cheese Bun" has a thin crust that crumbles easily, while the cheese filling inside is rich and flavorful, and although it is relatively small in size, it is very satisfying to eat. The "Adult Cheese Bun (Gorgonzola)" has a firm crust and the cheese filling is exquisite, with a rich, salty flavor and a lingering sour aftertaste. "Goro's Western-Style Cheese Bun" is large in size and has a rich taste and aroma. The sticky, sweet cheese filling is powerfully delicious. By comparing the two, you can fully enjoy the appeal of the "Cheese Bun," so be sure to give it a try.

Next up is charcoal-grilled chicken. From among the many options, we selected a frozen version that uses the same Miyazaki Jidori chicken used in the charcoal-grilled dish at Miyazaki Fudo Kwanne. It is vacuum-packed and can be easily cooked by simply heating it in boiling water for 15 minutes.

When you try it, you'll be impressed by the wild charcoal aroma, as if it was freshly grilled. Various parts of the fish are used for the meat, which is chewy overall, but the part closest to the skin has a particularly strong bite. The seasoning is exquisitely salted to bring out the flavor of the ingredients, making it delicious enough to pair with alcohol.

We also chose the frozen version of the Chicken Nanban. This one is even easier, as it only takes 3.5 minutes to cook in a 600W microwave. Another nice feature is that it comes with a tartar sauce with a hint of sweet and sour. There are two large servings of Chicken Nanban, so you can eat them one at a time.

The batter is thin and the meat has a moist texture. It's not oily and goes well with the sweet and sour tartar sauce, making it rich but not heavy. It's a delicious dish that can be enjoyed as both a side dish and a snack.

The last snack we tried was the unique Daikondaa snack, made with dried daikon radish strips, deep-fried until crispy and seasoned with salt and green laver.

The moderate saltiness matches well with the natural sweetness of the ingredients. The flavor of the green seaweed adds to the deliciousness. It is great as a snack or appetizer, but it is also recommended as a side dish with rice or as a salad topping.

The staff at "Shinjuku Miyazaki-kan KONNE" shared the following message: "We hope to provide plenty of warm and cheerful local specialties to bring energy to our many customers. Miyazaki Prefecture is home to many mystical spots, such as Takachiho Shrine and Aoshima Shrine. We would be delighted if our store inspires you to visit."

In the central area of the store, there is a "tourist information corner" where you can find various pamphlets, as well as information on recommended spots in Miyazaki and the best tour courses, and staff will guide you through them. There are also free gourmet booklets and travel guidebooks, so be sure to take a look.

"Shinjuku Miyazakikan KONNE" is conveniently located near the station. Why not drop by and check it out?

Shinjuku Miyazaki Hall KONNE

Text and photos: Hideaki Nakayama

*Some content of this article was updated on April 12, 2021.