Haraheta: A Local Diner Loved by the Community

Haraheta has been in business since 1961.
The food menu alone boasts an incredible 48 items! From katsudon (pork cutlet bowl) to omurice (omelet rice), ramen, and sweet and sour pork, they offer a wide range of classic Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes. It's the kind of wonderful place where even in a large group, everyone can find something they love.

Among the most popular dishes are Chamen (stir-fried noodles), Chahan (fried rice), Kantonmen (Cantonese-style noodles), and the Sweet and Sour Pork Lunch. The restaurant is committed to using local ingredients whenever possible.
The fried rice, in particular, uses rice and eggs from Kuriyama Town year-round, and the green onions are also locally sourced when in season. The chashu pork is made from Hokkaido pork. It's a restaurant deeply rooted in the community, loved for serving food you could eat every day and never get tired of.

The History of Haraheta

The current owner, Hiroyuki Ota, is the third-generation owner.
Haraheta was originally founded by Hiroyuki's grandmother, who was a housewife, and has been in business for over 60 years. Although it's a popular spot now, he says there were tough times.

"There were days we only sold two bowls of ramen. We also had a fire that burned the whole restaurant down. My grandmother suffered severe burns, but she kept working. Seeing her struggle, my father wanted to help and took over as the second-generation owner, building the business up. Then, about eight years ago, I became the third-generation owner."

Ota Shokudo (the predecessor of Haraheta) at the time of its founding

The warm, welcoming atmosphere has been passed down through generations, and many regulars have been coming for years.

"When you've been around for 60 years, you see kids who used to come in grow up. We have everyone from children to the elderly, and during the Obon festival, we even have four generations of a family come in. It feels like we're building history together with everyone."

While many menu items have been loved since the beginning, some things are changed to keep up with the times. He says he always keeps an eye on current trends and stays conscious of "what people are looking for now."
One thing Mr. Ota is currently focusing on is the restaurant's "history."

"Staying in the restaurant business for 60 years is not something just anyone can do, so I think it's a brand in itself.
Take the chashu in our fried rice, for example. It's not just bought from somewhere; we simmer Hokkaido pork in our own broth. This broth has been continuously added to for decades, so it's packed with the umami of the meat. It's not something you can replicate overnight."

The deliciousness that can only be created at Haraheta, built upon its long history, is undoubtedly one of the reasons it is so loved by its customers.

The Secret to Haraheta's Deliciousness is "Sincerity for the Customers"

Since Hiroyuki took over as the third-generation owner, there have been some big changes inside Haraheta.

For example, to ensure consistent flavor, he worked on "creating recipes." In the old days, many restaurants seasoned dishes by estimation, like "about one tablespoon," but that makes it impossible to provide consistent quality. He believed that if you can't define a recipe for one serving, you can't possibly make 10 or 100 servings taste good. With that in mind, Hiroyuki decided to create recipes for the entire menu.
He also focused on "streamlining operations." He redesigned the kitchen layout and workflow to minimize the number of steps needed, re-evaluating everything from the placement of a single plate. A task that used to take two people an hour can now be done by one person in 20 minutes by utilizing machinery, creating a more efficient environment for the staff.

"In the end, it's all about wanting to serve customers good food quickly.
I used to be a salaried worker, so I understand how precious a lunch break is. To meet those expectations, I make a conscious effort to balance 'speed' and 'proper quality.' I think about it down to the second."

He also says there's something very important he values in customer service: "getting to know the customers."

Amazingly, Mr. Ota has a mental database of hundreds of customers who visit or order delivery, including their preferences, usual orders, and any ingredients they dislike!

"Knowing our customers. I believe that's one of the customer services we can provide. So, even if a big chain restaurant opens up in a small town like this, like a 'black ship' arriving, we won't lose when it comes to 'knowing our customers.' It's not something that can be easily done, so we consider it one of our strengths."

When I ate Haraheta's fried rice, I thought, "This is the kind of fried rice I could eat forever, every day."
After listening to Hiroyuki's story, I understood that the reason is the immense care and sincerity that go into the food. I truly hope everyone gets to experience the taste of Haraheta's dishes for themselves.

From Engineer to the Kitchen: Third-Generation Owner Hiroyuki Left His Office Job to Take Over the Family Business

Hiroyuki used to work as a systems engineer in semiconductor design for a major company in Tokyo. In 2010, he returned to Kuriyama from Tokyo and started helping at the restaurant while attending school to get his chef's license.

Although he had been conscious of taking over the business since he was a child, he had doubts about simply stepping into the role without any outside experience.

"I felt that if I just took over as I was, the restaurant's growth would stagnate. I've thought since I was young that, like a salmon, I needed to be released as a fry into the river, go out to the sea, and grow before coming back."

Hiroyuki says he learned a great deal from his work in the completely different field of semiconductor design.

"It was a huge company with 100,000 employees including group companies, so I feel like I learned about different ways of thinking and what it means to run a large organization from a management perspective. Some people probably wondered what a guy from a completely different field could do, but I think having seen various things has become my strength."
The management and operational streamlining he implemented at Haraheta were connected to what he had learned during his time as a systems engineer.

We Want to Be a Welcoming and Beloved Restaurant for All Ages

When I asked Hiroyuki, "What kind of restaurant do you want to be?" he replied that he wants to continue being a beloved establishment. Hearing about the various efforts he makes to create a cherished restaurant gives his words significant weight.

"I want to continue making signature dishes that aren't flashy, but are simple yet inimitable.
We are never satisfied with what we're serving. We're constantly pursuing improvement, keeping notes, experimenting with cooking times, and doing extensive research. Amidst all that, a customer's casual comment on their way out, 'Ah, that was delicious!' is the ultimate reward for our profession. After all, we put our heart into it."

Once you've tried them, you'll surely find yourself craving that fried rice, those stir-fried noodles, or that Cantonese-style noodle soup again. Haraheta's menu has that kind of power.
I feel like I've caught a glimpse of the reason behind it: a strong desire to meet customers' expectations, sincere dedication, and a never-ending quest for better flavor.

Please be sure to visit Haraheta for a meal sometime.