When leaving Oakhouse in search for a meal, it is tempting to follow the crowd and fleet of bicycles down Zoshiki Arcade. This path takes you towards the station and has a good selection of stores. However, If you turn left instead of right at Daiichi Keihin you will find this little gem.
Upon first glance, Farmer's Kitchen looks like another convenience store, assumedly filled with pre-packaged snacks and unhealthy soft drinks. It's a welcome surprise to instead find rows of fresh home-cooked style dishes in pretty ceramic bowls. Plastic containers are stacked up on the counters above the banquet, waiting to be filled. There are no rules about serving size and you can fill one container with a taste of a few different dishes.
The real beauty of Japanese cuisine is its ability to provide an incredibly balanced, healthy meal for not very much money. I recommend taking a small portion of a lot of different dishes to achieve this end.
I built my own balanced bento by having some inari, freshly made with soft tofu and hinting of citrus, pumpkin and mushroom in a light, crispy tempura batter, a raw vegetable salad, and a tofu and eggplant chilli stew. Farmer's Kitchen is a great pick for vegetarians although there are also a lot of tasty looking meat options such as chicken cashew nut stir fry, lots of dried fish, deep fried meat and sushi.
There are also quite a lot of western-style salads and some small grocery items. Near the front entrance is a small cauldron of soup, bubbling away and making the shop smell delicious. Another contributing factor to the aroma would be the shop's open kitchen. I recommend visiting in the morning and indulging in some freshly made meals, however, you can spy the chefs with their large hats and neat aprons that continue to make fresh, hearty meals for your picking throughout the day. It is unlikely you'll ever go wrong. Meals are around ¥100 for 100 grams and tempura, sushi and other tasty morsels are as cheap as ¥50-80. An easy way to eat healthily and cheaply without having to walk far from your accommodation and local station.
