Watami’s “Kodawari Noren-gai” Launches Early-Summer Menu Featuring New Potatoes, Seiryu Wakadori Chicken and Choshi Horse Mackerel

Watami Co., Ltd. announced that “Watami no Kodawari Noren-gai,” a dining venue operated by Watami that brings together seven of its representative specialty restaurants, will offer an “Early-Summer Feast” menu from Thursday, May 14, 2026. The menu features seasonal ingredients that signal the arrival of early summer, with dishes designed to convey the season visually as well as through flavor. Using ingredients now at their peak, including new potatoes, Seiryu Wakadori brand chicken and horse mackerel from Choshi, Chiba Prefecture, the company has created a colorful seasonal lineup. Overview of the “Early-Summer Feast”: Store: Watami no Kodawari Noren-gai, Oimachi East Exit Ekimae branch Period: May 14, Thursday, to July 8, Wednesday Products and prices: Steamed chicken and tomato with refreshing lemon, 499 yen (548 yen including tax); new potatoes and Seiryu Wakadori chicken in fried dashi sauce, 399 yen (438 yen including tax); German-style spring rolls with new potatoes, 499 yen (548 yen including tax); house-prepared Seiryu Wakadori chicken fingers with honey mustard sauce, 399 yen (438 yen including tax); house-prepared Seiryu Wakadori two-style chicken tender fries, plum shiso and mentaiko cheese, 499 yen (548 yen including tax); large fried horse mackerel from Choshi, 599 yen (658 yen including tax); Watami Farm organic zucchini, 399 yen (438 yen including tax); Watami Farm organic turnip, 399 yen (438 yen including tax); Watami Farm organic snap peas, 399 yen (438 yen including tax); Watami Farm organic vegetable assortment, 499 yen (548 yen including tax). Salads come with Jerusalem artichoke soy sauce dip and mayonnaise. The limited-quantity organic vegetable salad is delivered directly from Watami Farm’s Sanbu Farm in Chiba Prefecture to Noren-gai. This season’s lineup includes three vegetables: turnip, snap peas and zucchini. Guests can enjoy the natural flavor and freshness of vegetables brought out by organic cultivation. The accompanying Jerusalem artichoke soy sauce uses organic Jerusalem artichokes grown at Watami Farm’s Kurabuchi Farm in Gunma Prefecture, enhancing the ingredients while adding variation to the dish. Watami Farm has spent 24 years working with organic crops while focusing thoroughly on soil cultivation under the slogan “building soil, people and communities.” This long-term effort has helped develop the strong natural flavor of its vegetables. Amid increasingly unstable food supply conditions, Watami is working to provide safe and reliable ingredients. The menu is also part of Noren-gai’s initiative as a model store for Watami SDGs, allowing customers to experience sustainable efforts such as promoting organic agriculture and reducing environmental impact through everyday dining. Served simply, the dishes directly convey the quality of the ingredients and the commitment of their producers. The steamed chicken and tomato with refreshing lemon is paired with aromatic basil sauce and has a fresh, colorful appearance. Vinegar-marinated lemon adds mild acidity and a clean finish, making it suitable as a palate cleanser or first salad dish. The new potatoes and Seiryu Wakadori chicken in fried dashi sauce is a seasonal dish using early-summer new potatoes and the Seiryu Wakadori brand chicken. Eating the potatoes with the skin lets diners fully enjoy their flavor, while a thickened sauce made with carefully prepared dashi gently coats the ingredients. The house-prepared Seiryu Wakadori chicken fingers use breast meat from the Seiryu Wakadori brand chicken, carefully marinated with garlic, black pepper and a secret dashi-based sauce. The gentle dashi flavor spreads first, followed by the sharp spice of black pepper. With honey mustard sauce, the dish is designed to be hard to stop eating. The German-style spring rolls with new potatoes are a seasonal staple at Noren-gai. The gentle sweetness of new potatoes is combined with the juicy umami of sausage for a German-inspired flavor. The result is a spring roll with a crisp exterior, hearty interior, fluffy potato texture and satisfying seasonal character. The two-style Seiryu Wakadori chicken tender fries are carefully prepared in-store using Seiryu Wakadori chicken tenders, filled separately with popular plum shiso and mentaiko cheese flavors. Handmade one by one, they may look slightly rustic, but offer a generous, well-filled taste. The crunchy coating gives a light texture and satisfying bite. The large fried horse mackerel uses fish from Choshi, one of Japan’s leading fishing ports and a rich source of diverse seafood throughout the year. Offshore Choshi is a fertile fishing ground where the Kuroshio and Oyashio currents meet, creating an excellent environment for fish to grow. The fried horse mackerel is large enough to extend beyond the plate, with thick flesh that is fluffy and moist. Watami Group operates under the philosophy of becoming the group that gathers the most “thank yous” on Earth. It works to meet economic, social and environmental needs while promoting a sustainable circular society. The company is headquartered at 1-1-3 Haneda, Ota-ku, Tokyo. Its representative is Miki Watanabe, Chairman, President and CEO. Founded in May 1986, its businesses include domestic restaurants, overseas operations, meal delivery, agriculture, environmental services and human resources services. Website: https://www.watami.co.jp/. Contact: Watami Co., Ltd. Brand Public Relations Office, TEL: 03-5737-2784, E-mail: press@watami.net.