We stopped at Roadside Station Itako in Ibaraki Prefecture after a trip to the Itako Iris Festival. It was a short eight minute drive and we arrived around lunch time. We had heard this roadside station was known for their pho (Vietnamese noodle soup), so we were excited to try some.

There were actually two places to get the pho. One at the cafeteria and another was at a food truck set up outside. We decided to try the pho in the cafeteria. They had chicken, beef, and shrimp pho on their menu. The rest of the menu was a mix of udon, soba, ramen, and rice bowls at reasonable prices.

Roadside Station Itako Restaurant

We decided to try the beef and chicken pho. It came out a short while later. There were additional condiments at the counter that could be added if desired. Each of the pho came with a side dish of cilantro that we added to our soup. Both were good, however the beef pho’s broth had a stronger flavor. It was both of our favorites.

After finishing up, we took our trays inside and put them on the appropriate shelf. We then headed over to the gelato stand and got two cups. We tried the blueberry and black sesame flavors. The blueberry had a very light flavor that was difficult to distinguish. The black sesame however had a very distinctive black sesame flavor. Recently, we’ve come to better appreciate Japan’s Matcha and black sesame flavored ice cream and gelato.

Just down the way from the gelato stand was a nice sized omiyage (souvenir) shop. They had a good selection of local and Ibaraki related goods for sale.

In the center of the roadside station was a big open area that was covered with a giant see through awning. It allowed in the maximum amount of natural light while providing protection from the elements. There were a couple of food trucks and other vendors that had set up in the space.

Roadside Station Itako Local Products Store

We then checked out the produce market which had a large selection of locally produced goods. Each of the produce sections was labeled with a picture of the farmer who produced them. It gave us a sense of connection and put a name and face to the product. We definitely felt a closer connection to the local growers. It seemed that many people in the area valued these connections as most of the produce had already been sold out. We picked up a bag of baked sweet potatoes on our way out.

There was a small unmanned tourist information center that had some good information about the area. There was a statue of a bride from the Itako Iris Festival. We also learned about this card collecting promotion that we’d like to start participating in. We picked up some brochures and took a quick bathroom break before going back to the car.

Final Thoughts

We enjoyed our short lunch break at Roadside Station Itako in Ibaraki Prefecture. The beef pho was good and we look forward to trying the pho from the food truck the next time we come. The food options outside of the pho were a little limited. The local produce marketplace was quite robust, however most of it was already sold out. The restrooms were clean as usual and not too dated. They also had a large ground golf course that we’d like to try in the future. Unfortunately, it was raining the day we went.

More to Come…

Here is the link to their website.