A basement cafeteria inside a building that promises to fill you up.

　
　Along the Jōshi-dōri Avenue, which leads from Toyama Station towards National Route 41, stands the Toyama Prefectural Agricultural Cooperative Hall, a building constructed in the late Showa period. The cafeteria "Olive" on the first basement floor is always packed with businessmen working in the surrounding area at lunchtime. There are few basement cafeterias in Toyama that are open to everyone, and you feel like saying "Excuse me for intruding" when you enter the building.

　Because I'm hungry and want to be seated without waiting, I always walk quickly when I head to the restaurant. I can't even wait for the elevator, so I go down the stairs. Just before entering, I glance at the daily specials on the blackboard and eat lunch among the typical office workers on their lunch break, sometimes even sharing a table with others.

　While over 80% of customers order the daily special, my order is always the "thick-cut ham cutlet set meal."
When it arrives, I first take a bite of the ham cutlet without any condiments. The freshly fried batter is wonderfully crisp. The texture of the ham, which is neither too thin nor too thick, and its salty flavor give me the feeling of confirming, "This is the taste I was looking for." Next, I add mustard soy sauce, then the sauce, and so on, changing the flavor as I eat. I'm not much of a eater, so I always give one of the four ham cutlets to the person I'm with when I go to the restaurant.

　According to the owner, Mr. Murata, the "Thick-Cut Ham Cutlet Set Meal" has only recently been on the regular menu (though it has been several years since then), and it was promoted because it was a popular daily special. Only two items were promoted to the regular menu: the Ham Cutlet Set Meal and the "Pork Belly and Vegetable Stir-Fry Set Meal." I always leave the restaurant thinking I'll try the pork belly next time, but for the past few years, I haven't eaten anything other than the ham cutlet.

　Perhaps it's because I eat a lot of ham cutlets there, but for me, Olive is strongly associated with fried food. Ms. Murata analyzes that many people in Toyama like fried food, but they don't make tempura or fried food at home because it makes the kitchen messy. "The fried food that ends up on the dinner table is from the supermarket or butcher shop. It's tasty, but it can't compare to freshly fried food, so I guess a lot of people order fried food at our shop," she told me. Due to the high demand, the daily specials include fried food two or three times a week.

　When I asked acquaintances who frequent "Olive," they all had their favorite dishes, such as pork miso soup, chicken nanban, and hamburg steak. The daily specials are posted on social media at the beginning of the week, so they check the menu and go on the days when their favorite dishes are on. And the photographer who took this picture said his favorite is the katsu curry. It's wonderful that they can cater to everyone's tastes. A long-loved diner like this naturally does things that show such generosity.

　One more thing I want to mention is how delicious the white rice is. It's served generously in the bowl, and each bite is satisfying. With the price of rice being so high these days, this volume almost feels divine. Located in the Agricultural Cooperative Hall, the restaurant also takes great care to maintain the quality of its rice. They only use Koshihikari rice from Toyama Prefecture, sourced from the local agricultural cooperative.

　After finishing my meal, I quickly get up to make room for those waiting. I'm always so full that I feel like my skirt zipper might burst, and I regret not wearing clothes with an elastic waistband. Hoping to burn off some calories, I climb the stairs again. And then, after a quick stop at the shop, I head home—that's how I use Olive. (T)