With no classes today except my very casual teacher’s class, I was pretty bored. I studied a bit, but people kept coming by wanting to talk with me, so I quickly gave up on that idea. Usually when it’s busy in the teacher’s office I go upstairs and lock myself in my classroom, but today they were waxing the floors, so I had nowhere to hide.
At 4 o’clock the second year students got back from the airport and their trip to Hokkaido. They all looked exhausted, and the teachers even more so. I think that they will be getting some good solid rest this weekend. Mr. Urakami and I jumped into his car at around 5, and by six o’clock we were sitting in his favorite restaurant in Himeji. I was in for a surprise.
A while back Mr. Urakami had asked me what my favorite foods were, and apparently he was taking notes. He passed this information on to the chef, who is a close friend of his. We were introduced as we went inside, and she and her staff were working hard on all kinds of things in the tiny kitchen.
Everyone knew Mr. Urakami – he was like Norm from Cheers. We sat down and then the drinks and food started coming. I didn’t have to order, because the entire four course meal was based around my favorite foods.
I’ve never had the priviledge of having a chef cook a meal based on what I like, and it’s a pretty amazing experience. First, they brought out shrimp, prepared three ways. There was a shrimp salad, grilled and butterflied shrimp, and fried shrimp on a big plate with spicy sauce to dip into. We each had our own plate so no worries about who was getting what.
Next they brought out tacos – two tacos for each of us with grilled chicken in one and spicy beef strips in the other. There was a very spicy homemade salsa to put on top, and the tortillas were homemade and had a nice herbal flavor to them – excellent. The fresh salsa was too spicy for Mr. Urakami, so I ate his too. Salsa is impossible to find in Japan, and when you do it’s the stuff in the jar that is just so-so. This was a special treat.
By now I had figured out that he had passed on the information, and I was desperately trying to remember what I told him. The chef had worked hard on this meal and things that just popped out of my mouth were coming to life on my dinner plate. What a surreal experience.
The next dish was homemade raviolis stuffed with shrimp, cheese and basil. There was a rich red sauce over the top with lots of garlic and herbs, and little bites of sausage mixed in. This was really good – the homemade raviolis tasted great and I was in heaven.
After the raviolis they brought out ribs. When I had told Mr. Urakami how much I liked pork ribs, he couldn’t believe that anyone would eat pork ribs. The Japanese don’t really like to eat the ribs, and so apparently the chef had gone to a butcher and requested a special cut. We were served two big spareribs glazed in a sweet orange ginger sauce with just enough spiciness to make your mouth burn just a bit. There was also a homemade sausage served with them and fresh baked bread with a cheese filling inside. On the side was a big salad covered with a vinagrette sauce. Mr. Urakami did a good job on the ribs. I was happily picking them up with my hands and eating them – something that is definitely frowned upon in Japan. Eating with your hands is considered low class here, but I had explained at the outset that it was the best way to get at the meat, and it makes you feel like a barbarian. Mr. Urakami hesitated a bit and then dug in.
On the side they served four fresh sushi rolls – we had talked about food when I was craving sushi, and so that was on my list of favorite foods as well. They made sure that it was included on the menu.
Altogether it was a stunning meal, one made more special by the fact that it was created just for me. We were served draft Guinness while we ate, and then we switched to some other imported beers that they had in the bottle. I was overwhelmed and stuffed with food at the end of the meal.
Mr. Urakami organized it to say thanks for taking the time to talk to him during school, and also to show me that Mr. Hayashi isn’t the only one that knows a good restaurant or two. He wouldn’t let me help with the bill, and I have no idea what something like that must have cost.
We had a great time, and on our way out we said thanks to the master, and then stopped by the kitchen and talked with the chef. She had enjoyed undertaking the challenge of such a wide variety of foods, and the ribs were her first try. I told her how great everything was, and she was genuinely pleased.
Afterwards we went to a bar that Mr. Urakami likes. It was a strange place called, get this, The Spooky Angel. The place was dead with just one lady at the end of the bar. We had a couple of drinks there, and then got out of there. The place was OK, but not my kind of place. Somehow it reminded me of a Hollywood bar on Sunday afternoon.
Mr. Urakami was a bit the worse for wear, so he called a service to help him get home. They send two people and a car. One guy drives you home and the other guy drives your car home. The service only costs 1000 yen (around $10). What a great idea! I got on the train and took a short ride home. I’m back now and it’s still early. I’m off to bed soon. Tomorrow I’m hoping to go into Osaka and cheer up Antoine a bit. We’re on the lookout for a Mexican restaurant in the area.
