Dinner at Ajishin!

For better or for worse, Hiroshima University (Hirodai) does not have cafeterias like how the University of Hawaii Manoa (UHM) does. There are places called 食堂 (shokudo), or cafeterias on campus, but these are more like school sponsored restaurants. I guess you could think of it as Campus Center Dining. There's a variety of foods available (and I will probably go over that really soon) and it's run by the school, but students are not required to get their food from them and they are closed on the weekends. The last point is particularly vexing for me, as I dont have pots, pans, or anything by which I can cook myself (but just so you know, if I had them, I could cook). This was my first weekend up here, and I wasnt really sure what I was going to do for dinner tonight. Earlier, I passed by a restaurant that was advertising 親子丼　３００￥, or "Oyako donburi for ~$3.00", which is a steal even in Japan (the school's 親子丼 is about ５００￥ or so).

The restaurant is called 味しん (Ajishin) and is located near the university. On a side note, I passed by a ramen shop and an okonomiyaki place. I will probably blog about them too. They advertise the staples in (Japan) Japanese restaurants: soba, udon, and donburi.



Their menu is posted outside of the store, and all of the food looked pretty good. In addition to the above, there was pork shogayaki and (amusingly) loco moco. However, what really intrigued me was the チキン南蛮定食 (chicken nanban teishoku). I thought it would be somewhat similar to what I make, which is called chicken nanban zuke. For those of you who have made it, you know that it's fried pieces of chicken which have been soaked in a sauce made of shoyu, leeks, and mirin. Well, what Ajishin makes is way more おいしい then mine!

I wasnt going to explain how I ordered, until I thought that it may be interesting to those who have never been to Japan. Instead of telling a waiter what I chose from the menu, I ordered a ticket from the machine in the front. Some restaurants in Japan sell their food in a way to their famed vending machines. After putting in my 五百円玉 (500￥ piece) into the machine, I selected the　チキン南蛮定食. And out popped a little ticket with チキン南蛮定食 written on it, which I gave to the man at the counter. I then paid for my bottle of Qoo (juice) [which I probably wouldnt have, if I had looked around and noticed the water and cups] and sat down.

I waited for a while, watching the television and being hungry. But after a while, the man called my order, and I could eat. It was a pretty standard 定食: the main dish, a bowl of rice, another bowl of miso soup, and some pickles.



The words I will use to describe the food cannot possibly impart the fullness of the experience. This is one of the things you need to experience in person. The chicken was crisply fried to a golden brown and was so crunchy. Not like karaage crunchy, but like, KFC chicken crunchy (and not fatty!). The sauce that was drizzled on it was not vinegary like the sauce I use to soak my chicken in (crunchy!); rather, it was more salty in flavor, and a bit thicker in texture. Not to say that it needed rice to make palatable. I guess you would say it was a shoyu based sauce? The crunchy texture on the outside might make you think that the inside would be a little tougher. But quite the contrary; the chicken was so soft when I bit it! It did not resist being cleaved by my teeth, falling apart at the least pressure I applied to it. Thank the heavens for letting me come across this shop! It could have been because I was so hungry, but I enjoyed this チキン南蛮定食 so very much. I do intend to come here again.

Another reason why I wanted to mention this shop is because of how romantic it was. But I dont mean to say that the interior was decorated with pink florals and hearts, or that I saw hundreds of couples making out in there. But rather, the staff seems to be only a man and a woman, who I suppose is his wife. I think that is the cutest thing I've ever seen. There are many restaurants like this in Japan, that are run by a couple and only the couple. There are some that may say that it's like eating at family establishments like Cafe 100 or Kawamoto, but I must disagree. Those places still feel like businesses, and as nice as the service may be, you know that the workers view their workplace as that, a workplace. They get there when their shift starts, and maybe they interact with the regulars, or they make close friends with their coworkers. But when their shift is over, they put away their stuff and head home, or to their other friends. That's not so in the kind of restaurant that Ajishin is. This store is the hardwork of this man and woman. It is an extension of their home, perhaps also a physical form of their love. I guess you could say it's their baby. I find this situation to be so full of love and happiness, that I want to experience it for myself (not that I'm complaining about what I do have with Curtis!!). Ever since I first saw it in a drama, and actually gone to them in Japan, it's been a silly dream of mine to open such a shop with the person that I love. I suppose there is a hard side to it (working with your spouse means you never get away, so I dont suggest this for couples that fight!), but in my little fantasy world, it's the most sweetest, romantic business venture ever suggested.

There were many things on the menu, and I so enjoyed the meal that I had here. 本当にご馳走だったよ！ And not only that, but I love to support small businesses like this, and if I get to help give satisfaction to a couple, then hey, that's just a bonus. I'm not sure when, but I will definitely visit this restaurant again!