It was an enjoyable night of gyoza, beer, wine & veggies. We met at Kurosaki Staion and headed to what I'm calling the "Gyoza Diner". We wanted to make sure we beat the crowd. This hole in the wall is famous for its gyzo, which is served in a nabe style pot like the one above. Only about 15 people could be served at a time. That's all the u-shaped counter would hold. There were sets of benches behind the counter where people sat waiting for the next available seat. Because of the set up, I quickly understood that people were here solely for the food. Sure, there were some conversations, but what I mostly heard was the crackling of the oil on the stove and the sizzle of gyoza being cooked. I liked the vibe and let myself indulge in the food.
After we admitted to ourselves that we couldn't finish the 4 pots we ordered, we took our to-go bags and headed to another restaurant for a drink and good conversation. I ordered a glass of wine, and the others had beer. We all split the Farmer's Platter, an assortment of grilled veggies with a dipping cream sauce. It was all delicious. The second restaurant felt like a bistro in a tree house. It was cozy and quaint and somewhere I will revisit.
We sat there together just talking. I think times like this are so enjoyable. I like having conversations, sharing opinions, ideas, and interesting observations. It's fun to hear other people's perspectives.
So to anyone who ever wants to share a meal with me, let's. Let's make it last for a while. We'll order our first drinks & an appetizer; start a conversation & change the topic a few times; choose our meals & second drinks; pick up where we left off; and end the meal with dessert, and by that I mean coffee & cake.
