Behind the Counter at a Japanese University Set Meal Restaurant

this is behind the counter at a local Japanese set Meal Restaurant for University students [Music] good morning everyone we are up early for this one I'm just right by the University of Tokyo and I'm taking you behind the counter at this local Japanese Sentinel shop just right behind me it's a fourth generation shop so I'm super excited to get this one started here we go I'm taking you behind the counter and deep inside the kitchen of a local family-owned Japanese taishoku restaurant called shokudo morikawa nestled within walking distance from Tokyo University the oldest university in Japan it's been a staple nourishment for students for more than 120 years the shop originally started selling Bento boxes on campus Distributing them with a carrying pole AKA milkmaids yolk and later grew into a taishoku restaurant meaning it serves a Japanese set meals where all of the dishes in the course are served together often consisting of a main dish of rice soup and sides today the shop serves not only students and professors but also locals and salarymen alike all lining up to enjoy their delectable and affordable set meals good morning he's the fourth generation owner matsukawa-san you're so early the shop opens at 11 30 but his morning starts as early as 6 A.M do you always watch the news cool [Music] the first thing he does is to start the dashi broth which serves as the base for many of his dishes various sauces so how long have you been doing this wow how old are you damn you look young while he waits for everything to heat up it's part of his morning routine to make his morning coffee oh this is mine thank you so nice [Music] oh my boy yeah he's three oh yeah thanks what about you how about your daughters so how did you meet your wife damn apparently they got married 10 years later at 26. an honest man so did you think you were gonna take over the family business apparently he officially started at the age of 19 but voluntarily helped around the shop when he was in elementary school as he enjoyed being there he says that he always had a passion for cooking ever since he could remember even reminiscing about watching TV cooking shows after school and testing out the recipes in their busy restaurant kitchen for him he always knew in his heart that his life staff would take him here [Music] pre-cut vegetables aren't anywhere in fact the shop Cuts them the night before to minimize the morning's prep time knowing that they're as many as 35 taishoko menu items in addition to side dishes the shop needs to be very efficient in their preparation do you have a hobby that's hard really it's actually been his hobby for a while even riding motorcycles around Tokyo in his Wilder teen years so what do you ride cool do you also wear a Biker's outfit okay do you ride in a group he says that he and his wife love riding together to search out new food spots I guess having a common hobby is one of the secrets to their happy marriage I thought you don't really take days off I like it work hard play hard oh [Music] she's making kobachi there are small side dishes that accompany typical Japanese set meals his father made it a point to teach him to always consider the meal's nutritional value in addition to its taste and volume coincidentally if many of his regulars have told him personally that they attribute their health to the Shop's food [Music] foreign but none of them over time could endure the tough and long work hours he adds though that he really doesn't blame them as he knows firsthand how grueling it can be on top of competing with all of the Temptations and distractions available now to the younger generation Ah that's a tare sauce for the boiled fish it smells so good don't you get tired working all day that's awesome well I really hope they'll be able to find that perfect candidate one day who has the same passion he does for serving his customers so that his legacy can continue on who knows maybe it's someone who is watching this video nice the fish delivery straight from toyosu Fish Market [Music] when his father was the owner he used to be the one that drove down to the fish market but nowadays he relies on the wholesaler his family has built a long and trusting relationship with to make the delivery oh his wife is here hello what's up with a diaper ah it's the same one that my son uses I heard you two have been together since you were both 16 so what do you like most about him oh that's sweet okay see you in a bit that's another side dish it's sweet and savory Aroma fills the air hey guys I wanted to quickly tell you about my Paolo from Tokyo premium kaminari hot sauce it's handcrafted exclusively by a small batch producer in Japan's nigata prefecture made with an original blend of Premium kanzuri AIDS six years locally grown Carolina Reaper and show you a lot of love has gone into each bottle and I'm telling you that there's no hot sauce in the world that has this level of umami and fire all in one and it all begins at the base of Mount miyoko in a process called Yuki sadashi where locally grown red chilies are spread over snow fields to develop their natural Umami for over three to four days forming the foundation of kanzuri's distinctly delicious flavor you can get it at Paulo from tokyohotsauce.com or just click on the link below and if you're in Japan I have shops listed on the website such as skiji Fish Market Fair Warning these handcraft bottles are produced in limited batches and we've already sold out once so get it as soon as you can and avoid a one to two month wait now that he's finished several dishes he takes a short break sandwich looks pretty good so why morikawa and not matsukawa ah so it was named after the area and it was later shortened that makes sense while he eats his breakfast he works on accounting orders and everything else to run his business making the most of his time [Music] oh a part-time worker is here [Music] so do you have any hobbies you don't watch TV seriously oh really I like happy shows what about your husband I see thank you for sharing your story she's actually been working here for 10 years and is the longest serving worker matsukawa-san told me that he has a deep appreciation for dedicated workers like her without them it's almost impossible to run his business after all at its core their business revolves around people how do you like working here that's nice no cap every morning it's his wife's responsibility to update the specials for the day on the sign board based on what matsukawa-san decides to make what's that um good morning have you been working here a long time wow then you're the second longest worker here so what did he do before this place what kind of business oh that's interesting I want to film it why did you close down oh that sucks good morning have you been working here a long while too yeah oh are you a student hi what do you study I see what do you want to do in the future that's amazing she's actually from the neighborhood and grew up loving their food which led her to work here so tell me what's your favorite menu item Fried Chicken makes me smile too [Music] 30 minutes before opening everyone works diligently to get ready for the customers are those bentos it's amazing to see that they also make Bento boxes for delivery on top of their lunch prep they're working so efficiently [Music] oh no it looks like the rice cooker isn't working anymore and they won't have rice ready for their customers no rice means that they have to shut down for the day oh it looks like an issue with the electrical outlet and they can temporarily fix it with an extension cord let me give you a hand it worked awesome it's working now [Music] at 11 45 the shop finally opens just a few minutes late due to the issue with the rice cooker despite the delay their loyal customers occasionally waited in line [Music] right after the door opens matakawasan goes into full gear as the shop takes orders and payment before exceeding the customers so no time is wasted [Music] I thought hey okay [Music] fried chicken smells so delicious it's the top seller and they even offer it as a combo with a hamburger patty and most of their set meals are between six to nine dollars [Applause] [Music] look at him go it's like he has a thousand arms seeming to effortlessly fill each order we're fully knowing that in the back of my mind that it's as many years day after day working in the kitchen that has allowed him to make it look so easy he says that he draws wisdom from his father who would tell him give it your all and the customers will keep coming back and to this day he pours his heart and soul into each and every dish he creates further adding that it's not the money but the eclectic Buzz of the shop filled with customers that feels and bored oh that's his daughter [Music] wow as they deal with all the different orders the shop offers the workers continue to prepare Bento boxes for delivery as a kitchen moves at a frantic Pace the whole stuff also work in sync to serve each set meal to the correct table foreign [Music] it's quite busy in the kitchen so let's talk to a customer hi can I bother you you come here often what are you eating today so what's your recommendation here and what's your favorite menu thank you cool thank you [Music] almost done with lunch oh you gotta keep going huh how are you holding up yeah it sure was busy sold out during their lunchtime rush so now he prepares fresh cuts of meat for their evening service and he uses the smaller pieces he cut out for their makanai the free lunch provided to the workers apparently nothing goes to waste in this shop I guess today he's making the workers kushiyage fried skewers what's your favorite muffin ideas personal chef another one in the books if you want to visit this shop for yourself I'll be sure to leave a link in the description okay so that's behind the counter at a local Japanese set Meal Restaurant for University students and the salarymen if you guys like this video definitely help me out and hit that like button if you guys want to help support the channel then definitely check out my hot sauce go to Power from tokyohotsauce.com and if you guys want to see more videos like this or anything related to Japan hit that subscribe button and the bell button I'll catch you guys in the next one

Channel: Paolo fromTOKYO

Views: 1,183,764

Keywords: Paolo, Japan, Japan guide, tokyo, tokyo guide, japan behind the counter, japanese food, japan food, behind the counter, japanese food tour, japan food tour, japan food documentary, tokyo hidden gems, food documentary, tokyo food, what to eat in tokyo, hidden gem, japanese set meal, japan set meal, teishoku, teishoku restaurant, shokudo morikawa, japanese fried food, japan fried food, tokyo hidden spots, japanese food tour tokyo, japanese school food, japanese university food

Id: -0-Qa91ZnEE

Length: 16min 16sec (976 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 30 2023