She is currently 21 years old and, while balancing
her university studies, serves as the third-generation manager of the Chinese restaurant "Tonton" in Chiba Prefecture. Why did you decide to take over this restaurant? Originally, my grandfather started and managed this restaurant, but he developed cancer and was given a terminal diagnosis, had to start a difficult battle with his illness. During that time, I couldn't go to high school
due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so I spent a lot of time supporting his treatment with my mother. Despite being ill, he was constantly worried about the restaurant, and witnessing his passion for it inspired me
to decide to take over his legacy. Were you very close to your grandfather? Yes, but I lived in Saitama and my grandfather lived in Chiba, so we only met occasionally. However, his illness brought us together and we were basically together every day. She decided to take over this restaurant in September 2020. Since then, she has been managing the restaurant alongside her university classes. The person Honoka invited to the restaurant was her childhood friend, JenJen. They have been very close since childhood, and when they both went to university in Chiba,
Honoka invited JenJen to work at this restaurant. For about four years now, they have been running the restaurant and living together in a shared house, sharing both the hard times and the good. We posted a video recently on our channel that follows a day in the life of JenJen, so please check that out. JenJen's feelings when she was invited by Honoka, and interesting stories about her fascinating background
as a Taiwanese is being shared! What was your personality like as a child? Childhood... Hey, what was my childhood personality like? Eh, are you asking me? You used to run around the sandbox, Was I energetic? Energetic! I was an energetic child! But I’m still energetic, right? Absolutely. Yeah. You were quite mischievous! Preparations are in the final stages, and it's almost time
to open the restaurant. It's time to open at 10 AM. As soon as we opened, a lot of customers came in. Welcome! When customers take their seats, Honoka first provides them
with hand towels and water. Is there a specific division of roles between the hall staff and the cooking staff? Yes, there is. Generally, JenJen handles the cooking, and I take care of the service. I do cook occasionally, but today I will be serving. As soon as the customers decide their orders, Honoka takes them. And then, the cooking starts! JenJen and Iwayama-san work together in cooking. Iwayama-san has been a staff member since the time Honoka's grandfather was the manager, and he is a veteran who has been cooking for over 20 years! Dishes are being prepared one after another. Honoka quickly serves the finished dishes to the customers. What are the differences between cooking and serving? When serving, you get to interact directly with customers and engage in communication. Conversely, when cooking, I only see the faces of the customers and focus solely on cooking. That's why I find serving more enjoyable. The restaurant fills up, and more customers start waiting outside. As part of her service duties, Honoka also makes drinks and handles the cash register as well. What are you majoring in the university? I'm majoring in Comparative Culture,
primarily studying American culture. Do you have time to hang out with your college friends
while running this restaurant? This restaurant is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and I've scheduled my classes on those days, so I do go out with friends after school. What do you usually do for fun? I really love eating, so we usually go out to eat. Which country are you from? I came from Korea. How did you find this restaurant? It was recently trending on the Korean social media,
so I came here. She looks like Minji from NewJeans! Do you know Minji from the Korean idol group NewJeans? Yes! I heard that the restaurant manager resembles her,
which piqued my interest. What was it like actually visiting? Indeed, she resembles her quite a bit, and honestly, the food was surprisingly delicious! What did you particularly like? I had a one-pound steak fried rice, and the texture of the meat was delicious. That was the best part, wasn't it? Yes, indeed! Are you full? Yes, I'm full! At 12:15 PM, JenJen takes a break. While JenJen is on break, Honoka takes over the cooking duties. Her cooking skills are impressive! I'm going to take a break now. By the way, what do you usually do during your break? What do I do... During breaks on weekdays, I work on assignments, and I also eat meals. I have staff meals! Besides things you do during breaks, do you have any hobbies? I love listening to music, and I often listen to King Gnu. Do you have a favorite food? Something you eat for staff meals? I really love Chinese food so much that I go out to eat it
even on my days off. Break is over. What did you do during today's break? I was sleeping during the break. Did you rest well? Yes, I rested well. So, will you be working until tonight? Yes, I'll be working until closing. Good luck! Thank you! Even after lunchtime, the customers keep coming and the restaurant is bustling. They happily accommodate customers who ask for photos. What kind of person is Honoka? Honoka is the opposite of JenJen; she has a bright and cheerful personality. I was taken care of by the previous master, her grandfather and she has the same brightness as him. I really feel that sometimes. She's always energetic and cheerful. There's no doubt she will become a wonderful woman
loved by everyone. I heard that when the restaurant was struggling, some staff members quit. Yes, during COVID, the number of customers really dropped, and there were times when the atmosphere was not so good. But the members who didn't give up and kept trying are now seeing the fruits of their efforts. 8 PM Even just before closing, customers keep coming in. May I take your order? Can I have one large cheese hamburger fried rice, please? And one pickled plum sour, please. That's all, thank you! In the evenings, more customers order alcohol. Can I have one large cheese hamburger fried rice, please? Is it a busy day with many customers today? Yeah, it's quite busy today! Is it always this crowded late at night? Well, on weekdays, there are usually quieter times at night, but on weekdays... especially on holidays and weekends, it can get as busy as this. Let’s eat the hamburger fried rice. The carefully stir-fried fried rice and the generous serving of hamburger are fantastic! 9 PM, The last order of the day was for takeout. The last order of the day was for takeout. After that, cleanup is shared between the kitchen and the hall. How was Honoka's day? We will continue with Honoka's interview. During the time of advancing to high school and university, I think it greatly influences the path of your life, did you have any other dreams when you took over the restaurant? Ever since then, my dream has been to become an announcer. So, do you still dream of becoming an announcer? I am still working towards fulfilling that dream, and I am affiliated with the talent agency Cent Force, and I am still active. Will you quit the restaurant when you graduate from university? I'm still thinking about it, I'm doing job hunting while also running the restaurant, so I might be involved in managing the restaurant. So, what kind of work style do you idealize? I do want to continue working at the restaurant, but I also have a strong desire to expand it further, especially since we have international visitors who come with their suitcases, I want to grow the restaurant even bigger, and make TonTon's flavors known to a broader audience. You've been managing the restaurant for about four years now, right? Yes. I imagine there were challenges at the beginning, what was the most difficult time? The most challenging time was during the COVID pandemic. We couldn't serve alcohol, and there were restrictions on operating hours, so it was really tough financially during that period. During such challenging times or troubles, what kind of personality do you have when facing them? Personality... Well, I often get down by reading reviews, but having JenJen, a childhood friend who I live with in a shared house, her support and encouragement next to me have helped me get through. What kind of presence is JenJen to you, Honoka? What kind of presence... She is truly a great friend who supports me right by my side! What do you like about her? Well, as a woman, I sometimes find it hard to speak my mind, but she speaks her mind directly, which I appreciate. I really think she is someone I can rely on! With work from Wednesday to Sunday, do you all have chances to take breaks together? Yes, we recently went on a company trip to Okinawa together, and we sometimes take holidays together to relax. It feels like a break! After your grandfather passed away, even during tough times, I heard that Mr. Iwayama and Mr. Aoki stayed with you. How have these two supported you? They've supported us in ways that weren't there during my grandfather's time, like agreeing to spontaneous menu ideas saying, 'That's a good idea,' and supporting us on social media, rather than opposing new ideas, they join in and support them. Their supportiveness really makes me feel they are very kind. They are like a second family to me. You didn't show your face on social media initially, I didn't show my face at first! From not showing your face, what prompted you to start doing so? Yes, after a YouTuber featured us, and it became a bit of a topic, I started showing my face. Did you have any reservations before that? Yes, I did. I definitely had some reservations. I heard that both of you love eating, have you always been big eaters? Yes, since childhood. Especially in your case! She is amazing, how many bowls of rice do you eat with barbecue? At least two bowls. And always a large portion, ever since she was little. So, JenJen wasn't always a big eater? If you look at old photos, I was really skinny. But Honoka isn't someone whose body shows it, right? I wonder about that... haha. I wasn't much of a big eater, and I used to eat very slowly. Isn't that still the case? Certainly! But now I eat a bit faster. I used to be the last one eating school lunch. Sometimes that happens in class. Lastly, a message for those watching who might want to visit our shop, A message... Although it takes about an hour from Tokyo, I really think you can enjoy delicious Chinese food, so we are all looking forward to your visit! Thank you for watching! See you in the next video! 【Dari Japan】
