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Returning to Kaneko: favourite dishes and time with friends

Haruru returned to Kaneko with different people, often ordering the same favourite dish. Across these visits, the food sits alongside a change of plan, karaoke and the pleasure of meeting someone again.

From haruru.1002’s accounts shared in 2022 and 2023, edited with permission.

Bean sprouts, fruity sours and a simple pizza

In her September 2022 account, the bean-sprout dish was a particular favourite. She liked mixing in the backfat and felt that, even when a full bowl of Jiro ramen was too much, the topping-style dish was easy to enjoy.

She found the liver cutlet soft and tasty. The frozen mango sour was full of fruit but reminded her of juice; the aloe yoghurt sour felt much like drinking yoghurt. Kaneko-chan sour, with baisu, green shiso and umeboshi, was a refreshing choice.

Not everything was easy to finish. After trying pork-toro meat sashimi, she found the fattiness too much and left some of the meat. The meal ended with a simple pizza made with salt and cheese, which she enjoyed.

Bean sprouts, fruity sours and a simple pizza — Haruru’s photograph
Bean sprouts, fruity sours and a simple pizza — Haruru’s photograph
Bean sprouts, fruity sours and a simple pizza — Haruru’s photograph
Bean sprouts, fruity sours and a simple pizza — Haruru’s photograph
Bean sprouts, fruity sours and a simple pizza — Haruru’s photograph
Bean sprouts, fruity sours and a simple pizza — Haruru’s photograph
Bean sprouts, fruity sours and a simple pizza — Haruru’s photograph
Bean sprouts, fruity sours and a simple pizza — Haruru’s photograph
Bean sprouts, fruity sours and a simple pizza — Haruru’s photograph

A closed door changed the evening

The shop she had intended to visit was Horumon Dojo (ホルモン道場). A temporary-closure notice was on its door that day, so she changed the plan and went to another favourite, Kaneko.

She enjoyed the meal, including Jiro Moyashi, but forgot to photograph the bean sprouts. Afterwards, a planned hour of karaoke grew into a longer session.

She ordered shaved ice there, though the generous cream made it feel less like the shaved ice she had expected. Singing a variety of songs still made for a fun evening.

A closed door changed the evening — Haruru’s photograph
A closed door changed the evening — Haruru’s photograph
A closed door changed the evening — Haruru’s photograph
A closed door changed the evening — Haruru’s photograph
A closed door changed the evening — Haruru’s photograph
A closed door changed the evening — Haruru’s photograph
A closed door changed the evening — Haruru’s photograph
A closed door changed the evening — Haruru’s photograph
A closed door changed the evening — Haruru’s photograph
A closed door changed the evening — Haruru’s photograph

A familiar order, followed by cake

In another 2023 account, Haruru was back at Kaneko with different company. She was pleased that the people she brought there enjoyed the food.

Jiro Moyashi was an order she kept returning to. She compared it to eating the topping from a bowl of Jiro ramen, and again enjoyed the soft liver cutlet.

After the meal, she went to Italian Tomato for a cake set. The final photograph shows a slice topped with berries.

A familiar order, followed by cake — Haruru’s photograph
A familiar order, followed by cake — Haruru’s photograph
A familiar order, followed by cake — Haruru’s photograph
A familiar order, followed by cake — Haruru’s photograph
A familiar order, followed by cake — Haruru’s photograph
A familiar order, followed by cake — Haruru’s photograph
A familiar order, followed by cake — Haruru’s photograph
A familiar order, followed by cake — Haruru’s photograph
A familiar order, followed by cake — Haruru’s photograph
A familiar order, followed by cake — Haruru’s photograph

Make a date to see someone again

A later visit brought a reunion with someone she had not seen for about five years. The familiar restaurant gave them a place to meet, and she was glad the other person enjoyed it.

Haruru admitted that her own frequent visits had made the food feel less new. The pleasure of that meal came as much from the reunion as from the dishes.

She had begun making definite plans with people she wanted to see, instead of leaving it at a vague promise to meet sometime. She forgot another photograph of her favourite bean sprouts, but recorded the reason this visit mattered.

Make a date to see someone again — Haruru’s photograph
Make a date to see someone again — Haruru’s photograph
Make a date to see someone again — Haruru’s photograph
Make a date to see someone again — Haruru’s photograph
Make a date to see someone again — Haruru’s photograph
Make a date to see someone again — Haruru’s photograph
Make a date to see someone again — Haruru’s photograph

Sources for this account

Based on Haruru’s accounts shared in September 2022 and August–September 2023, including the shop signs and food photographs from each visit.