Noge nights: horumon, standing sushi and an unplanned ramen finish
A familiar horumon restaurant, a retro alley with standing sushi, and the discovery of more places to eat: Haruru’s Noge records from 2018 and 2019 recall the pleasure of going out for the evening. One year-end outing ended with noodles she had not planned to order.
Personal records saved in March 2018 and December 2019, edited with Haruru’s existing permission. The accounts remain separate.
2018: a return to Noge Horumon Center
In one March 2018 record, Haruru returned to Noge Horumon Center after a while away. The weather was poor, and she wondered whether that was why the place was quieter on that occasion.
The name is clear on the photographed sign. The food photographs show plates of meat and offal, then pieces browning over the coals. Her note finishes with a plan to head to standing sushi for the next stop.
Standing sushi in Tabemono Yokocho
A separate March 2018 record describes standing sushi as the finish to a Noge evening. It was Haruru’s first time in Tabemono Yokocho, and she liked its retro atmosphere.
The exterior sign lists standing sushi among several kinds of food, while the food photographs show nigiri and gunkan sushi. In her note, nodoguro was the recommendation she singled out. The visit left her wanting to explore more places next time.
2019: discovering more places for a year-end outing
The December 2019 record begins with another return to Noge. Haruru recalled the familiar Horumon Center and was struck by how many other places there were.
The first stop served skillet dishes, which she did not photograph. The second was a horumon restaurant. Her photographs were out of order, as she noted herself, so they keep scenes from the meal rather than a reliable serving sequence.
Offal and a rich platter
Haruru’s note mentions heart, kobukuro, senmai and liver among the dishes she enjoyed. She also remembered the jar-marinated harami as tender and delicious.
The horumon platter suited her love of fatty cuts. She wondered whether it might have been a little much for someone who preferred less fat. Her enthusiasm was a personal taste, part of what she enjoyed about the meal.
The small fish served as the starter were kibinago, according to her note. A photograph keeps them over the grill. That detail belongs to the same meal even though the pictures were not arranged in serving order.
Wrapping meat with kimchi and vegetables
She ordered samgyeopsal, but described the meat that arrived as ordinary pork loin. Even so, she enjoyed wrapping it in leafy lettuce with kimchi, spring onion, miso and slices of raw garlic.
The photographs show the meat and accompaniments around the table, then a close view of a lettuce wrap held in a hand. For Haruru, the combination was delicious.
An unplanned ramen finish
She had intended to skip a final dish, but ended up with spring-onion, salt and butter ramen. The bowl photograph shows a mound of finely cut onion and a pat of butter. Her first year-end party was over, and she was glad to have spent such an enjoyable evening.
Sources for this account
Edited with Haruru’s existing permission from separate past Noge records and their saved photographs. The Noge Horumon Center and Tabemono Yokocho names are legible on signs. Dishes and impressions come from her account; the 2019 photo order does not establish the serving order.