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A first meeting, with food stops from Yutenji to Mizonokuchi

Haruru’s first day out with a new friend began at torse in Yutenji. Christmas cakes and omurice led to taiyaki in Gakugei-daigaku, then seafood in Mizonokuchi. Food and a conversation that kept going became the pleasures of the day.

From haruru.1002’s past account, edited with permission.

Choosing Christmas sweets at torse

They met at 10:30 and exchanged their first greetings. Their first stop was torse, a place Haruru had wanted to visit after seeing her friend’s posts. The entrance photograph shows the torse lettering beside a wreath.

The cake display made choosing difficult. Haruru settled on a Santa cake and a snowman parfait, with a cheese omurice for the meal.

She found the omurice fluffy and delicious and was delighted with the atmosphere. The photographs also keep a window-side tree and a table of sweets with seasonal decorations.

Choosing Christmas sweets at torse — Haruru’s photograph
Choosing Christmas sweets at torse — Haruru’s photograph
Choosing Christmas sweets at torse — Haruru’s photograph
Choosing Christmas sweets at torse — Haruru’s photograph
Choosing Christmas sweets at torse — Haruru’s photograph
Choosing Christmas sweets at torse — Haruru’s photograph
Choosing Christmas sweets at torse — Haruru’s photograph
Choosing Christmas sweets at torse — Haruru’s photograph
Choosing Christmas sweets at torse — Haruru’s photograph

A walk to Gakugei-daigaku and a pause at Hiiragi

Feeling full, they walked to Gakugei-daigaku for a little exercise. Their second stop was Hiiragi, a taiyaki shop. Its name and the word taiyaki are visible at the entrance.

With space at the counter, they took their time over hojicha and taiyaki. Haruru joked about having room for Japanese sweets after a Western-style meal, and the conversation continued. Her friend’s anmitsu also appears in a photograph.

After a short neighbourhood walk, they took the train to Mizonokuchi. Before the dinner reservation, they had milk tea near the station.

A walk to Gakugei-daigaku and a pause at Hiiragi — Haruru’s photograph
A walk to Gakugei-daigaku and a pause at Hiiragi — Haruru’s photograph
A walk to Gakugei-daigaku and a pause at Hiiragi — Haruru’s photograph

Seafood and sake at Uozuman

Haruru had booked Uozuman for 5pm. They agreed that sake would go well with sashimi and began with a toast over chilled sake, later ordering warm sake too.

The food photographs carry the labels taro starter, seven-kind sashimi platter, butter-grilled scallops, seafood yukke and shrimp mayonnaise. The final rice dish is annotated as salmon fried rice topped with salmon roe.

Haruru enjoyed every dish, and two and a half hours passed quickly with the conversation. Last orders arrived before they knew it. Even on their first meeting, sharing similar tastes made the evening enjoyable.

Seafood and sake at Uozuman — Haruru’s photograph
Seafood and sake at Uozuman — Haruru’s photograph
Seafood and sake at Uozuman — Haruru’s photograph
Seafood and sake at Uozuman — Haruru’s photograph
Seafood and sake at Uozuman — Haruru’s photograph
Seafood and sake at Uozuman — Haruru’s photograph
Seafood and sake at Uozuman — Haruru’s photograph
Seafood and sake at Uozuman — Haruru’s photograph

One more stop and a wish to meet again

It was still 7:30pm after dinner, so they stopped at Doutor for an acai yogurt drink before parting at 9pm. The day of food stops had also been a day of conversation.

Haruru closed her account with a wish to keep enjoying life in her own way and to meet again the following year.

Sources for this account

Edited with permission from Haruru’s account of her experiences.