Staff Meal 75

The fifth-generation owner loves mackerel, and used to eat not only mackerel sushi, but also mackerel sashimi, smoked mackerel, and even canned mackerel in water.

But apparently there is a lifetime limit to how much one can eat. Perhaps it was a message from above saying, “You’ve eaten enough for a lifetime,” because one day he developed a mackerel allergy and has been unable to eat it ever since.

He tried it again several times after that, but the symptoms worsened each time, and eventually he had to give up mackerel completely, which is where things stand today.

Since then, he has tried to eat the things he likes little by little, so as not to reach his limit with any of his other favorites as well.

Meat is one of them.

The fifth-generation owner loves steak and hamburgers, but he has cut back on how often he eats them, thinking it would be terrible if he developed an allergy to beef too (and it is probably better for his health as well).

There is one more favorite: shrimp.

Bisque is probably his number one favorite, followed by fried shrimp.

In the film The Chef of South Polar, starring Masato Sakai, there is a dish of fried spiny lobster, and a scene in which the expedition members tuck into it with great relish.

Ever since then, it has held the number-one spot on his list of foods he wants to try.

That was a long introduction, but now for today’s staff meal.

Today’s dish was shrimp in chili sauce, or ebi chili.

It was made with large shrimp purchased at the fish market for the staff meal.

Our ebi chili is quite authentic: the shrimp are coated in batter and fried, then tossed with chili sauce in a frying pan.

Although it is called chili sauce, the flavor and saltiness are mild, adjusted for the fifth-generation owner, who does not care for spicy food.

The cook knows this well, too, and thoughtfully added bigfin reef squid to bulk it out so that the fifth-generation owner would not eat too much shrimp.

Much appreciated.

Still, eating too much rice because it was so delicious was entirely his own responsibility.

He usually stops after one bowl, but this time he ate two and a half bowls…

It was that delicious a staff meal!

Thank you for the meal.

Oh yes, there is one more food he does not want to become allergic to.

Eel 😆