All
Let’s eat!
Tomikawa
On top we have finely shredded cucumber. I think I’ll start with that.
Morizo
Here we go, the radio report.
Tomikawa
Even though it’s so finely cut, the freshness makes it super crunchy.
Tochika
Oh really? I’m going to start with this crispy lotus root on top. The thin slices are so light!
Tomikawa
I suppose the crispy lotus root, crunchy cucumber, and this lettuce are best eaten together.
Morizo
As the chef said, try stirring the tororo through as well.
Tochika
Stir right from the bottom.
Morizo
That’s where the yam is.
Tomikawa
Mmm, tastes great.
Morizo
The tororo and the eel work great together in a salad, don’t they?
Tomikawa
How interesting! I’ve never eaten a salad with this kind of texture.
Morizo
Yet it’s a salad.
Tochika
Every ingredient has a different texture.
Tomikawa
There’s so much to enjoy!
Taiko
The tororo is from a place in Shizuoka called Mariko-shuku.
Morizo
Chojiya. Before the Tomei Expressway was built, whenever we traveled from Nagoya to Tokyo, we would stop over at Chojiya.
Note: Chojiya is a 400-year-old restaurant famous for its tororo-jiru, a traditional grated-yam soup.
That’s where I fell in love with tororo. So, when I ate it here, the taste really took me back.
Tomikawa
Oh really? That’s amazing! I wondered how you knew it. From your childhood, right?
Morizo
When I was a kid. This was before the Tomei Expressway was built.
Tomikawa
With Shoichiro?
Morizo
Right, driving. It took about twelve hours. These days, that’s like taking a trip to New York.
Tochika
That’s true, in terms of time.
Morizo
No jet lag though.
Tomikawa
Here comes the Morizo Tea. Even the bottle is super stylish! Is that Morizo’s signature?
Morizo
First enjoy the forest aroma, then take a sip and hold it in your mouth for a moment before you swallow, and savor the aftertaste.
Taiko
The scent is incredible!
Morizo
It is, right? I think that’s sweet osmanthus.
Tomikawa
Where can people try this?
Tochika
It will soon be available at the Fuji Speedway Hotel…
Morizo
If it gets the green light at today’s product meeting.
Tochika
If it gets the green light, yes. Morizo Tea will be available here. I’ll have to really talk it up.
Morizo
Can we eat this too?
Tomikawa
Yes, the vegetable sticks. We’ve got veggie sticks right in the middle. Here we go.
Tochika
The peanuts are an interesting touch. What’s this?
Tomikawa
Looks like daikon radish.
Tochika
Radish, maybe?
Morizo
You can feel the freshness.
Tomikawa
Listen to that!
Tochika
Is the sauce miso?
Morizo
Hmm, I’m not sure. But it tastes really fresh.
Tomikawa
So this is what’s local here.
Tochika
The aroma really rises through your nose—so soft and gentle.
Morizo
This looks like carrot, doesn’t it.
Tomikawa
Carrot, how cute! So thin.
Morizo
This sauce is great too.
Tomikawa
The sauce is delicious. It’s not just miso, I wonder what else is in there.
Morizo
When I first met the chef, I was eating over there at the counter where they are grilling, and they had a plate of local vegetables laid out. When I tasted them, the sensation was just like today. That’s what sparked our conversation.
Tomikawa
Is that right? That’s probably why Chef Ishii set them out too.
Morizo
It’s likely.
Tochika
They sure produce a wide variety of vegetables in Shizuoka, don’t they?
Morizo
And when it comes to contracts, I think the fact that it is Chef Ishii plays a big part.
Tomikawa
I can imagine, since his dishes make the most of what they’ve grown.
Morizo
This is really delicious.