The other day, I saw a flyer for the Filipino Expo where A for-Real vocalist Mizuki Shoji performed. There was a stage at a Filipino-owned restaurant where I could sing karaoke. It felt like I was in the Philippines! The food was delicious too! I'm hooked!

Next to Lonely Chaplin, there are no glamorous women with whom to sing "The Day Love Was Born," but it seems that after work, such people come to have a post-work gathering with friends. They came to the restaurant because they were offering all-you-can-eat Filipino food on weekends, but after that, they come to casually drink and practice speaking English. They actually want to enjoy Filipino food while drinking lightly, but when they look at the menu, everything is over ¥2000, so they can't afford it. Fried potatoes for ¥2000, seriously... Well, let's go for the all-you-can-eat option next time.

In Nagoya, there is a street called "Joshi Dori" which is a drinking district with Filipino pubs. Despite being young and broke at the age of 23 or 24, I used to go there because I thought it was revolutionary to be able to drink alcohol while having English conversations with beautiful older sisters for only ¥3000. There is a Filipino diner that caters to Filipinos and stays open until morning in a room in a mixed-use building, where I ate. It's a common belief that where there are Filipino pubs, there are also Filipino restaurants. I learned about this place through interviews at nightclubs in Kabukicho. From the outside, it looks like an unclear bar. But once you go inside, it's like a big disco club with blue lights or mysterious glowing lights. There's karaoke, and Filipino sisters who were probably former hostesses are singing with overwhelming vocal skills. They are really good, almost professional level. Sitting at the counter, I ordered a draft beer. No cover charge, just ¥500. When I asked the bartender if they had any food, they said, "All-you-can-eat for ¥2000 from 5 pm to 12 am," and led me to the entrance. There were various dishes displayed with utensils like those at a hotel buffet. There were Filipino-style vegetable stir-fry, coconut chicken curry, pork stir-fry, fried chicken, vegetable salad, fried noodles, and desserts. I put rice on a flat plate and surrounded it with the dishes I wanted. There was also soup, a soup with large chunks of simmered beef tail. Back at the counter, I prepared to eat. I started with the soup. It was truly tail soup. The broth was rich and delicious. It tasted similar to Korean cuisine, simple and tasty. The pork stir-fry had liver in it, giving it an Asian vibe. Especially in the Philippines, where pork liver is popular. The chicken curry was different from Indian, Thai, or Malaysian curries that use coconut milk. It was thick and oily. The dry long-grain rice seemed like low-grade Thai rice, but it was actually Filipino rice. Although it lacked fragrance and was dry, when mixed with the oily dishes, it complemented them well and was well done. When I started eating with my hands, I was teased, "She must be Filipino!!" They are open until 5 am. Probably, around midnight on Fridays, it gets quite lively with Filipinas finishing work or Japanese men for the after-hours. I plan to sneak in around that time next time.

I went to a dinner buffet. It was located deep in Kabukicho, with items left at the entrance door and no other customers around... The atmosphere wasn't great, but I decided to give it a try. The buffet included fried chicken, fried wontons, stewed offal meat and vegetables, mustard-flavored chicken, fried chicken and vegetable salad, fried shrimp, fried fish, soup, white rice, simmered dish, pudding, fruits (grapefruit white & ruby, orange, lychee). Self-service for water and chopsticks. Various condiments were placed by the window. The food was cold, felt heavy on the stomach, and the taste was mediocre... The fried chicken was decent though. But the restroom was clean!