フェリー
This time, the theme of the three-stop tour is a return to the Showa era, a nostalgic feeling. And when it comes to Showa, this place is the epitome of a traditional coffee shop that continues to walk the path of Showa. This time, we visited the Shijo branch, located in the basement of a building next to Daimaru. We arrived a little early, around 11 am, for lunch. I chose this place because I used to come here after shopping at Daimaru to have lunch or tea, feeling a bit fancy. When I was a child, my parents used to take me here, and during my student days, it felt a bit expensive, so I hardly ever visited this place. So, it's been decades since I last visited this place. When we arrived at the restaurant... Oh, it seems to have gotten a bit bigger. The layout inside the store may have changed a bit too. However, it was almost full, with just a few open seats, so we were able to get in without waiting, but more and more customers kept coming. It's still a popular spot, just like in the past. The place was bustling with people mostly from our generation or older. It seems like many people come here as part of their routine. I chose Inoda this time because I heard that the management had changed. Usually, when the management changes, many things such as service, ingredients, and taste change, so I wanted to visit before that happened. I ordered the White (Bolsena) spaghetti for 980 yen and the Arabian Pearl Coffee Milk set for 550 yen, while my wife ordered the Red (Italian) spaghetti for 980 yen and the Arabian Pearl Black set for 550 yen. The White (Bolsena) is a white sauce-based spaghetti with ham, onions, and mushrooms (very Showa-like) mixed in. The noodles are slightly thick and have a very Showa-like feel. The white sauce, which I think is chicken bouillon-based, has a perfect balance of saltiness and creaminess, very delicious. The Red (Italian) spaghetti is a tomato sauce-based dish with ham, onions, mushrooms, and green peppers. This one was quite sweet. It's a taste that even children would enjoy. As someone in their early forties, it was a bit too sweet for my liking. The noodles in both dishes were slightly thick. I don't use the term "pasta" because this is Showa-style spaghetti. In the past, the Neapolitan at coffee shops would use pre-boiled spaghetti noodles that had been dried and fried in butter or margarine, resulting in very soggy noodles at many shops. However, the noodles here have always been firm and not soggy, with a simple and slightly chewy texture, so there was a noticeable difference compared to other places. Nowadays, when I make Neapolitan at home, I soak the spaghetti noodles in water and let them sit overnight, then boil them for about 2 minutes before using. This gives them a chewy texture. (For Italian pasta, I boil them slightly less than the recommended time, about 1 minute, and cook them in the sauce to achieve an al dente texture...) Showa-style coffee served at the end was also strong and refreshing, making it the perfect Showa-style ending. So, with impeccable service and the traditional taste of a Showa-era coffee shop, this place was definitely our main choice this time, and we both agreed on that.