The Best Episodes of Solitary Gourmet

Inogashira goes around the old cultural town of Ningyo-cho, looking for Japanese gifts to send to his European female friend. Since his friend is expecting a child, Inogashira wants to get her something for her pregnancy as well as an item that denotes Japanese culture. While looking for shops, he stops by a tea shop called "Mori no En" and tries out their sweets made with green tea. Later on, as he was browsing in a shamisen shop, he feels the need to eat something that's classically Japanese... and so, tempura comes to mind. He goes around the area searching for a tempura-ya until he smells the aroma of frying foods. It was coming from a shop called "Tempura Nakayama"...

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"Somehow, I have a good feeling about today..." Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) comes out of Ōokayama Station, feeling optimistic about today's business deal. "If it pushes through, it's going to be a huge deal.". He meets with company director Yashiro Keisuke (Horibe Keisuke) who wants Goro to take care of changing the over-all interiors of their main branch and in their upcoming Roponggi branch. It does seem quite a profitable deal. However, Goro is perturbed by Yashiro's lackadaisical attitude towards the matter... Later on, Goro is in a foul mood. Feeling hungry, he wants to eat delicious food that will placate his anger. He finds what he was looking for in an eatery called "Kue", that serves "fishermen's cuisine": delicious sashimi set meals, simmered fish, seafood donburi and kabayaki dishes, and namerou. Plus, it serves unlimited refills of rice and miso soup! Goro steps inside, and is welcomed by the proprietress (Washio Machiko)...

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Goro comes to Komaba-Todaimae Station in Meguro Ward. Arriving very early for a business appointment, he notices several takoyaki shops in the area. He tries out "Demaru", an Osaka-style takoyaki shop that seems popular with young students. He then spends a relaxing quiet time at a park while eating his order of tiny hash browns. Afterwards, he visits a quaint antique furniture store for his meeting. Then later, he sees a nearby Italian-style restaurant, "Borracho." He tries out their au gratin dishes, bread and hearty soup...

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It is Goro's (Matsushige Yutaka) second day in Taiwan. On this day, he will research on Taiwanese products for the upcoming trade exhibition in Paris. He goes to the National Traditional Arts Center in Yilan County. There, he finds all sorts of good ideas for the exhibition: glassware, tea utensils, brushes. He also tries candy-coated tomatoes being sold there. At a tea house, Goro encounters a young entrepreneur Liu Shinichi (Mizuma Ron) who gives him a tip on where to go and find more Taiwanese goods. "Go to Dinghua Street". Goro takes his advice and visits the old warehouse district at Dihua Street in Taipei. The exotic items there made Goro hungry, so he goes on a food-hopping adventure around Yongle Market. He chooses an eatery called "Yǒnglè Xiǎochī" and asks for a meal of Taiwanese street food. Next he tries a stall called "YuanWei LuRou Fan"...

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Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) arrives at real estate company in Nishi-Sugamo in Toshima Ward. At the request of his client Morita (Keiichi Noda), he has come to preview a shop his client is eyeing to rent. While he is filling in an entry form, the company president (Tsuchiya Nobuyuki) and employees (Hanawa Nobuyuki, Hosono Kyoko) are all trying to read his last name, and somehow pronouncing it wrong. Goro is bewildered since he assumes his last name is pretty easy to read... Then, later on, after previewing the shop, Goro feels hungry. He hurries and finds a shabu-shabu and sukiyaki shop called "Shabu Tatsu" along an old-fashioned, quaint shopping street. Inside, there is a rarely seen U-shaped counter. Goro finds the set meals quite tempting. When asked by the proprietress (Yasuko Tomita) what his order is, Goro chooses a luxurious solo order of sukiyaki set meal with prime beef cuts. What a fitting choice for an advanced year-end banquet!

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Inogashira meets with a client at a cafe called "Alcolic Cafe Roje" in front of Numabukuro station. His meeting ends on a positive note, so he decides to remain in the shop and celebrate by ordering a slice of tart and some tea. However, his second business meeting does not seem to bode well. It is with a young female entrepreneur who is described as too flighty by her own loquacious mother. Afterwards, he wanders in the residential neighborhood in search of a place to eat, and much to his surprise and relief, he stumbles upon a yakiniku shop called "Heiwa-En"...

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Inogashira's next appointment is in the "Sumo Town" of Ryogoku. A fan of sumo, our solitary gourmand is eager to go sight-seeing around the area but gets sidetracked by "Ryogoku Kokugido" a shop that sells sweetened beans crackers and other sweet delights. Later, he goes to his "small sale" meeting but is surprised to see that there is nothing "small" about his client, an owner of a barber shop. Of course, after his meeting, he starts to crave for a Sumo style feast, and out of all the chanko shops in the area, he chooses "Oouchi" a restaurant that also offers single servings of traditional chanko....

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Goro arrives in Akabane, Kita Ward, pleasantly surprised at how the town has changed. He goes to fruit shop and cafe called "Puchi Mondo" to meet with his client, a rather eccentric lady dressed up in GothLoli-style clothes. She asks him to find akuma (devil) statues for her collection. After his strange meeting, he stays at the cafe to have some refreshments, a fruity creamy sandwich set. Next, he goes to his second client, an owner of a kimono shop. As he arrives there, he is told by the owner's daughter that her father has gone off to another place and asks to meet him there. She gives him some directions plus a heavy bag and umbrella to "please give it to him since you're headed there anyway..." Goro obliges and walks around town to a meeting place that turns out to be a snack bar. The walk made Goro very hungry and of course, we know what that means... He remembers a certain eel shop he visited before and goes to look for it. However, another nearby eel shop catches his eye...

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Goro's next appointment is in Shizuoka Prefecture. Despite the long travel, he seems to be looking forward to it as he rides the train to the Izu Peninsula. Once he's there, he meets with his client, an inn owner and pipe-enthusiast. Later he has a cream and strawberry refreshment at a shop called "Nanadaru-Jyaya" while amusing himself with the loud chat of three oba-chan customers. He strolls around the town and feels refreshed by its quiet and idyllic scenery. He next tries out a wasabi specialty shop that sells direct sale wasabi and wasabi-based dishes. It's called "Wasabi-En Kodaya." Uncharacteristically, Goro orders only one simple type of dish but not necessarily in just one order...

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When Goro arrives in Ebisu, he stops by a shrine. There, he picks up a lighter dropped by an older man (Ishibashi Renji) and gives it to him. Then, he goes to see a client, a barista (Kobayashi Kentaro) owner of a coffee shop. He is having a hard time understanding this client's strange description of his request. The barista even treats Goro to an impromptu magic trick. Later, Goro again chances upon the man from the shrine. To show his appreciation for Goro's deed earlier, the man invites him to his shop, an izakaya called "Saiki" that also serves delicious seasonal dishes, elegant appetizers, and yummy rice balls...

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Goro meets with one of his regular clients, Yamamura (Ryu Raita) who has gotten wind of his upcoming business trip to Taiwan. Yamamura asks him to deliver an item to his granddaughter, Takako (Okubo Mariko) who is studying and working in Yilan County, Taiwan. Goro reluctantly says yes... Sometime later, Goro arrives in Taipei. He goes straight to Sanxing, Yilan to deliver the said item which turns out to be... Afterwards, he goes around Luodong in search of a shop where he could eat. He chooses an eatery named Quántái Xiǎochībù, which offers seafood and stir-fried dishes. However, Goro feels intimidated when confronted with the menu completely written in Chinese text. Nevertheless, despite the language barrier, the friendly proprietress (Yang Yunyu) and local girl (NueNue) help him out by recommending what dishes to try out...

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Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) arrives in Sengendai, Saitama Prefecture where he notices there are plenty of bicycles around. He is supposed to go to his next client, but gets lost temporarily in a residential complex area. Along the way, he spots a stew shop located in a building with a very nondescript facade. Finally, he has found his client (You), a proprietress of a karaoke/snack bar. It was a strange meeting. The proprietress, boasting that she has sharp intuition, correctly guesses Goro's thoughts and even his state of health... After the meeting, Goro feels famished. He remembers the stew shop he spotted a while ago, and goes back to it. It is called, "Kuriya Sawa", a restaurant that serves warm, western-style meals. Goro goes in and is greeted by the mother and son owners (Shigeta Chihoko, Maena Tomoya). Goro looks at the menu, and licks his lips at the delectable choices of rich and hearty stews, omurice, doria, and other sauce-based dishes...

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Arriving early at Koiwa, Inogashira kills some time by strolling through the area's shopping district. He also had a sweet time-out at the confectionery shop, "L'Atelier De Sucre." The town's warmth and sense of community makes him feel at ease so much that he almost forgets his appointment with an owner of a photo studio. Later on, he decides to partake of a spicy dinner at "Zenzen" a restaurant that offers Szechuan home-style cuisine.

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Inogashira's sleepiness caused him to make a mistake during his out-of-town meeting with a client. He was already on his way home at a stop-over in Choshi, Chiba when he realized he had taken the wrong product item with him. Since he could not go back to his client until the afternoon of the next day, he decides to stay overnight in the coastal town of Iioka. Before he checks into a guest house, he strolls around, checking out a sweets cafe called "Light House." The next day, the relaxing view of the Pacific Ocean inspires Inogashira to have a seafood feast at a surfers' favorite hang-out called "Tsuchiya"...

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Goro arrives in Uguisu-dani on a hot summer day and stops to have a coffee float in a cafe. Afterwards he goes to his appointment with an owner of a large cabaret-style theater ballroom. He is asked to provide French fixtures and decors for the place. Goro is happy with the prospect of having a huge business deal that it probably made him very hungry. Refusing offers of drinks from his client, he rushes off to eat somewhere, and yet ironically, ends up at a place where people can drink booze starting at 10 am. It's called "Tori Tsubaki", a drunkard's heaven that features inexpensive yet "mega"-sized nibbles and items, including cutlets, chicken dishes, and beer.

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Goro arrives early in Mukaihara for a business appointment, so he stops by a cafe called "Surprise" to partake of a roll cake with a curious name. Arriving at his meeting with his client and friend, an owner of a charming gallery store of European pieces, he notices that she is in a vexed mood. She tells him her orders will not arrive in time for her opening tomorrow. So Goro decides to stay to help her, and eventually pulls out an all-nighter. With his task accomplished, Goro sets out the next morning, pleased and of course, very hungry. He chances upon a chic bread store that calls itself "Machida no Parlor." Goro orders himself a hearty breakfast of pork sandwich, quiche, Italian sausages, and different kinds of rustic bread...

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The lone merchant arrives in Miyanoshita, Hakone to take a look at a gallery/cafe called "Naraya Cafe" as a potential venue for a friend's exhibit. The cafe is managed by a pleasant man (Doi Yoshio) who is secretly nicknamed "Momi-yan" by Goro because of his huge sideburns. The owner also treats Goro to anything he likes and so he orders the cafe's specialty, a unique gourd-shaped monaka with sweet sesame seed paste filling. Afterwards, Goro decides to take a stroll around the village by way of the Miyanoshita Walking Trail. He reaches an old elementary school turned preschool. He reminisces and plays in the schoolyard until his hunger creeps in. He decides to eat at a tavern whose sign he saw a moment ago, during his walk. It took him a bit of moment though, looking for the said tavern. Finally he arrives at "Iroriya", a shop which is being run by two ladies: an elderly one (Onuki Kae) and a younger woman (Aoyama Noriko)...

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Goro has a sudden order for wine glasses. Not only that, the client wants it delivered in 2 hours. Goro rushes off to his rented warehouse in Edagawa, Koto Ward. He quickly rummages through his stocks and manages to find the items and somehow deliver it in time. He returns to the warehouse to once and for all, organize his stocks and tidy up the place. While putting things in order inside the hot warehouse, the warehouse custodian, Kawamoto (Sasano Takashi) comes in bringing slices of watermelon and invites Goro to a refreshing break... Later for lunch, Goro leaves his clean up for the meantime and walks to a nearby restaurant called "Atom". It has a peculiar sign and exterior but exudes a mysterious charm. Its owner, who is a beefy old guy (Fujiwara Yoshiaki) serves set meals of Western and Japanese cuisine...

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Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) arrives in Nishi-Ogikubo to meet with a senior colleague (Kokuta Nobuaki) from his schooldays. He finds him drinking at his usual haunt, the grilled skewer alley... His senior is getting married and wants Goro to choose a carpet for his and his future wife's new house. However, fiancee Sachiko (Kai Marie) is not happy about it for some reason. Goro, sensing a couple's quarrel, leaves immediately. The awkward and tense atmosphere made him feel hungry. He goes around the neighborhood looking for a shop. He decides to try something new and unfamiliar: "Moroccan Cuisine, Tam Tamu". Inside the cramped small eatery, the proprietress (Ito Kazue) tells him that it is fine to use a table for four. He surveys the menu that teems with foreign yet delectable-sounding North African terms and dishes: "Tajine", "Harissa", "Harira", "Brik, "Berber omelet"...

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On a cold day, Inogashira is in Jūjō, looking for a certain shop that sells lanterns. Despite the weather, he orders an icy concoction from a sweets shop called "Darumaya." Then, later on, a sudden hunger strikes Inogashira, abruptly cutting off his meeting with a lantern store owner and goes off in search of a place to eat. As he scours the shops along Jūjō's shopping districts, he finally stops in front of a tavern... The eye-catching red lantern hanging in front of it says "Taya..."

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Inogashira heads for a certain destination in Adachi Ward. However, hunger strikes as soon as he arrives in Senju, so he goes in search of a place to eat. He stops in front of a Thai restaurant called "Laikanok." He is reminded of a recent conversation he had with a lady friend of his regarding a potential business deal involving Thai products. "This could be field research," he surmises. "It's like killing two birds with one stone." He decides to have Thai cuisine for lunch. He steps inside but feels hesitant. The restaurant is full of female customers only. No, wait... there is one male customer - another lone wolf like himself...

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It is almost the end of the year and Inogashira is in Mitaka City to visit a client in the area, an owner of a bar. He stops by a tea and sweets area called "Kanmidokoro Takane" for some relaxing tea and taiyaki. Later on, after his meeting, he plans to eat soba at Jindai-ji (Temple) in the nearby city. However, his urgent feelings of hunger tell him he won't be able to make it. So he scours the immediate vicinity for a diner that could appease his appetite. He finds it in a shop called "Itsuki," an eatery that offers home-cooked set meals...

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