5/5 福島ケン 5 years ago on Google
Arriving
ahead
of
the
usual
Friday
evening
traffic,
I
had
a
chance
to
chat
with
the
third-generation
proprietor
of
this
family
enterprise.
He,
his
wife,
and
a
student
from
Fukushima
University
were
working,
all
taking
good
care
of
me
in
turns.
Another
employee
was
arriving
as
I
was
getting
ready
to
leave.
Well,
I
can't
say
how
たこ寅
manages
a
full
house,
but
other
reviewers
have
favorable
opinions.
Walk-ins
and
reservations
are
welcome;
in
fact,
two
places
for
two
were
already
set
up
as
reserved
at
the
counter
where
I
had
my
light
meal.
The
counter
seats
about
10,
and
there
are
also
3
low
tables
for
4
in
the
main
dining
room.
A
separate
banquet
room
in
the
back,
I
was
told,
is
good
for
parties
of
8.
As
of
1
April
2018,
the
proprietor
introduced
a
100%
no-smoking
policy.
I
asked
if
this
had
affected
business.
He
had
worried
about
this,
but
in
fact,
in
the
context
of
quality
food
and
sake,
aroma
is
as
important
as
taste
and
texture,
so
discerning
patrons
are
happy
with
the
change.
International
guests
might
hesitate
to
stray
too
far
from
Fukushima
Station,
and
indeed
some
small,
remote
eating/drinking
establishments
might
be
unaccustomed
to
non-Japanese
customers,
but
in
the
course
of
chatting
with
the
proprietor,
he
comfortably
and
appropriately
threw
in
some
English.
Eventually,
he
asked
about
my
work
affiliation,
which
prompted
him
to
recall
two
medical
students
from
New
York
who
had
drinks
and
nibbles
here
a
year
ago.
Thumb-scrolling
his
smartphone,
he
even
came
up
with
a
picture
he
took
with
them.
Please
don't
worry
about
not
speaking
Japanese.
The
menu
has
lots
of
pictures,
and,
from
a
quick
social
media
exchange
with
those
med
students,
long
back
in
New
York,
I
can
report
that
they
remember
having
a
happy
time
here.
