Isekai Shokudou

[Buffalobiian]

https://i.imgur.com/67dJrug.png

Alternative title:
Restaurant to Another World
異世界食堂

Genres: Fantasy, Slice of Life, Cooking.

Synopsis:
Western Restaurant Nekoya is a popular eatery located on a street corner in a Tokyo shopping district. Serving both traditional Japanese fare as well as Western dishes, this eating establishment is popular among Tokyo's residents. But this seemingly ordinary restaurant is also popular with another type of clientele...

While the restaurant is thought to be closed on Saturdays, the truth is that on this special day each week, its doors are instead opened to the inhabitants of other worlds. From dragons and elves to fairies and mages, this restaurant has no shortage of strange customers. Nevertheless, the enigmatic chef known only as "Master" will be waiting to serve up their favorite dishes with a kind smile and keep them coming back for many more Saturdays to come.

Links: ANN (https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=19479), MAL (https://myanimelist.net/anime/34012/Isekai_Shokudou), AniDB (https://anidb.net/anime/12385).


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I swear this anime had its own thread years ago..

.. anyway, S2 is out. More wholesome Aletta and people eating food in general.

The funniest bit was Telepathy delivering the Katsudon right on time.

[Ryllharu]

I like how detailed they get about the fantasy world. For what's essentially a foodgasm show, the fantasy world is more fleshed out than the majority of fantasy isekai series. We know about all sorts of continents, cultures, politics, and a substantial amount of history. How each of those races and nations are treated, etc.

It's pretty close to Tenshi multiverse levels of detail.

[neflight86]

This show is the distillation of the concept of "problem, food, problem solved". I always liked that out it.

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 03

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Everyone knows green curry is the best.

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 04

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I'd make way more sense for him to say "I taught the bread guy how to make white sauce" rather than "The bread guy taught me". Wonder which is actually correct.

[Ryllharu]

I didn't really like the second half of this episode, though I guess the reveal that they were halflings instead of children made a little more sense.

Victoria bonding with her niece and nephew who are far more forgiving of her lineage in their nation was quite heartwarming on the other hand. Maybe a much brighter future is on its way to the Witch Princess. A trusted and beloved Auntie with command of powerful magic for her brother's heirs.

[Ryllharu]

Aletta's shocked reaction to Emilio being a boy made this episode for me.

[Buffalobiian]

Aletta's shocked reaction to Emilio being a boy made this episode for me.

My favorite detail was that they gave him super feminine nails. I actually didn't figure him to be someone who would be often mistaken to be a girl.

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 07


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Okonomiyaki - a nice fluffy one is always nice. I always prefer going light on the sauce for a more gentle, subtle flavour. Lots of sauce gives it a huge hit, but I find it to be more monotonous that way and overall less enjoyable.

Kuro and Aletta empathizing with Elf's brain freeze was cute.

[shinta|hikari]

What toppings do you like on your okonomiyaki?

[Ryllharu]

Wait, Western Restaurant Nekoya serves okonomiyaki?!

Isn't that one of the only Japanese dishes served to anyone outside of the teriyaki skewers samurai at the counter with the great sage?

Aletta is truly a top-tier waifu, concerned about the restaurant's well being and the enjoyment of the other guests, while also hitting like 6 different physical appearance appeal zones.

[neflight86]

2-7

I did the impossible, I caught up to a show I was behind on!

What makes this such an easy watch is the excellent ratio of food appeal and character appeal. These embellished stories of how this food impacts their lives is balanced by their own circumstances and motivations, and both are equally entertaining. I like seeing how they intersect when new characters are introduced. Food alone is great, but it too can get boring by itself, so the split focus is wise.

Has anyone gotten out of there with a single serving yet? Master needs to re-evaluate his portion control.

Also, minced meat cutlet never misses eat out day. She's in the background almost every time the place is open.

[Buffalobiian]

What toppings do you like on your okonomiyaki?

Hmm, I can't say I've eaten this often enough to actively sort out my enjoyment based on toppings. I do remember eating pork belly and that was nice. I also enjoy seafood in general.

I think the overall flavour and texture of the product matters more to my enjoyment than the toppings necessarily. That said, I don't really like yakisoba in my okonomiyaki. Layering is fine.


Isn't that one of the only Japanese dishes served to anyone outside of the teriyaki skewers samurai at the counter with the great sage?


I'm not an expert. From reading online, apparently it was popularised as a cheap western food in the 1900s.

[shinta|hikari]

Hmm, I can't say I've eaten this often enough to actively sort out my enjoyment based on toppings. I do remember eating pork belly and that was nice. I also enjoy seafood in general.

I think the overall flavour and texture of the product matters more to my enjoyment than the toppings necessarily. That said, I don't really like yakisoba in my okonomiyaki. Layering is fine.

What do you mean by layering? When yakisoba is added to okonomiyaki (Hiroshima-style), it is a layer on top of it. I've never seen it mixed into the batter.

Pork belly is the best because it stands up to the strong sauce and mayo flavors. Seafood kinda just disappears except for the texture, which is why tako is probably best if you go the seafood route.

[Ryllharu]

Since there's nothing remotely like it around, I've made a bad imitation of one using cabbage and pancake batter. It's either satisfying or disgusting, because I'm not really sure what ratio works correctly, or when to flip it in a regular stovetop fry pan. One time was really good, the second time very much not.

[shinta|hikari]

Okonomiyaki is mostly cabbage with just enough batter to hold it together. I hope your next try works better!

[Buffalobiian]

What do you mean by layering? When yakisoba is added to okonomiyaki (Hiroshima-style), it is a layer on top of it. I've never seen it mixed into the batter.

What I mean is that the concept of layering ingredients rather than mixing them together is fine. I'm not fond of yakisoba in general to begin with, but I find it particularly out of place in Okonomiyaki. I don't mean to say that it's mixed with the batter.

I find yakisoba rather bland and uninteresting compared to other friend noodles - Japanese or otherwise.

[shinta|hikari]

Funny enough, instant yakisoba is better.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcRNrnfk4Z8VP2ew_OM2z5cVx7KYmgo JqfxTOF12baeWBbxKbkXzd4E43woF0KcQf-oTSFTFbifOITB-O14BS4QPGxvuo3qh

[Ryllharu]

I'm with Buff, yakisoba is always gross. In all forms.

[Ryllharu]

Eps S2 - 08

Roast Beef / Cheesecake Again or...Kuro enforcing the Code of Conduct.

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I guess the deeper implication is that Kuro is the mother (and father) of all vampires? She's the Death Dragon after all. It makes sense, I suppose, since her true form power kills living beings just by contact which is why she exiled herself to the Moon.

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 10


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Lastina enjoying her Parfait was quite refreshing. She wasn't just gushing over the food but enjoying it in a slightly confused manner, but also not overly analyzing it. I didn't expect Isekai High Society to all know each other.

[Ryllharu]

It's awfully convenient that most of the royalty across the various continents have personal access to a door. But at least the doors don't discriminate and show up for all others too in generally accessible places.

That said, Adelheid has certainly become the Queen of Diplomacy lately. At some point her "pauper's disease" (pneumonia?) will heal itself (or whatever it is exactly, but it isn't asthma as wikipedia implies, because she coughs up flecks of blood occasionally in season 1). When it does, she will be a powerful force in the court since she already knows literally every noble's personal tastes and has them all memorized. Or she'll be married into the Country of Sand, heh.

I am a little surprised that the Demons are peacefully aligned with the Empire after the war, because Aletta got such awful treatment before she found a door. Prety sure that Aletta and Sarah "Mince Cutlet" are both from the area governed by the Demon Princess.

[Buffalobiian]

I am a little surprised that the Demons are peacefully aligned with the Empire after the war, because Aletta got such awful treatment before she found a door. Prety sure that Aletta and Sarah "Mince Cutlet" are both from the area governed by the Demon Princess.

This episode does feel inconsistent to what we've been shown before. At best people are surprised and slightly scared of horns. At worst they actively reject her when they see it. She had to try so hard to hide them.

The first episode first talked about Demon horns being a sign of their power/mana, but once the Demon Lord was defeated, all demons lost their "power" so horns were merely ornamental.. or something like that.

[neflight86]

...thanks for the refreshers, guys. I had totally emptied all of the world building in season one insofar as the racial relationships of the other world. Matter of fact, until this season, I think I believed the doors opened to different, non-connected worlds. That door is apparently chief of marketing for Nekoya.


It's awfully convenient that most of the royalty across the various continents have personal access to a door. But at least the doors don't discriminate and show up for all others too in generally accessible places.

Exactly. Remember the good ol' days when we had to almost die fighting goblins or be on the run from some tribunal to stumble upon a door and have a life changing encounter? Nowadays you can just take a detour on the way to the loo and -bam- Denny's on demand. They even have 'bring your (nonrelated) grandkids' night.

I like that more and more characters are pilfering recipes into their world.

I just noticed this season, but special props also to the least subtle quartet I've ever heard. Whenever someone goes into 'enjoying food' mode, the same exact dining music/theme suddenly ramps up as if they are in the corner, watching closely, and only know the one song. As soon as I noticed how loud and proud they came off, I couldn't unhear it and now eagerly await their brash return each new convert.

[Ryllharu]

Exactly. Remember the good ol' days when we had to almost die fighting goblins or be on the run from some tribunal to stumble upon a door and have a life changing encounter? Nowadays you can just take a detour on the way to the loo and -bam- Denny's on demand. They even have 'bring your (nonrelated) grandkids' night.
I guess the evolution to the current state is part of the supremely powerful spell that Yomi (Master's grandmother and one of the four heroes who was sent through a time-space wormhole to Earth) created to link the wormhole back to their world via Nekoya's door.

There's way more doors appearing now, and maybe that is in part due to Kuro working inside. Nekoya is safer than it has ever been, meaning more nobles and commonfolk will be safer, instead of the old regulars all being great heroes in their own right, generals, fighters, and champion warriors.

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 11

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Ahh, didn't figure Adelheid to have the hots for the prince as well. It was clear that they got along.

Come to think of it, I had forgotten that Kuro actually had a crush on the Chef as well, but that was quickly replaced by her crush for Chicken Curry. She also talked successfully in the last few episodes of S1 as well, but we've lost that plot point.

edit:
And finally someone tried to Nekoya for political advantage.

[Ryllharu]

It was only a matter of time. Adelheid has been showing faint signs all season that she's particularly fond of Shareef and his sister even though she dines with most of the other political leaders. They do basically time their visits to be at the same time, when each diner has the entirety of Saturday to come.

Nobody comes in the late evening before closing because that is the Red Queen's time.

It's probably better that Kuro mostly focuses on telepathy with the diners. The lizarman gag was quite wonderful. They always ask if someone can read Eastern, but we have to assume at some point that someone will come in who can't even speak it.

The other interesting development is that Aletta's attention to detail and instinct is catching up with Kuro's telepathy. Kuro is the one usually known to deliver additional servings right as they're about to be asked for, but now Aletta is expediting the back of the house before they even think about it.

[Buffalobiian]

S02E12

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Well that certainly feels like a finale. Marriage afterparty, Yomi makes an appearance and a final word of appreciation for good cooking.

And we finally see the cat.

Despite knowing that there are other characters and material to adapt, I'd be surprised if this got another run. It feels like a good spot to end on, and I can't see too much more major plot development. 1 more marriage maybe. Not gonna complain if they do make S3 but.

I'm a little surprised that Yomi doesn't check in more often. Given how detached she is from the day-to-day running of the place and even intended to shut the place down - it's strange that the doors seem like they're proliferating.

[Ryllharu]

I'm a little surprised that Yomi doesn't check in more often. Given how detached she is from the day-to-day running of the place and even intended to shut the place down - it's strange that the doors seem like they're proliferating.
Probably because it makes her wistful and sad. After all, it will always remind her of her husband, who passed fairly recently.

My guess would be the doors are increasing because the Master actually enjoys serving the otherworld guests. What chef wouldn't, for all the enthusiasm that the patrons consume every dish that strikes their fancy. Yomi can be more critical because she's seen both worlds and been in ours for so long. It's a nice parallel to theme this season has going, where the patron, not just Far, want to start leveling up the cooking in their own world because of Nekoya.

But for the record, Japanese pizza has got to be the most alien variants on the dish I've ever seen.

edit:
I forgot my favorite part, Aletta's rushed prayer.

[neflight86]

Somehow they managed to double down on the feel goods. I didn't even think it could be quantified, but yep- roughly twice the normal amount of feel good in the final episode as we essentially bid farewell to Nekoya. Good food and now some good friends. One of the superior healing type shows in my book.