Approximately 2 minutes' walk from the north entrance of JR Kinchi StationTsubuka Tanaka, Kinmachi BranchA chain of teppanyaki restaurants operated by Hatsu (Co., Ltd.) Tanaka.
On a weekday around 6 p.m., the restaurant offers a "Wasteful Vegetable Set" for 1,500 yen. The combination of yakiniku and vegetables seems quite unusual. Additionally, there is a poster on the window indicating that dishes can be taken away. It seems that due to the impact of COVID-19, the restaurant has had to change its business model.
The restaurant has about 59 seats, and most of them are empty. I sit at a table and look at the menu. My policy at Tanaka is: "What you should order are polenta, tarako, and hoppy. Fried dishes like chintirolin highballs can be ordered without any hesitation."
＊カップワイン赤 399円（税抜）
＊お通し 250円（税抜）
The oshibushi is served together with a sauce container that allows for unlimited portioning. The container seems to be slightly larger than previous ones, so it was likely chosen for each group. Phrases like “no double dipping allowed” or “a fine will be imposed for double dipping” are quite troublesome. Do they just want to make things complicated? I really want to question them about this. If we use a regular sauce container and pour the sauce over the food, there’s no need for such a notice at all… But starting from June 12, 2020, all Tsubakatsu Tanaka stores changed the way sauces are served—now they are poured directly onto the food using a sauce dispenser. For those who prefer the traditional method, sauce dispensers and empty containers are provided. By using these containers for double dipping, it seems that the skin, nang, and other ingredients of Tsubakatsu’s food can add more flavor to the sauce. Hmm… It seems difficult to keep this practice going indefinitely.
＊ポテトサラダ 430円（税別）
On the shirayaki plate: tonkatsu, potatoes, bacon dressing, mayonnaise, lettuce. I mash these ingredients vigorously with a shirayaki tool until they reach the desired texture. It’s really enjoyable to work hard on making this potato salad.
The sauce that is prohibited from being marinated twice will also become a memory of certain times. That’s what I thought.
