I claim to have completed a comprehensive review of Gate Tower Restaurants, but in reality, I haven’t truly mastered all the restaurants within Gate Tower. I’ve only completed reviews of the restaurants on the 12th and 13th floors. Laughing. In other words, there are still several restaurants on the floors outside of 12-13F that I haven’t visited yet. To be honest, I tend to avoid those fancy cafes or places with a high female population on each floor. Laughing. This restaurant is located at the most prominent corner on the 1st floor of Gate Tower. There’s always a long queue for breakfast there, so it’s hard not to notice it. Laughing.
However, it clearly had an atmosphere that seemed completely unsuitable for me. It was too high-class for me to even consider waiting in line. Strangely enough, there was no queue when I arrived in the afternoon, so I decided to give it a try. But at the very first moment, they said, “Our restaurant service is limited to 90 minutes!” Is that okay? Well, this really isn’t something you can simply say “please come” and get away with it. It seems like there must be quite a few people who spend a long time talking.
I ordered a café latte and a chocolate pudding for dessert. (*・ω・)(*-ω-)(*・ω・)(*-ω-) Uunun♪ The chocolate pudding seems quite authentic… maybe it really is authentic. It might help with rejuvenating blood vessels and lowering blood pressure.
In terms of atmosphere, it doesn’t quite have the typical Naigata vibe. Instead, it feels more dignified and distinct from those stores from Tokyo that are common in Gate Tower. If the ratio of male to female customers were 50:50, it could even be considered a truly world-class atmosphere. The high prices are understandable given its location. Even now, the prices are quite high. But why not raise them by another 20%? That way, with the use of young executives, the proportion of males would increase significantly, and the average age of female customers would also decrease.
Even if Nagoya becomes the capital of Japan, this restaurant will still be able to survive.
One month later, I also visited the main branch of Salbes in New York. (Laughter)
In the e-book guide I downloaded for free through Amazon Prime, it is mentioned that this place in Upper West Side is truly a classic. Since I haven’t visited Central Park yet during my stay in New York, I decided to take a taxi to Coco, located on 79th Street, and then visit Central Park afterward.
This main restaurant... to be honest, unless you are a die-hard New York fan, it's a dirty, cramped, noisy place. But they've really gone all out to mimic the style of New York. Laughing. Nagoya places are far more perfect and clean!
On Sunday at 10:30, it was a time close to the best period for Sunday Brunch. However, there were only a few people waiting inside the restaurant. A gentleman who was one of the elderly couples waiting outstretched his hand and kindly taught us how to register on the waiting list. The staff of the restaurant remained indifferent, as if they didn’t know about this system where customers themselves provide information. Bummer.
When I spoke with the staff at the reception, it seemed that I would have to wait for about 15 minutes. Well, as someone who can never quite understand the names "フィフティーン" and "フィフティ", I tried using English terms like "ワンーファイヴ?" to communicate. They nodded vigorously in agreement! If I could get to eat an Egg Benedict at Salabes Main Store during those 15 minutes on a Sunday brunch, then I would write a review about how the main store in Upper West was compared to Salabes Main Store next time I visit Nagoya. It's a selfish reason, but I decided to wait. Lol.
This waiting area is a blessing, as the indoor aisles and the outside have temperatures that are well below freezing. But what this really means is that customers are forced to eat while being looked down at by others in the nearby tables. In the seats on the right side of the aisle, people are making a lot of noise and leaving their mess on the floor. I almost ended up sitting there, but I quietly handed the $5 bill to the female employee who was in good health (a typical American-sized woman), and she nodded and guided me to a seat further away. It seems that “dollars” are more reliable than English words. Laughing… At Salabes in Nagoya, this kind of thing doesn’t work.
Thus, avoiding the tables near the entrance where customers were staring down at them, and where food was scattered all over the floor, I moved to a more secluded seat. The interior was extremely crowded; hardly any tourists could be seen. On both sides of the restaurant, there were groups of women. Some of them were even considered “Nagoya’s lunchtime ladies” – they talked non-stop, almost to the point of stepping on people. Behind me stood a black couple. This handsome black man spoke in a deep voice, using gestures that seemed to create a breeze against my back.
I ordered egg Benedict with salmon and bacon. I exchanged one egg for a mixed egg Benedict. It was truly delicious! On Sunday, the fourth day in New York, I felt completely like a New Yorker. I left the restaurant with that feeling. It was cold outside, but the atmosphere was quiet and comfortable. I prefer the quietness of the outside over the noise inside the restaurant. Perhaps I really can’t become a true New Yorker.
And after that, I walked around Central Park, went to Times Square, and watched the show “Roy King” at noon. Once again, I was deeply impressed by Disney’s meticulous planning. If Americans saw “Roy King” followed by “Jungle Emperor Leo,” they would surely want to build an ICBM in Tokyo. And then, I couldn’t help but think of the original “Jungle Emperor Leo.”
