(Birds chirping)
(Miyuki) The shrimp I bought on special last week —
today, I've decided on this.
(Narrator) The last drink of the day —
how can one make it as delicious as possible?
This drama is
the story of one woman who pursues that question relentlessly.
The taste of alcohol
can go from zero to one hundred depending on how you spend your day.
(Miyuki) I'm off!
♪～
～♪
(Aoi) Yes, thank you very much!
Oh, it's already 3 o'clock.
Hmm? Is Umino-san not in today?
(Miyuki) He said yesterday he had a branch managers' meeting.
(Shimamura) Impressive that no one noticed he was gone until 3.
(Door opens) (Shimamura) Oh, he's back.
(Umino) Phew... I'm back.
(All three) Welcome back, good work!
You wouldn't believe some branch managers out there.
What happened?
(Umino) Apparently this branch manager over in Yokohama
barely does any work and on top of that was drinking on the job.
Unbelievable, right?
(Shimamura) That's basically Umino-san.
And somehow he has absolutely no awareness that he's the same.
A branch manager is supposed to
be a role model for the other staff.
Wait — what's that?
Oh, hehe.
Dumplings!
I stopped by Chinatown on the way back.
Then — beer!
-(Shimamura) Hey! -(Umino) Hm?
(Shimamura) We're still on the clock.
(Umino) Oh — force of habit. My apologies, my apologies.
(Door chime)
(All four) Welcome!
(Sniffing)
Welcome!
-(Miyuki) I'm Izawa. -(Nakamoto) Oh, hello.
Right this way, please.
-(Nakamoto) Um— -(Miyuki) Yes?
(Nakamoto) I'd like to...
go and view this property as soon as possible.
Of course. I'll arrange it right away —
and also, um, I'd like to view this one too.
And here, and... oh, this one,
and oh, this one too.
Please.
Let me check which are available for viewing. Just one moment, please.
(Shimamura) That sounds like a lot of work, Miyuki-san.
(Miyuki) Hm? What does?
(Aoi) Viewing eight properties — isn't that exhausting?
You think?
The more viewings you do,
the more satisfied you'll be with the property you find — so it's a good thing, isn't it?
As expected of you!
(Miyuki) And more than anything,
doing lots of viewings means lots of walking.
Getting to prepare for my evening drink while I'm working — what could be better?
(Miyuki) Sorry to keep you waiting. Right this way.
Oh, yes.
We'll be off, then!
(All three) Have a good one!
(Sound of Nakamoto sniffing)
Miyuki-san really is a role model.
The only one who could take over from me as branch manager
is Miyuki-kun.
I'd like that to happen as of tomorrow.
The budget and layout are great.
It's close to ideal.
It's a popular property — these tend to go fast.
Ah... yes, I suppose so.
(Sniffing)
Is there something that concerns you?
(Nakamoto) What? Oh, no — it's nothing.
(Sniffing)
Could it be...
Chinese food?
Huh? How did you...
I can just faintly pick up the smell of that neighbourhood Chinese restaurant over there.
That mouthwatering neighbourhood Chinese aroma drifting from that place —
I thought perhaps Nakamoto-san was reacting to that smell,
and that's what caught your attention.
And yet this unit only catches a faint trace of it,
so you weren't quite satisfied — or so I thought.
Incredible!
How did you know?
Even when you came into the office,
(Sound of Nakamoto sniffing)
(Miyuki) you were reacting to the smell of the dumplings,
so I thought you must be a customer with a real passion for Chinese food.
Ah — you're absolutely right.
I work as a writer specializing in neighbourhood Chinese restaurants.
Oh wow!
The truth is, I...
want to wake up to the smell of a neighbourhood Chinese restaurant.
Hm?
Waking up to just the right amount of neighbourhood Chinese aroma drifting through the window —
that's been a dream of mine since I was a child.
Oh, um —
like wanting to wake up to the smell of freshly baked bread — that kind of thing.
I see.
But a property like that is pretty hard to come by, isn't it?
Let's keep looking!
Hm?
Finding the ideal property for our clients —
that is our job.
Oh... thank you so much!
(Miyuki) Right this way.
Oh!
(Sniffing)
I can smell the dumplings frying at Daijirō Hanten.*
(Sniffing)
Hmm... but it's only just barely there.
(Both sniffing)
(Miyuki) This is the last property.
Ready.
(Sniffing)
The smell is faint here too.
(Sniffing)
You're right, it is.
I give up.
Waking up to the smell of a neighbourhood Chinese restaurant — it was too grand a dream.
Thank you for indulging me through all of this.
(Sniffing)
No.
(Nakamoto) Hm?
That's not the direction the neighbourhood Chinese restaurant is in.
(Sniffing)
It's all right.
This is resolved as soon as I let go of the dream.
You mustn't give up!
Hm?
(Sound of wind flowing in)
Nakamoto-san.
Incredible.
Chinrai's* fried rice... and —
mapo eggplant and green pepper beef stir-fry —
the aromas are coming through clearly!
But... how is this possible?
May I look at the map?
Oh, of course.
Chinrai — the neighbourhood Chinese restaurant — is right here.
The air from there must be finding its way through the gaps between the surrounding buildings
and carrying all the way up here.
It's a miracle property!
Yes.
I'll take this one.
Thank you so much.
(Sniffing)
Thanks to you, Izawa-san, I didn't have to give up on my dream.
To celebrate, I was thinking of having a drink at this restaurant right here —
would you like to join me?
Oh!
Their century egg tofu here is absolutely outstanding.
(Miyuki) Century egg and alcohol do... go well together.
But...
I'm sorry — I can't drink here.
Oh, I see.
Well then, I'll be going.
-(Miyuki) Of course, please! -(Nakamoto) Excuse me.
(Miyuki) That was close, that was close.
The neighbourhood Chinese place was just too tempting —
I almost ended up having a drink right then and there.
Today, in a single day, I
set a new personal record by completing eight property viewings.
On a day like this, going straight home is entirely justified.
And it's also the day I've thought about Chinese food more than any other in my life.
Tonight's evening drink — nothing but Chinese food will do.
All right.
(Miyuki) And then there's the century egg that's been completely lodged in my brain...
But even Tsuru Mart probably doesn't carry century eggs.
(Ushiba) Century eggs, anyone?
Today's recommendation is century eggs!
(Chinyama) The greatest century eggs in history!
-(Ushiba) How about it? -(Chinyama) Century eggs, anyone?
(Chinyama) Hmm... Oh! Century eggs, anyone?
(Housewife A) I mean, century eggs — how on earth do you even eat them?
(Housewife B) "Greatest in history" is a bit much, isn't it?
Century eggs, anyone?
Ushiba-san —
you've really gone for it, stocking this many century eggs.
-(Ushiba) Oh, actually — -(Miyuki) Hm?
The manager confused them with green peppers and accidentally ordered a massive amount.
(Delivery man) That's ten cases of century eggs delivered. Have a good one!
(Chinyama) Ten cases of century eggs...
Oh... ah...
That's why they're working so desperately to sell them.
Well, in China,
eating century eggs is said to bring good fortune.
Lucky century eggs — get yours today while you can!
(Ushiba) How about it?
Century eggs, anyone?
Ah, no luck.
I'll take one.
I'm going to make it into century egg tofu.
Thank you so much!
Thank you!
(Housewife A) Actually, I might get one too.
-(Chinyama) Please! -(Housewife A) Thank you!
(Housewife B) Century egg tofu does sound good.
(Chinyama) Oh, well then, please wait a moment!
(Miyuki) First —
place a weight on the firm tofu to press out the water.
Then massage the chicken with soy sauce, sake, garlic, and ginger
to remove any gaminess.
In the meantime, using the shrimp I bought on special before,
I'll make chili shrimp.
Watching this shrimp turn red — the best moment...
I've loved this sight since I was a child.
When they're about seventy percent cooked, remove the shrimp from the pan.
From here, it all goes in at once!
Green onion oil, garlic, ginger, doubanjiang,*
sugar, salt, ketchup,
and chicken stock.
Then return the shrimp and stir-fry it all together!
The colour is stunning...
These shrimp seem to have been born
for the sole purpose of being bathed in this chili sauce — it's magnificent.
If I were a world-renowned painter, I'd want to capture this on canvas.
Finish with a generous amount of green onion, and it's done.
Next, yūrinchī.*
Coat the chicken from before in potato starch. Then —
deep-fry it boldly!
In the meantime...
finely chop the century egg.
Then mix with finely chopped green onion, soy sauce, ponzu,
sugar, grated garlic, and ginger.
Century egg tofu comes in all sorts of styles,
but I'm a masher.
Mash the well-pressed tofu,
drizzle with sesame oil and salt,
then mix it all together with the century egg — done.
The soul of yūrinchī is the sauce.
Here is my personal golden ratio:
three tablespoons of soy sauce, two of sugar,
one of vinegar, and half of water.
This simple golden ratio is what freshly fried yūrinchī deserves.
And the garnish for yūrinchī — green onion.
Mince it as finely as you possibly can,
and into the sauce it goes.
(Crispy crackling sound)
That sound...
is the true joy of deep-frying.
All right.
My home is a neighbourhood Chinese restaurant today.
Itadakimasu!
(Sound of can being opened)
Wow~!
Hehe.
Ahh!
(Miyuki) Eight viewings today —
of course it's going to taste great.
This is...
the simple tofu combined with the rich depth of the century egg —
delicious.
Ahh~
(Miyuki) Something I thought I could only eat at a restaurant — century egg — right here in my own home.
Manager Chinyama — thank you for that ordering mix-up.
This satisfying bite...
Whether it's scallops, oysters, or anything else — seafood is always better when it's generous in size.
Ahh...
(Miyuki) Long live Chinese food!
A friend told me that lately, at neighbourhood Chinese restaurants,
jasmine tea highballs have been trending.
I'm not entirely sure why, but let's go with the trend for now.
Ahh.
(Miyuki) Mm, that's nice.
Juicy and refreshing at the same time.
I love karaage* too, of course —
but yūrinchī with that tangy sauce is wonderful in its own right.
Mmm~ hehe.
Ahh~
(Miyuki) I think I'm starting to understand why it's trending.
Now then.
Mmm~
Oh~!
Ahh!
Thank you for the meal.
(Miyuki) Having made all of this,
tomorrow morning I might just wake up to the smell of Chinese food.
(Door chime) (All four) Welcome!
Oh, hello there!
Nakamoto-san — how is the new place?
Wonderful, thanks to you.
This morning I woke up to the smell of mapo tofu.
That sounds like a dream come true.
So, what brings you in today?
Oh, actually —
I'd like to write an article about you, Izawa-san.
Wow — Miyuki-san, that's amazing!
This is the draft, if you'd like to see it.
(Aoi) Oh, let me see too!
Oh~!
"Being able to move into my ideal property
"was all thanks to
"Hop Housing's
"Branch Manager Izawa..."
Wow!
Miyuki-san's already been made branch manager in the article!
Hm? So Izawa-san isn't the branch manager?
(Umino) Terribly sorry for the late introduction — I'm Umino, the branch manager.
Oh, I sincerely apologize!
Not at all, not at all.
I'm the type who doesn't care much about titles.
Oh, is that right? But still, I'm very sorry —
Nakamoto-san, could I have just a quick word?
Hm?
Oh, yes.
That said, you know —
if you could perhaps remove the "branch manager" part,
and as her supervisor, perhaps include
a photo of me — the branch manager — right here beside her.
Like this.
What? Th... this?
Please, I'm asking nicely~
Ahh...
(Miyuki) It's all right.
I don't really care about titles either.
Is that so?
Oh, by the way, Izawa-san —
um... this is for you.
It's just a small token, but please accept it.
(Miyuki) Oh!
(Nakamoto) It's a plate I designed myself.
Thank you so much.
Oh~!
(Miyuki) What a lovely dumpling plate
to receive.
Dumplings tonight, then?
Two nights of Chinese food in a row isn't bad at all.
I'll work hard today looking forward to tonight's drink.
All right!
(Miyuki) At this point, even being at home
feels like being in Thailand.*