Evening Drink Style (晩酌の流儀)

Only a few days left this year.

How to make an evening drink...

...that is never allowed to fail...

...become the most delicious?

This film is about a woman...

...who strives tirelessly for that goal.

After watching this film,

you'll definitely want to have a drink yourself.

Alright, I'm off to work.

Evening Drink Style: The last day of the year, enjoying the best glass.

Hello, how may I help you?

Yes, we hope for your patronage.

The real estate office is busier at year-end than I thought.

- I'll drop by Mr. Takahashi's in 3-chome. - Yes.

Visiting the landlord.

I'm heading to clean the Yukigaya apartment in 1-chome.

I'll leave it to you.

General cleaning of managed properties.

And office cleaning.

We don't get many clients, but we're always busy nonetheless.

Branch Chief Umino, you slacking off?

It's year-end, gotta relax a bit.

That's exactly why we should be working properly.

You can skip cleaning those tight spots, no one will notice.

Even the smallest corner of the office must be kept clean.

So serious.

That is my genuine feeling.

But the real reason is different.

I want to work my whole body to make my throat dry and parched.

The journey to a delicious evening drink starts in the morning.

On the way to work, if there's both stairs and an escalator...

Naturally, I choose the stairs.

I see.

Whenever I can, I work in an invisible chair posture.

If there's a free moment during work,

I walk back to the office.

Whether I can enjoy a good drink or not

depends on every little detail of my daily routine.

Welcome, sir.

I'm looking for a place.

Please, have a seat.

What kind of place are you looking for?

One I can move into before New Year's.

Today is already the 27th.

Why does it have to be before New Year's?

Because once I decide to move, I want to move now.

Decisive action is my motto.

Other places turned me down,

but they said you might be able to help.

I see.

Any other conditions?

Near the station is good, within a 3-minute walk.

Elevators are a pain, must be first floor.

Also, no doors inside.

Opening and closing doors is annoying.

Let me see...

The only property I can show you right now...

...is this one.

But, it does have doors.

Convenient first floor, 1-minute walk to Tani-Otsuka station.

I'll take it.

Excuse me?

I can just remove the doors.

Fits all conditions. This is good.

Where do I stamp?

- H-hold on, please. - Why?

Could you give me a bit more time?

This one is certainly good,

but please let me find a place even more suitable for you.

No need, this one is fine.

We're open for one more day.

If you give me one more day,

I'm sure I can find a better place for you.

Alright, I understand.

I have some business around here tomorrow anyway,

I'll stop by then.

Thank you for your time.

That was quite a demanding client.

Someone who wants to live efficiently...

...must look like that, I suppose.

I understand.

I'm an efficiency enthusiast myself.

With the branch chief, the 'efficiency' part...

...I've never seen any evidence of.

A hawk hides its talons.

Forget talons, you've hidden your fingers too.

Miyuki, find any good places yet?

There are a few that fit the conditions.

But the best one for that client seems a bit elusive.

Troublesome client at year-end, huh.

It's already this late!

- I need to head home soon. - Yeah.

Let's call it a day.

You rarely stay this late, Miyuki.

I want to finish everything for the year before the New Year.

But today was a bit too much overtime.

Let's hurry home.

This smell...

Do you smell that Chinese-style fried rice?

Huh? How did you know?

Well, actually...

I ordered Uber Eats.

It hasn't arrived yet, but you could smell it!

Oh no, gotta hurry back.

- Good evening, Uber Eats delivery. - Coming.

- Thank you. - I'll leave it here. - Okay.

- Thanks. - Thank you.

This place's Chinese-style fried rice is amazing.

- I'm totally hooked on it lately. - Thank you.

- We hope to serve you again. - Thank you.

- Miyuki, want some? - Yes.

I almost said "Yes" out loud.

I need to go.

I must not succumb to the temptation of Chinese fried rice.

It's okay, I already have rice at home.

- Good work, everyone. - Good work.

Come on, it's the end of the year, let's have a drink!

Branch Chief, we still have work tomorrow.

Come on, round it up and tomorrow is the last day anyway.

Delicious!

Excellent.

Come on, come on, come on.

Miyuki, you too...

...come have a drink!

My craving for a drink has fully materialized...

...and now beer is right in front of me.

I won't drink today.

I see.

While everyone is here, I need to finish the year-end report.

Let's see, where did I put it?

Here it is.

Sorry, everyone.

It's already 10 PM.

Tonight, speed is the priority.

I need to cook with the most efficient method I've ever used.

And since I saw that Chinese fried rice,

now I only want to eat Chinese food.

So, what should I do?

Bell peppers and bamboo shoots.

Could make bell pepper beef stir-fry, but where am I going to get beef now?

This should work.

First, start with a simple, delicious cold tofu.

Mix natto and kimchi together.

Then, place it on the prepared tofu.

Add the natto kimchi, green onions...

...and some shredded Korean seaweed. Done.

It looks fancy,

but it only takes about 20 seconds of effort.

Next is a budget version of bell pepper stir-fry.

Add sesame oil to the pan.

Sauté garlic and ginger.

Then add the ground pork I found in the fridge.

It should be shredded pork,

but that's a bit too fancy for a Japanese dinner table.

Anyway, it all breaks apart in your mouth,

so ground pork is fine.

Wait until it changes color...

...then strain to remove excess oil.

Vegetables: Bell pepper, shredded bamboo shoots.

Plus a bit of red pepper and shiitake mushrooms, very colorful.

Now add the ground pork back in.

Season with mirin, oyster sauce.

Chicken bouillon and dark soy sauce.

Dark soy sauce tastes a lot like Chinese-style thick soy sauce.

You can recreate authentic Chinese flavor at home.

Next, let the liquid reduce...

...then thicken with potato starch slurry.

Finally, sprinkle with a bit of black pepper.

The budget bell pepper stir-fry is complete.

Add a generous amount of oil to the pan.

Add the eggs.

Combining mentaiko and eggs,

anyone would think I'm making mentaiko rolled omelet.

But obviously, I don't have time for that.

Today, I'll make dashi rolled omelet in the style of omurice using the pan.

Finally, top it with mentaiko.

Dashi rolled omelet with mentaiko is complete.

Simple, right? After all,

eating it this way is even better, isn't it?

Lastly, take the leftover kinpira lotus root from yesterday...

...and add some curry-flavored sesame seeds.

Done.

Enjoy the meal.

Even though I've experienced this wonderful flavor countless times,

it's still excellent.

Resisting the branch chief's temptation was worth it.

Normally, I'd start with the cold tofu,

but today I'll start with the main dish.

The sweet crunch of the bell pepper...

...combined with the delicious ground pork, is fantastic.

Ground pork bell pepper stir-fry.

This level of convenience and taste makes me want to export this dish back to China.

It just has to go with Chinese food. Champion!

Of course, for the second drink, I change glasses.

This ensures the perfect drinking experience,

that's my style.

For those watching for the first time, I'll say it again.

Just pick up the mentaiko and eat it directly.

The flavor hits you directly, very tasty.

It's like taking a direct flight from China landing in Fukuoka.