[Creative Fiction x Recipe] Virtual Izakaya 'Shukoroku' Episode 54: Chicken Wing Tandoori and Beer
Content Introduction
Today's dish is "Chicken Wing Tandoori," where the mild flavor of chicken satisfies the appetite stirred up by spices.
Please enjoy the story of beer and heart-easing moments unfolding in a virtual izakaya, along with the recipe and ingredient introduction.
Main Story
When you pass through the noren curtain, you are wrapped in a small world.
Words unravel in the sake, and we talk over the appetizers.
What shall be recorded tonight?
Keita Togashi walked through the back alley, trying to resist his habit of cracking his knuckles. As a lecturer, he always tried to remain calm in front of his students, but a faint sense of unease always remained deep inside.
It was on his way home just after finishing class. He was still concerned about the expression of that student, Mizuki Yanai. Her pronunciation was careful, and she learned grammar quickly.
However, despite saying that her goal was to travel, she never engaged in talk about overseas. To Keita, it looked as if she were more focused on confirming "herself heading there" than the destination itself.
Perhaps he was projecting his former self onto her. It had been almost three years since he quit his trading company to become a language instructor. He had chosen this path hoping to help someone with his weapon of English, but Keita knew that more than English, other circumstances were intertwined in his students' hearts.
He missed the traffic light and wandered into a small path where a white noren curtain fluttered. There were no characters on it. But in the faint light of the lantern illuminating his feet, he felt a sense of relief deep in his chest.
“Welcome.”
As soon as he passed through the noren, the voice reached him. Keita bowed slightly at the soft tone. Even before he settled into his seat, a savory aroma tickled his nose. When he met the eyes of Ikkon Mashiro standing in the kitchen, his hands began to prepare the food without a word.
Mashiro heated oil in a frying pan, then took something out with tongs from a bag containing a pale yellow liquid like flower petals and began to grill it.
“It is chicken wing tandoori.”
Soon, on the plate served, chicken wings with a savory grilled color were lined up, releasing heat. After being marinated in spices and yogurt and grilled slowly, the meat was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.
Keita lifted the end of the bone with his chopsticks and took a bite. Along with the juices oozing out, turmeric, cumin, and garam masala danced on his tongue one after another. He could also feel the acidity of the lemon. But none of them were too strong. It was not the spiciness, but the sequence of aromas that wove the flavor.
Suddenly, his eyes caught a bottle placed across the counter.
“It is Daidai Ale,” Mashiro said quietly. It was Hitachino Nest IPA. When poured into a glass, the amber liquid slowly foamed. Keita gulped, then took a sip.
Immediately, the scent and bitterness of citrus passed through his nose. The subtle sweetness of the fukure mikan orange left a bittersweet aftertaste on his tongue, gently wrapping around the chicken and spices.
Ah, this is... It was similar to the craft beer he drank alone on his days off at a diner in India where he was once stationed. He was more empty back then. While clinging to his company, he had been unable to reach out to anyone on the other side of the language barrier.
People cannot connect through language alone. But through language, people can offer their hearts just a little bit. Was he properly accepting what Mizuki was trying to offer now?
He took another bite of the tandoori chicken and washed it down with the beer in his glass. His stomach warmed, and the depths of his chest were slowly filled.
Mashiro asked nothing. He just seemed to be quietly finishing the next dish. There are as many nights as there are customers, and as many stories as there are plates.
Keidai smiled slightly while staring at his glass. Before long, he stood up and looked back just once in front of the noren curtain. Mashiro quietly returned his gaze and began to wipe his kitchen knife.
Keidai passed through the noren curtain once again. The second time, he carried with him the scent of his homeland's earth and a foreign land.
After seeing Keidai off, Mashiro Ikkon returned to the kitchen. Tonight, another appetizer had been recorded.
Return to Episode 1
Return to Episode 53
Continue to Episode 55...
Magazine: Virtual Izakaya 'Shuko-roku'
Bonus Recipe
Pierce the chicken wings with a fork and place them in a bag.
Add 100g of yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, cayenne pepper, garam masala, and cumin, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the bag, mix well, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Heat oil in a frying pan, add a small amount of grated garlic and grated ginger to bring out the aroma, then cook the chicken wings on top.
Once the meat is cooked through, drizzle with lemon juice.
Ingredient Introduction
Hitachino Nest Beer Daidai Ale: With Chicken Wing Tandoori.