INDEX
Arranging cocktails to match Chinese food
Takano: So you are basically at “Nanpu-ro” now?
Ono: That’s right. It is a Chinese restaurant in Ginza, and there is a counter in the open kitchen, so I serve cocktails and wine to customers while bartending there.
Celeina：What kind of service do you provide there?
Ono：I serve the customers who come to the counter, suggesting cocktails to go with the food they are having, and also suggesting drinks to go with the food.
Takano: Do you think of a cocktail that would be good based on the flow of conversation?
Ono：Yes. If it is a new customer, I don’t know what they like, so I ask them what they usually drink and suggest a cocktail that would be good for them. If it is a Chinese dish, such as shrimp, I would focus on the shrimp and introduce a cocktail that would go well with it.
Takano: There is also the chemical reaction of flavors, isn’t there?
Ono：It’s like pairing.
Takano:By the way, what would you recommend to us today?
Celeina: We haven’t eaten anything yet (haha). As a radio navigator, do you have any cocktail recommendations?
Takano:I’d like to try one that will spark conversation, or at least raise the tension.
Ono：Johnny Walker Highball, I guess.
Takano: That’s a 100-point answer. But I am not a strong drinker. What do you do for people like that?
Ono：For example, it is very easy to make the same highball easier to drink by changing the balance, adding a little sweetness or acidity, and so on. So, for example, if you usually drink a weak highball, you can add a little lemon to it to make it easier to drink. We also often serve highballs with a slightly different cocktail to add flavor.
Takano: You have to go to “Nanpu-ro”. So, I’d like to talk more, but let’s interrupt for a song. I asked Tetsuji Ono to choose a song that he would like everyone to listen to together on the radio at this time.
Ono： “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin. It was played in the movie “Cocktails,” and I chose it because I thought it would be perfect for the evening.
Takano: Thank you very much. Let’s listen to the song.
