「シーフードフライ/クリームソーダ」 (Shiifudo Furai/Kuriimu Souda)
“Fried Seafood/Melon Soda Float”

Beer and Fried Seafood

A love for chugging down beer and eating fried foods? Well Dwarves, me too! If they had space on their table for a larger companion, I would happily join in. Going by their interactions, the dwarves rank among my favourites, because they remind me of my own friendships!

Start off by recommending something to a friend. After getting them on the hook, they decide to give your recommendation a shot. Later, they’ll start asking when the good part is going to arrive, typically accompanied by a load of grumbling or complaining. At this point, similar to the bald dwarf, I like to troll and trigger said friend for my own amusement. Eventually they hit the amazing part, get completely blown away by awe, and all is forgiven. Downing some beers, rinse and repeat, and that’s pretty much one of my best friendships in a nutshell. Not to mention my friend has a strong appreciation for impressive feats of engineering, and will happily construct a commentary expressing his admiration too. Very similar to the dwarf’s appreciation for glassware, if I may say so myself.

I really liked how Isekai Shokudou drew our attention to a particular detail, where the chairs are designed for humans rather than dwarves. Seeing their dangling feet kick about in joy underneath the table filled me with a simple kind of soul-healing happiness. Other than getting massive foodgasms from the items on Nekoya’s menu and witnessing interactions between characters, seeing customers deriving joy and satisfaction from their foods is a huge part of my personal enjoyment.

Floating Love

It’s obvious that the Land of Sand draws inspiration from an Arabian setting, though I have to confess that Tatooine came to mind first. The popularity of iced coffee and an increased reliance on magic also make sense, given the particular living conditions that come with living around a desert. Can I just say that I love how the inclusion of these minor details help flesh out Isekai Shokudou? While Nekoya feels like a compact and cosy safe haven, it’s not hard to get a feel for the huge fantasy world out there.

Renner is a strong contender for being the best female character that has been introduced so far, an incredible feat considering the lineup we already have. Not only does she have a really gorgeous character design, she possesses a powerful magical heritage, and is proactive in playing the wingwoman for her half-brother Shareef. I’m also with Renner on finding Shareef’s coffee float mildly perturbing. Then again, I dislike coffee and have a soft spot for sweet things like the melon soda float.

Although I considered it a weaker part of the episode, Shareef’s shy crush on Adelheid was all too relatable. His awkward interactions might have made me facepalm, but I’m definitely rooting for him! If an alliance comes between the Empire and Land of Sand binding these two characters and nations, it’s pretty amazing to think how a humble restaurant like Nekoya influences major political situations in the fantasy world. For now, if nothing comes to fruition, I simply hope that everyone will continue to enjoy Tenshu’s hospitality for a long time.

Preview

P.S. Thanks for helping me cover Choya, especially with the food columns!

P.S.S I haven’t had time to make hamburger steak since since my return from Japan, and I didn’t get around to baking any biscuits either. For these unfortunate reasons, there won’t be a food review this week.

27 Comments

  1. Random thought that probably says something about my brain: with all these gorgeous women gushing over your food and coming back every week, I wonder how many owners before have gotten together with Otherworlders?

    On a more related note, somehow Dwarves and fried food just go together in that same way of “screw health, this is damn tasty! More!!” that Dwarves and beer go together. Nice pairing!

    After all the work Renner’s doing, hope she finds someone good, too. Or she could just take Adelheid for herself… No? Fine… as long as both are happy.

    Aex
    1. Maybe Tenshu is descended from some fantasy creature. Who knows.

      I wish my constitution was as tough as whatever dwarves have. I’d love to go around drinking beer and eating fried foods with minimal repercussions towards health.

  2. Agree the dwarves part was a fun to watch esp the part with their feet showed their delight. The Float part though felt a bit unfinished, like their was something more that could have been added there.

    Devastaot001
  3. The dwarves new-type reaction to Kuro’s telpathic greeting gave me a chuckle too. Shareef and I share the same taste, I tend to go for iced coffee’s but if I get a hankering for desert while still wanting coffee’s kick, I go for Coffee floats. (It’s the contrasting bitter and sweet flavors that I like about it) XD

    Devastaot001
  4. https://randomc.net/image/Isekai%20Shokudou/Isekai%20Shokudou%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2014.jpg
    In the vernacular, we would call food like this “pulutan” or finger food. Pulutan is a staple of friendly drinking sessions, and it serves another purpose as well. If your stomach has food in it while you’re drinking, you won’t easily get drunk (or something like that). Though to be honest, it’s still better to have your belly at least half-full before going for heavier alcoholic drinks.

    Also, it’s amusing to see that dwarves in this shared ‘verse don’t limit themselves to land-based animal foodstuffs like beef, poultry and pork (guess I got too used to The Hobbit‘s/Lord of The Rings‘ depiction of dwarves). And interesting that the other dwarf wants to replicate a (factory-made) glass beer mug.

    https://randomc.net/image/Isekai%20Shokudou/Isekai%20Shokudou%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2030.jpg
    Darn it, Princess Adelheid now has a suitor… Jelly donuts aside, I should be happy for her now that she’s recovered from her illness and she has a chance to fall in love. (Also, there’s still plenty of waifus in this show–or in other anime.)

    Anyway, when I heard the words “Land of Sand”, the first thing I associated it with was the planet Arrakis–also known as Dune (and the intro from the video game Dune 2000). But as soon as I saw undead in the desert…

    https://randomc.net/image/Isekai%20Shokudou/Isekai%20Shokudou%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2026.jpg
    …I had flashbacks of playing Diablo II‘s Act II set in the desert city of Lut Gholein.

    And while I occasionally drink iced coffee if circumstances permit, I still prefer it kinda sweet (stuff like caffe latte or caffe mocha). There’s also the option to go for a coffee shake instead. (Must have caffeine…)

    Next episode: Time to see some fairies…

    Incognito
    1. For me, fried chicken skin (aka just the skin itself pan fried into chicharon) makes for great pulutan, followed by onion rings and squid rings. I know isaw is also served as pulutan, though I don’t like it much. Finally, despite technically not being finger food, pork sisig goes along with drinks as well.

      LGear
    2. Just for the record, Adelhaid hasn’t recovered from her illness yet. That was one of Renner’s points: she’s ill right now so even the possibility of her getting married is on hold until she recovers. Thus Shareef needs to use this time to get close to her before she gets better, because if he hasn’t strengthened his relationship to her by then she could decide she isn’t interested, and the Empire will likely go along with her decision.

      Wanderer
    1. I was actually going to include that in my post, before deciding that my post was too long and needed abbreviating. In short, what a delightful concoction to have, especially on hot days! Too bad it’s hard to come by in the UK.

      Anyway, I was actually discussing fizzy drinks with a friend today. I tried to preach to her about the wonders of melon soda, but she wasn’t having any of it :'(

  5. Being a short person myself I enjoyed watching them swing their legs. So cute. While they were drinking the beer I kept wondering do any of the guests go to the bathroom when they are in the restaurant. You only rent beer so I wonder how amazed they would be at the the bathroom. The crush was cute and it is funny how shy can be seen as being aloof or stuck up on attractive people. His sister has the right idea and you would be surprised how much people open up once given a chance. I also wonder why people stick with the same dishes. Good to see Renner try different floats.

    CHYRA HARRELL
    1. you would be surprised how much people open up once given a chance

      I would be surprised, because I haven’t experienced or heard something like this 0.0

      I also wonder why people stick with the same dishes

      People stick to the same dish because it’s a safe pick. In my case, similar to how I keep my music on shuffle, I enjoy trying out new food. Having had most of the orders in Nekoya in one way or another, I’d probably order the fried seafood for starters, hamburger steak for my main, and strawberry parfait for dessert. Free iced water would be my beverage of choice, and despite being a small thing, it’s definitely one of the things I miss most about eating in Japan.

  6. I enjoyed how Shareef and Renner approached the issue of his crush on Adelheid. Shareef’s “CKII route of aristocratic matchmaking” versus Renner’s “My Big Brother Can’t Be This Dense”.

    And in a way, they’re both right. No amount of “true love” is going to convince a feudal country to marry one of their princesses for nothing in return, yet at the same time the Prince of the Land of Sand can’t hope to be neither influential nor powerful enough for the Empire to bow to his plea if the princess opposes the arrangement.

    Mistic
    1. And it looks like we might have an unforeseen incompatibility. Shareef dislikes sweet things, whereas Adelheid loves them. At least Sarah and Heinrich can agree that deep fried food is the best, while subtly disagreeing on the nuances. Of course, I’m joking. Illness aside, I don’t see what’s to stop Shareef if he steps up the occasion, and Adelheid doesn’t mind.

  7. https://randomc.net/image/Isekai%20Shokudou/Isekai%20Shokudou%20-%2009%20-%2014.jpg
    Watching this anime with beer and fried seafood i bought outside is probably one of the best experience of watching anime. Thanks to Isekai Shokudou, I tried to eat deep fried scallop and now I like it.

    https://randomc.net/image/Isekai%20Shokudou/Isekai%20Shokudou%20-%2009%20-%20Preview%2001.jpg
    I’ve been waiting for fairies since the first time I saw the opening.

    One Pinch Man
  8. Loved the dwarves segment, especially when baldie got in one last troll with the tartar sauce when his friend thought he had already reached max enjoyment. Now I really want some fried squid though.

    While I love melon soda and floats, I don’t think I’ve ever had a melon soda float. Gotta remember to try that next time. Renner is a great wingwoman, but there’s only so much she can do with Shareef being like that.

    Natto seems like an interesting choice, as a Japanese staple that’s not as popular for foreign palates.

    SK
  9. random thought
    can’t they use the Nekoya door as teleportation device?
    back on episode 07 with the castaway guy case, can’t he just wait and follow some other customers back to the main land?

    monotone
    1. Nope, the Door recognize everyone that goes trough, and place him in his World. There is no cheating (and i think the Magic is coming from the Red Dragon or from some other one)

      Worldwidedepp
  10. It is still a pleasure to watch every Episode

    i liked Part A (Even if they could animated their Wings to stay aflot.. but Okay… no biggy)
    also i liked Part B

    Now i know that the Door connects location of a World, and not other Dimensions.. So if they invest their Will, they could meet each other outside of this “Satur” day. Also that explains the language they all use and readings

    But then.. How is in control of the Door? I bet some Dragon… While they can act as their Magic supporter, but how control the spot where it appears? Also do not forget how long this Door are out there. No Human lifespan can be it (or an Human Magican that lives long like an Elf)

    But, okay. Take your time, your Menue and keep being “Isekai Shokudou”

    Worldwidedepp

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