"Isn't it time to go to an izakaya?" Naoki Nagayama said cheerfully, "It's just a good time to try my brother's cooking and see if he has inherited his father's mantle!"

"Haha, of course!" Nagayama Aoki said very confidently, "Naoki, what do you want to eat? Now I can make everything on the menu perfectly!"

Looking at the dated wooden menu above his head, Nagayama Naoki's mind recalled the days when he used to work as a waiter here... This is how he earned pocket money during his junior high school and high school years!

"Then let's have the special set meal!" Naoki Nagayama said, pointing to a set meal.

"No problem at all!"

Nagayama Aoki nodded confidently and walked into the kitchen, while his father Nagayama Ken didn't say anything and silently started preparing other side dishes.

Nagayama's specialty set meal is sizzling eel drizzled with secret sauce, served with fried chicken nuggets and other side dishes. It is generous in portion and rich in flavor, making it suitable for manual workers after a long day's work.

Izakaya in small seaside towns naturally serve fishermen at nearby docks, workers who move goods, drivers and other workers who work around the fishing industry.

While waiting, Naoki Nagayama re-examined his own izakaya, mentally comparing it with the izakaya in the late-night cafeteria.

"The kitchen needs to be slightly remodeled, making it bigger, and cooking should be done in front of other people...the lights should be brighter..."

"And the number of dining tables needs to be reduced a little..."

Just when Nagayama Naoki was thinking about it, his eldest brother Aoki had already served the special set meal: "Guest-san, please use your special set meal!"

Looking at the large bowl and several plates in front of me, the portions of sizzling eel and fried chicken are obviously much larger than usual, and even the side dishes are much richer...

Nagayama Aoki took some kelp, tofu, radish and the like from the pot that was cooking oden, filled a plate and brought it to Nagayama Naoki:

“This is a complimentary side dish!”

"So many~" Nagayama Naoki laughed.

"Of course! Nagayama's izakaya is of high quality and low price! It's very cost-effective!"

At this time, I heard the customer who was drinking next to him looked over and said in surprise when he saw the plate full of ingredients:

"Aoki-san...when did you get free side dishes? Don't we regular customers have them?!"

"Yes, yes, store manager Sang can't favor one thing over another!" "Give us some too!" Customers who had good intentions also chimed in, but most of them were regular customers, so there was more of a joke.

Nagayama Aoki didn't panic at all. He always dealt with customers and had already perfected his speaking skills:

"Haha, this is my younger brother...Are you also from the Yongshan family?!"

"Your brother?" "The one named Nagayama Naoki?" "A celebrity!" "He seems to be a writer!" "..."

Only then did these people take a serious look at the ordinary young man sitting in front of the dining table. Although he was dressed differently from the one on TV, his face was different at first glance!

"As expected!" "Really!" "I saw a living star!" "..."

The strange sound of discussion lingered in Nagayama Naoki's ears, causing black lines to appear on his forehead...

But I still turned around and nodded to everyone to say hello~ After all, this is my own store, so I still have to give face!

Several guests continued to eat contentedly after meeting the celebrities of the Nagayama family. Some of them were drinking and laughing. Naoki Nagayama just gave them an extra dish to go with their drinks.

Taking advantage of the wine, some customers said:

"Brother Naoki... I hope you win the Palme d'Or!"

"......Thank you....."

Naoki Nagayama smiled....

Although this Nagayama special set meal did not have the superb cooking skills of a high-end restaurant, Naoki Nagayama was very satisfied. After all, this is the childhood food in his memory.

When everything on the plate is finished, one taste of soup makes the whole person feel warm~

Taking advantage of the fact that there were no more customers coming, Naoki Nagayama chatted with his eldest brother Aoki:

"I told my father and eldest brother before about filming a show in our izakaya. Does eldest brother still remember?"

Nagayama Aoki thought about it for a moment: "Ah, is it that late-night cafeteria?"

"Well, when I come back, this matter can almost start!" Nagayama Naoki said, "Our izakaya will be slightly decorated, and then we can start shooting... Big brother is a veritable boss...

.”

When Yongshan Aoki heard this, he was a little nervous:

"But, I can't act!"

"As long as you know how to cook..." Nagayama Naoki said with a smile, "There will be many cameras to capture the dishes!"

"That's it..."

"It's okay, I will be by your side when the time comes..." Naoki Nagayama comforted, "I am the person in charge of the program, just listen to me..."

Father Yongshan Ken also walked out of the kitchen, listening to the conversation between the two, and suddenly interrupted and asked:

"During the filming...will the izakaya be closed for business?!"

"Is father concerned about those regular customers?" Nagayama Naoki immediately thought of his father's concerns, "There is no need to worry, except for the period of decoration, we can open at other times!"

"And we were filming late at night. My house closes after nine o'clock, right?"

"That's good~"

Nagayama Ken nodded. He has worked here for more than 20 years. For him, the izakaya is not only a job to make ends meet, but also has a deep bond with the regular customers.

..

"If my father wants to, he can be open during filming... if there are customers!" Naoki Nagayama thought for a moment and said, "If the customers don't mind, it's okay to let them appear on camera!"

After all, "Midnight Diner" captures the bond between the izakaya owner and the diners!

Yongshan Ken nodded silently and said nothing more~

And this matter was settled like this.
Chapter completed!