Name: Behind the Counter at a Japanese University Set Meal Restaurant
Uploaded: 2025-08-07T18:22:10.000Z
Duration: 16 min 17 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

This is behind the counter at a local Japanese set meal restaurant for university students.

Good morning everyone, we are up early for this one.

I'm just right by the University of Tokyo, and I'm taking you behind the counter at this local Japanese set meal shop just right behind me.

It's a fourth generation shop, so I'm super excited to get this one started.

I'm taking you behind the counter and deep inside the kitchen of a local family-owned Japanese Teishoku restaurant called Shokudo Morikawa.

Nestled within walking distance from Tokyo University, the oldest university in Japan, it's been a staple nourishment for students for more than 120 years.

The shop originally started selling bento boxes on campus, distributing them with a carrying pole, aka milkmaid's yoke, and later grew into a Teishoku restaurant, meaning it serves Japanese set meals, where all of the dishes in the course are served together, often consisting of a main dish, rice, soup, and sides.

Today, the shop serves not only students and professors, but also locals and salarymen alike, all lining up to enjoy their delectable and affordable set meals.

He's the fourth generation owner, Matsukawa-san.

The shop opens at 11.30, but his morning starts as early as 6 a.m.

The first thing he does is to start the dashi broth, which serves as a base for many of his dishes.

And then, he heats up the various sauces.

While he waits for everything to heat up, it's part of his morning routine to make his morning coffee.

Damn, apparently they got married 10 years later at 26.

So, did you think you were going to take over the family business?

Apparently, he officially started at the age of 19, but voluntarily helped around the shop when he was in elementary school as he enjoyed being there.

He says that he always had a passion for cooking ever since he could remember, even reminiscing about watching TV cooking shows after school and testing out the recipes in their busy restaurant kitchen.

For him, he always knew in his heart that his life's path would take him here.

Pre-cut vegetables are hidden everywhere!

In fact, the shop cuts them the night before to minimize the morning's prep time.

Knowing that there are as many as 35 Teishoku menu items in addition to side dishes, the shop needs to be very efficient in their preparation.

It's actually been his hobby for a while, even riding motorcycles around Tokyo in his wilder teen years.

He says that he and his wife love riding together to search out new food spots.

I guess having a common hobby is one of the secrets to their happy marriage.

I thought you don't really take days off?

They're small side dishes that accompany typical Japanese set meals.

His father made it a point to teach him to always consider the meal's nutritional value in addition to its taste and volume.

Coincidentally, many of his regulars have told him personally that they attribute their health to the shop's food.

My father was very strict about his work.

He was strict about his greetings and time.

I worked at a high school and married a professor at Tokyo University.

On top of competing with all of the temptations and distractions available now to the younger generation.

Ah, that's the tare sauce for the boiled fish!

Well, I really hope he'll be able to find that perfect candidate one day who has the same passion he does for serving his customers so that his legacy can continue on.

Who knows, maybe it's someone who's watching this video.

When his father was the owner, he used to be the one that drove down to the fish market.

But nowadays, he relies on the wholesaler his family's built a long and trusting relationship with to make the delivery.

I heard you two have been together since you were both 16.

That's another side dish, Tuna Shigure-ni!

It's sweet and savory aroma fills the air!

Hey guys, I wanted to quickly tell you about my Paolo from Tokyo Premium Kaminari Hot Sauce.

It's handcrafted exclusively by a small batch producer in Japan's Niigata Prefecture made with an original blend of premium kanzuri, aged 6 years, locally grown Carolina Reaper, and shoyu.

A lot of love has gone into each bottle and I'm telling you that there's no hot sauce in the world that has this level of umami and fire all in one.

And it all begins at the base of Mount Myoko in a process called yukisadashi where locally grown red chilies are spread over snowfields to develop their natural umami for over 3 to 4 days forming the foundation of kanzuri's distinctly delicious flavor.

You can get it at Paolo from TokyoHotSauce.com or just click on the link below.

And if you're in Japan, I have shops listed on the website such as Tsukiji Fish Market.

Fair warning, these handcrafted bottles are produced in limited batches and we've already sold out once.

So get it as soon as you can and avoid a 1 to 2 month wait.

Now that he's finished several dishes, he takes a short break.

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Behind the Counter at a Japanese University Set Meal Restaurant

apparently

awesome

strict

issue