This post is the second of the VAoJ Hiroshima Research Trip Arc. In keeping with my recent and ongoing
tachinomi project, I wanted to experience the social/drinking nightlife of Hiroshima. Rather than my usual haphazard exploration of good drinking establishments, I decided to check out a famous area supposedly full of good shops called Ekinishi, located very close to the Hiroshima train station. The websites I found made it look very attractive in terms of my
shitamachi tastes.
Dive! Hiroshima Ekinishi:
https://dive-hiroshima.com/en/feature/night-ekinishi/
pikabu 14 Recommended Restaurants in Hiroshima Ekinishi! Popular and affordable restaurants serving oysters, okonomiyaki, and more:
https://www.bm-peekaboo.com/information/2-73/
But before the heavy fieldwork/photography/drinking, I wanted to experience the taste of Hiroshima,
traditional Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. A friendly taxi driver dropped me off in front of the Ekinishi area and indicated that the shop a street over would be a good place to go.
It was still a little early in the evening so there were just a few customers. But the place looked legit. The master, quiet and stern, told me the shop was 35 years old. I told him the nature of my quest and he confirmed that my choice of the
okonomiyaki special was a good one. He made the
okonomiyaki with the help of one of his Vietnamese staff and soon it was ready.
Now I am no stranger to
okonomiyaki, that is the original (bias alert) Osaka variety, but all I had was my enthusiasm and taste buds to judge. It tasted good! I liked the egg on the bottom and the noodles in the middle. I saw another customer add more sauce to his food, so I did as well, which added to the good taste. But my heart (and taste buds) belong to Osaka...
So now with a full stomach and a good start to my fieldwork, I checked out the vibe of Ekinishi.
At first, I liked it. There was a lot of potential for interesting photographs. I hoped that the drinking establishments would also be to my liking.
But in the end I was disappointed. Apparently many shops are closed on Monday evenings. And the shops that were open were small and crowded. I was denied entry to three shops. I was getting hotter, sweatier and tired wandering up and down the streets. I think a little melancholy of the
trip to the Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum added to my growing foul mood. All I wanted was a cool place to sit down and have a nice drink. Kyoki-to-Ranbu was literally the last shop on the corner and appeared to be empty. It was one of those places where you have to order with your smart phone. And it was a little expensive. But the owner and staff were friendly enough. After a snack a a couple of drinks I started on my way to my hotel.
But I was not very pleased with the evening. As I got closer to the station, I found what some would call the enemy territory. This was an
izakaya devouted to the Hiroshima Carp baseball team (who would be hosting the Hanshin Tigers the next evening). It was a newish, generic sports bar decked out with baseball paraphernalia and the Carp colors, red and white. The menu was standard
izakaya fare, but large and reasonsble. Each dish was named after a Carp player who liked the particular dish. It was an interesting end to the evening and got me ready for the main event the next day.
The next post of the VAoJ Hiroshima Research Trip Arc will be on the Hiroshima Carp vs. Hanshin Tigers game at the Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium, along with the gourmet food offerings at the venue.
