The "Pokko" (A very small barbecue restaurant in Sendai city)

At a street corner of Nishiki-cho in Sendai city, there is a very small barbecue(Yakiniku) restaurant with a red Japanese paper lantern. At a glance, the restaurant looks like a small and old standing-style Japanese pub but this is the famous barbecue restaurant to people in the know , The "Pokko"! When the restaurant becomes crowded when only 5-6 seats are taken.
I stopped taking my cold medicine but I was feeling that my stamina had been running out since last Dec. So I decided to go to this tiny restaurant to gain stamina again for the first time in almost two months.
This restaurant was managed by an old woman with a strong personality. She has already known me very well because I 'm one of fans of this Yakiniku restaurant. I greeted her after a long time. She is also a chef of this restaurant. She started of by saying..

Her: " Long time no see! Why didn't you come here recently ?"
Me: " Yeah, I 've been struggling with my bad cough for long time."
Her: " In a case like that, you should eat much meat !"
Me: " Yes. I agree. so I decided to come here tonight !"

After some usual conversations with her like this, I ordered a half portion of bone-less beef short ribs and pork loins. The volume of the meat is really big though it's still a half portion. The bone-less beef short ribs cannot be counted like red leaves. They appear on a dish like meat stones.

On the other hand, the thickness of pork loin is about 3 mm and it's about the size of an adult palm. These meats are piled up gently on a white dish by the old woman's hand after putting strong garlic sauce on them.

She has known that I am living in Sendai being apart from my family. She gave me a large dish of boiled fresh green vegetable without my order by saying " You should eat fresh vegetable too!"

She also gave me a full glass of woo-long tea smoothly because I didn't want to have a beer at that time.

I ate them fighting with smokes and enjoying conversations with her. Of course there is no big fans or smoke shield to get smoked air off . There is only a small normal fan that can be seen in a conventional kitchen.

After my stomach was enough full, some other regular customers came in this restaurant. I stood up with my fulfilled body smelling garlic to give my seat them.

Me: "I ate a lot! Check please!"

Her: "Good boy. 1800 yen! Thank you .See ya!"

What a cheap price ! The Pokko will be one of my unforgettable place.