영어속독--Sumireya

The Yomiuri Shimbun

KASHIWAZAKI, Niigata — Sumireya, an eatery specializing in okonomiyaki (a savory pancake-like dish containing a variety of meat, vegetable or seafood ingredients), has maintained an important policy since opening in 1977: It offers meals at prices affordable enough for children to purchase with their pocket money.

 

Sumireya in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, is now run by Tsutae Ohashi, who got her start working weekends at the eatery, which was operated by one of her friends at the time. Ohashi took over the eatery in 1997, when her friend had to stop working due to sickness.

 

At that time, Sumireya’s okonomiyaki cost just ¥300. The dish costs ¥550 today, mainly due to the series of consumption tax hikes.

 

At Sumireya, customers have to cook okonomiyaki on their own. The restaurant’s signature item is called “mix tama/ten,” which contains coarsely cut cabbage leaves, tiny pink sakura-ebi shrimps, shiitake mushrooms and minced pork, all served atop a bowl of batter.

 

 

Ohashi can share some tips. First, she says, mix the ingredients into the batter well, then pour the mixture onto a well-seasoned iron plate. Cook one side until it gets golden brown and then turn it over using a spatula.

 

Make several slits on the surface using the tip of the spatula before spreading sauce onto it, a step that can help cook the okonomiyaki all over and lets the sauce soak into it, Ohashi said.(220 words)

 

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