Another Tuesday evening out foraging for dinner and I spot a sign I've never seen before. A whimsical sign. Pythonesque even. The name is not obvious, something like Me Me. But it's hard to miss the bit about Good Food & Fine Drinks...
I'm as intrigued as I am hungry. So I change course to investigate. What I find is a small cafe/bar that's new and obviously been put together with plenty of care and attention. And it really is called Me Me Me.
Four tables, a banquette and a few stools, plus a minute table outside. That's the sum of the seating arrangements. And it's got a retro feel perfectly suited to my low-res cellphone photos.
The drinks menu seems promising, and not just because it's in English. But it is the food menu that really piques my interest. Someone has clearly put a lot of thought into this place — somebody with an idiosyncratic grasp of English.
The kitchen is shoehorned in behind a serving counter boasting a chunky vintage British cash register calibrated in the old shillings and pence, flanked by an antique glass display case and a small 19th-century Stars 'n' Stripes (I didn't count the number of stars). Definitely eclectic.
A little bit of magic and I've got a bottle of Rogue mocha porter in front of me.
I've only got time for a quick bite, but it's hard to know where to start on that food menu. I go for a starter of "wana" mashed potato. That's "wa' as in "Japanese" which is represented by chopped shiso in the creamy potato and an artistic arrangment of deep-fried lotus root rings (plus a tasty sauce of finely diced fresh onion).
And as a main dish? Okinawan pork rice bowl (aka rafuti donburi).
It's good satisfying home cooking. And more than that, a cool place to spend an hour. There's plenty to take in: the retro decor; the music on the sound system, which was pre-WWII blues and jazz on this particular evening; and the fact that it's run by a nattily dressed young man — together with his mother, who handles cooking duties.
Intriguing indeed. I'll definitely be investigating this place further. Stand by for photos of "Tofu the Trio" and "Radish Rush"...
Here's a link to their equally eclectic blog...
And here's a map link...
