Telly ... another idea for you

I know we are all getting out and about now … and telly isn’t necessarily the crutch it was a couple of weeks ago. On the other hand you might be just waking from hibernation (like my family) and taking it slow and easy. In which case good telly may still be on your radar.

So I thought I might mention Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories to you. You’ll find it on Netflix. Here’s how ‘the master’ (the chef and owner of the diner) introduces each episode.

When people finish their day and hurry home, my day starts. My diner is open from midnight to seven in the morning. They call it "Midnight Diner”. Do I even have customers? More than you would expect,

The diner has a very limited menu, but the chef will make whatever the customers request if he has the ingredients. As you can imagine, the people out on the streets of Tokyo from midnight to 7am are an interesting bunch and the stories are about the convergence of food and the other important things in life - friendships, loves, betrayal, families, death etc. It is very quirky and endearing. For foodies, it often ends with the characters coming back after the credits to explain to the viewer how to make the dish that was the feature of the episode. It is quite an unusual show and is based on a manga comic.

Whilst each episode stands alone, there are some characters that reappear over time. You look forward to seeing them all again. There hasn’t been a character yet that I haven’t enjoyed. I saw a review that compared the vibe of Midnight Diner to Cheers, and I agree that it has a similar intimate real life feel to it … without the corniness.

My partner Clive started watching it after visiting Japan last year, and can take all the credit for spreading the love. I pop in and out a bit on this one … but whenever it is on and I walk past I can’t help but sit down and become enthralled in the short and snappy 23 minute episodes.

I hope you enjoy it too.

A lot happens in what has to be one of tiniest diners ever!