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<\/figure>\nOkado and Tokitama have been friends for a long time and often collaborated with each other at events featuring Okado\u2019s food at \u201cUeno Hirokoji Meguri\u201d run by Okado till 2012. When Tokitama\u2019s parents warehouse started running down, they decided to rebuild it and create \u201cPhotobook Diner Megutama\u201d, a place where they could hold events like they had done in the past. The shop boasts more than 5,000 photo books from Iizawa\u2019s collection which he has complied over a period of nearly 40 years, all lined up against an entire wall. The books can be enjoyed by anyone and includes many valuable ones that are now out of print. Megutama\u2019s slogan is to \u201cEat good food and reenergize!\u201d, and aims to be a playground for adults to enjoy.<\/p>\n Lampshades in the shape of a book. Lots of attention is put into even the smallest details of the shop<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n Okado cooks Japanese home cooked meals using organically grown vegetables from farmers she knows and at times from local grocery shops. Although she avoids cooking ingredient with additives in general, she doesn\u2019t let these strict limitations control the way she cooks. She believes the most important thing is to be able to make a home cooked meal easily with what you have around you. This is why she doesn\u2019t refuse any vegetables that become available to her. When she has a large quantity of the same vegetables she cooks them in different ways that represent the season. She also believes that the secrets to a good meal is the delicate process of seasoning. Soaking vegetables in salt water or washing them with soy sauce gives them a light flavor that brings out the ingredients. \u201cI love to cook, and having people eat my food makes me happy\u201d says Okado. This pure and simple way of thinking is what drives her cooking in her kitchen. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The daily set menu is well balanced with meat or fish, pesticide-free rice and handmade side dishes including pickles, miso soup and dressing. The menu changes daily so that guests can come back every day. They can accommodate vegetarians but they say it often takes longer to prepare. However, some dishes, like boiled vegetables and miso soup, use bonito stock which cannot be replaced and therefore they recommend vegans to visit for dinner so they can order a la carte.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Megutama holds unique events every month, like photo book talks, Rakugo and even tea ceremonies. Sometimes they even serve food related to the theme of the event. On the regular menu you can find several recreations of items found in the novel \u201cShokudoraku\u201d by Genzai Murai like \u201cBran Cake\u201d, \u201cTuna Rice\u201d and \u201cFluffy Egg\u201d from the Edo Era. They also post videos of home recipes and Edo recipes on their youtube \u201cMegutama Kitchen\u201d .<\/p>\n Fluffy Egg<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n A simple Bran Cake, something hard to believe was made during the Edo period<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n Megutama is also a place where people who are interested in culture gather, therefore it is also a place for social good. For example, curry powder made in Nepal is used in their Keema curry to support the graduates of the Himalayan Elementary opened by a friend, Daisuke Yoshioka. Every three months, they have different artists draw on the large mirror in their shop with \u2018Kitpas\u2019, manufactured by Nihon Rikagaku Kogyo who are actively involved in employing people with disabilities.<\/p>\n Nepalese Keema Curry, supports that Himalayan children<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n Okado, Iizawa and Tokitama all share a common desire where they \u2018want to keep doing things that are fun and makes their soul happy\u2019, which is something that all their guests can get a feel of at Megutama. They say that once people leave, they usually feel more relaxed and energetic then when they arrived.<\/p>\n Over 5,000 photo ooks that one must keep coming back to read them all<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![](\"https:\/\/findveggie.net\/wp2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/megutama_22-.jpg\")
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