Eating Out
Banja Yashiki
Mie Times(英字新聞) 2007年4月に掲載されました。
By Thomas Weaver
After last months trip to Yangaya for sushi and ramen I decided that I needed to expand my gastronomic horizon. Though the sleepy town of Minami-ise offers many small shops with interesting treats, there are other places in Mie-kin to dine. With that in mind, I set out fo find another restaurant.
Having been invited to a friend`s birthday party, and as I had already heard much about the restaurant, I decided to head to Nabari to check out a place called Banja. My friend Amy had spoken very highly of the place, claiming that it was romantic, bohemian, and reasonably priced. Atmosphere aside, she also explained that the food was exquisite.
Full disclosure: I had to go to Banja twice to get a good sense of the food. The first time (my friend Katie`s party) I was blasted. The second time was with my girlfriend. Both times were good fun, and both times the place was perfect...
First trip: It turns out that Banja is the perfect place to have a few (or, in my case, more than a few) drinks. They have plenty of snack foods and a large selection of booze. The beer is filled nearly to the top (they don`t do that 2 inch foam thing....such a rip off!! My favorite drink was the plum wine. Something like a sweet tea, but with an accompanying kick to the liver. In addition, they had a fine selection of scoth and locally produced sake. And last but not least, there was an English speaking staff. Beyond the food and drink, the atmosphere was lively. There was a karaoke room in the back with its own separate bar. Tables were lit with candles, and the interior design did indeed give it a very bohemian vibe. I was inpressed with the decorations in general. It was easy to sit back, watch the candles flicker, and take in the noise. The crowd was lively, but friendly. I felt welcome and happy, like I`ve had a place at their table my whole life.
Sober with girlfriend: This place is very romantic. Candles are lit, the food is prepared with a delicate touch, and the service is excellent. The menu`s standouts are their salads; the tofu salad is huge and one of the bes I`ve had in Japan., with the perfect drssing. The only exception was the yam salad, which the ladyfriend wasn`t a big fan of. To be fair, it wasn`t inherently bad, just not quite to our taste. And my ladyfriend is also a `vegan`, which translates to something like `hates all tasty food`.
Banja was a big hit. Any time I go to Nabari I will stop there and have a meal. And you should too! The food is great, the staff is topnotch, and the atmosphere is perfect for any occasion.