Solitary Gourmet Episode Rating Graph

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) arrives in Kiyose, Tokyo for his appointment with an eyewear shop owner (Shiga Kotaro). However, the client is at the moment playing mahjong so Goro goes to the mahjong parlor instead and waits for him to finish. Afterwards, the two proceed with their meeting which ends on a good note, if only the owner had not insisted on making Goro try out some of his flashy sunglasses. Later, Goro aims to satiate his hunger by looking for an eatery near the station. He tries out "Miyuki Shokudo", a simple greasy spoon that offers affordable set meals with hefty amounts. Despite his hunger, Goro is taking a bit of time deciding what to order as he gets lost in the shop's varied menu: written on numerous strips of paper, attached all over one wall...

The client for this day is the manager of a petshop in Urayasu, Chiba. However, Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) seemed to have arrived there a bit early since there was no one at the shop. He decides to pet a cute dog when Manager Okuda (Fukawa Ryo) arrives. Goro is embarrassed to be seen doing something suspicious... After their meeting, Goro suddenly feels hungry. While looking for some place to eat, he spots a sakanaya (fish diner) with an unusual name "Raten" which he couldn't read at all. Inside, the proprietress (Achiwa Satomi) and the Taisho (Hino Yojin) welcome him. Goro chooses among the delectable-sounding set meals of grilled or simmered fish, that includes soup, pickles, and sashimi...

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) arrives in Ohara's fishing port in Chiba Prefecture. He is enticed to taste the lobsters and turban shells being sold at a shop but alas, he has work to do first. He promises to eat after he attends to business. Riding the local train towards Isumi City, he enjoys a frozen orange. Arriving at the Kuniyoshi Station, he is greeted by a city hall employee, Yamazaki (Tsukaji Muga). Yamazaki takes him to a "trial house" meant to attract outsiders to settle in the area. Goro is tasked to handle the procurement of materials for the interiors. As Goro sets about measuring the interiors, he suddenly remembers the lobsters at the port. Unable to control his hunger, Goro abruptly concludes his task and asks to be driven back to the Ohara station. Knowing his hunger cannot stand the trip back to the port, he tries to find a shop that sells lobsters near the station. Unfortunately, he cannot find one...

Goro has been busy lately. Although he is thankful for the work, he has been feeling a bit tired. He goes to Sakuragaoka via Chitose-Funabashi Station to visit the younger sister of a friend. She is yoga instructor, Saito Rei (Asami Reina), who wants to consult Goro regarding changing the interiors of her own new yoga studio where she is planning to move into soon. She also taught Goro a yoga technique that could help him relax in case he is feeling tired. After the meeting, Goro tries the yoga technique in the middle of the street to see if it works. However, he feels hunger instead of relaxation, and so he goes in search of an eatery. While walking in a residential area, on his way back to the station, he comes upon a small sliver-type of building, which has two entrances. It is a yakiniku shop and bar, called "Maasan", that serves "Jingisukan (Genghis Khan)", or grilling of lamb meat and mutton. Goro enters inside and is greeted by the owner (Kawano Naoki)...

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutake) is in Shimonita, Gunma for business. He arrived too early so he strolled around a neighborhood that seems preserved in the Showa era. He decides to eat at a Chinese diner called "Ichiban" that boasts of its delicious tanmen and handmade gyoza, served by an elderly couple and their young apprentice Numata (Tozuka Junki). Next, at the request of city hall, Goro inspects an old brick warehouse that is being planned to be refurbished and reused. After business was done, he tries to head back to Tokyo but falls asleep at the station while waiting for the train. He blames station conductor (Masana Bokuzo) for not waking him up. Instead of staying at the station, he decides to eat for the meantime, and heads for a restaurant he saw earlier in the day. It was a sukiyaki shop known as "Columbia"...

"Somehow, I have a good feeling about today..." Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) comes out of Ōokayama Station, feeling optimistic about today's business deal. "If it pushes through, it's going to be a huge deal.". He meets with company director Yashiro Keisuke (Horibe Keisuke) who wants Goro to take care of changing the over-all interiors of their main branch and in their upcoming Roponggi branch. It does seem quite a profitable deal. However, Goro is perturbed by Yashiro's lackadaisical attitude towards the matter... Later on, Goro is in a foul mood. Feeling hungry, he wants to eat delicious food that will placate his anger. He finds what he was looking for in an eatery called "Kue", that serves "fishermen's cuisine": delicious sashimi set meals, simmered fish, seafood donburi and kabayaki dishes, and namerou. Plus, it serves unlimited refills of rice and miso soup! Goro steps inside, and is welcomed by the proprietress (Washio Machiko)...

Goro goes to Shinjuku to meet with Takiyama (Murata Takehiro), his friend and business associate. Arriving late at their meeting place, a cafe near Gaienmae, the enigmatic Takiyama apparently has a sweet-tooth. He orders fruit-topped pancakes and cola before giving Goro some prospective job requests. After that, while walking around Jingu Stadium, Goro suddenly remembers one hot day when he went to a baseball stadium to cheer for his nephew Futoshi who is a pitcher for his high school baseball team. The memory as well as what he ate at that time prompt Goro to look for a place to eat. Wanting to try something hot, he chooses a restaurant called "Shanway". It offers Chinese home cooking and Teppan dishes. Curious to see what Chinese teppan is all about, he gets inside, to be met with mild-mannered shop owner (Moro Morooka)...

Goro is in Taito Ward to meet with a client at his home in Torigoe. However, for some reason, the client (Tochi Hiroki) who is a model hand gun enthusiast decides to meet somewhere else instead. Goro also checks out the area's old shopping districts: Sakata Shopping Street and Okazu Yokocho. He buys a few food items and eventually feels hungry himself. Luckily, he immediately finds a nice shop along the way. Its name is "Mamezo", a drinking/coffee shop establishment run by a husband (Fumiyo Kohinata) and wife (Nishida Naomi) team. Goro seems torn as he looks at the hodgepodge of a menu that offers a variety of Western and Japanese dishes...

Goro arrives in the quiet suburban area of Komiya, Hachioji to meet with a customer. Being used to meeting with business clients inside their shops in busy commercial centers and shopping districts, he is surprised to see that there was "nothing" there except residential houses. His client, Tanimura Yuya (Nomaguchi Toru), plans to open an Italian restaurant. During their meeting, the client's wife comes to give her husband a bento lunch of grilled beef. Licking his lips at the sight of delicious beef, he resolves to eat yakiniku after work. Thinking it was futile to search for a yakiniku shop in Komiya, Goro is about to head to the city center when a shop's sign catches his eye. It reads, "Yakiniku Daikoen". Smilingly, Goro, gets inside, drawn by the mouth-watering smell of grilled beef. Inside, the proprietress (Enjoji Aya) ushers him to an available table. Goro eagerly chooses from the Yakiniku menu of assorted beef cuts, pork trotters, and other Korean-style dishes...

Goro arrives early in Mukaihara for a business appointment, so he stops by a cafe called "Surprise" to partake of a roll cake with a curious name. Arriving at his meeting with his client and friend, an owner of a charming gallery store of European pieces, he notices that she is in a vexed mood. She tells him her orders will not arrive in time for her opening tomorrow. So Goro decides to stay to help her, and eventually pulls out an all-nighter. With his task accomplished, Goro sets out the next morning, pleased and of course, very hungry. He chances upon a chic bread store that calls itself "Machida no Parlor." Goro orders himself a hearty breakfast of pork sandwich, quiche, Italian sausages, and different kinds of rustic bread...

On a particularly busy day, Inogashira is in Sunamachi, Koto Ward, meeting up with one client after another. Despite his heavy schedule, he still finds time to help out a lovely client with a sprained ankle in setting up things in her coffee shop. He also takes a break inside a Samurai-themed cafe called "Coffee Dojyo Samurai," where he encounters a fascinatingly somewhat bumbling kind of customer. After his meetings were done, he still has more work to do and decides to buy some take-out food to eat at his office. He goes back to a shopping district which he spotted earlier in the day, the Sunamachi-Ginza Shopping District. There, he drifts from one store to the next, basking in the sights and aroma of their hot and ready-to-eat street food delights...

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) visits the owner of a fish dish shop near Higashi-Mukojima Station. The client (Ito Katsunobu) wishes Goro to find an antique chest drawer he found on the internet. Goro is not confident he can find it but asks help from all his colleagues through email. When work was over, he wanders around town looking for a place to eat. He tries a cozy, snug-looking Italian-themed shop that has a kiln oven. The menu offers pizza and pasta dishes with broad, unspecific names: Natto Pizza, Ham and Egg Pizza, Spicy Pasta, Salty Pasta, etc. Goro wishes to order one pizza with two kinds of flavor but the proprietor (Nakahara Takeo) who is blunt and gruff-looking says: "There are requests I can and cannot do"...

Upon exiting from Inadazutsumi Station, Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) is met by a slight rain. He also gets startled when a heavy-set woman (Yoristune Akiko) seems to be charging towards him... Later, he arrives safely at a futon shop, to meet with the owner Sakoda (Terada Minori). Sakoda wanted to present his daughter with a bridal gift: a dining table made in ​​Europe, so Goro gives him a list to choose from. Then, Sakoda shows Goro a picture of his daughter... After the meeting, Goro feels hungry and goes in search of an eatery. A signboard catches his attention. It says, "Charcoal Yakiniku, Juen". Entering inside, Goro is ushered to a table by the shop's proprietress (Nishio Mari), who later on teaches him the shop's varied and interesting styles of eating grilled meats and offals.

It's been three years since a friend of Inogashira, a weaving teacher, opened a French goods shop. He visits her and her shop in Nezu, Bunkyo, and was delighted to find her adjusting well. He notices that she is suited to her neighborhood with its warmth and laid-back atmosphere. After he takes his leave, he realizes he needs to go to the bathroom. A bit embarrassed, he had no choice but to use the facility of the nearest shop he could find, a nomiya or a drinking/eating establishment called "Sumire." Since he is feeling hungry, he decides to stay after finding out that not only drinks are being served but real meals as well. But then, an unruly drunk steps inside the shop...

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) has come to South Korea for the first time. He meets with the president of a trading company, President Im (Sung Si Kyung) who wanted to consult him regarding future trade with European markets. Goro says Korean traditional crafts have potential, and so he was sent to Jeonju City to inspect the products himself. He was accompanied by assistant Park Soo-Young (Park Jung-ah) to serve as his translator and guide. In Jeonju, they both visit makers and markets selling traditional furniture and umbrellas. Afterwards, Goro has an opportunity to stroll around town alone. He feels hungry and decides to try an eatery called "Tobang" that sells set meals. However, Goro of course does not understand the menu and just orders the most inexpensive item. What was brought to him suprised him. There were spicy pork, natto jjigae, and a variety of kimchi and side dishes...

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) arrived at Gotanda Station, to meet with his last client for the day, Watanabe Masayoshi (Hasegawa Tomoharu), the president of a certain packing company. However, as soon as Watanabe saw him, he pulled Goro behind some crates to hide him from his mother. Goro was confused and bewildered... After the meeting, Goro stopped for a moment to watch the flow of Meguro River. He suddenly felt hungry and looked for a shop. He saw a signboard that said, "Fureai Eat and Drink Shop Area". It was located inside a building full of snack bars and pubs. Being a non-drinker, Goro at first, hesitated but when he saw the sign, "Shokudou Todaka", he decided to give it a shot. Inside, the master of the shop (Tsuyoshi Muro) asked him to choose a drink which comes with a side nibble. Disappointed, Goro felt uneasy since it seemed it was mainly a pub. But he looked at the menu, and realized that there were Beef Rice and miso soup available, too...

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) was reluctant at first to take on a request from a client to accept a magazine interview on European interior design trends. In the end, he agreed and went to Myogadani in Bunkyo Ward to meet with editor Kawashima Hideki. The interview began right away at a cafe. However, he did not expect them to take his picture as well, so an awkward and stiff Goro had a difficult time posing for the camera... Afterwards, apart from feeling hot on a humid day, Goro also felt suddenly tired and hungry. He searched around downtown until he found "Houei" which serves Chinese cuisine. After he was greeted by clerk Hamada (Mizusawa Erena), Goro immediately ordered chilled dandan noodles which was perfect for the early summer heat. He also scanned the menu, and saw a number of unusual, unheard of items. After much pondering, he decided on twice cooked pork, chawanmushi, and steamed avocado to make up his one-man Chinese midday banquet...

Inogashira Goro arrived in the seaside town of Kanaya, Futtsu in Chiba Prefecture via Hama-Kanaya Station. He met with Kurokawa (Ishii Masanori) executive managing director of a well-established onsen ryokan called "Kajiya Ryokan". Kurokawa thought to start offering coffee service in the ryokan lobby for foreign guests which have increased recently. Goro happily presented samples of European made coffee cups. After the meeting, Goro felt hunger pangs and decided to try out a nearby shop called "Hamabe", enticed by its offer of "fishermen's meals". Inside, regular customer Matsuda (Satoh Gajiro) told Goro that the shop's proprietress (Matsumoto Akiko) is a great cook and that the food is delicious. So Goro, with high expectations, ordered a set meal that included Aji Fry, pickles, seaweed miso soup, meat and potato stew, sangayaki...

It was Inogashira Goro's (Matsushige Yutaka) second day in Seoul, South Korea. On his way to his client's office, he spots and tries a food stall that sells tteok-bokki and Korean tempura. Afterwards, he attends a meeting with President Im (Sung Si Kyung), and his assistants, including Park Soo-Young (Park Jung-ah). Goro says his goodbye as his consultation ends, and is headed back home to Japan. However, he feels hungry, and looks around for a shop to eat. He decides to try a charcoal grill shop called "Jongjeom Sutbul Galbi". He was able to order by indicating that he'll be having what the other customers were eating. What he ordered was delicious pork galbi. What he didn't expect was it was accompanied by all sorts of banchan, or side dishes, as well as doenjang jjigae...

Goro's next appointment is in Shizuoka Prefecture. Despite the long travel, he seems to be looking forward to it as he rides the train to the Izu Peninsula. Once he's there, he meets with his client, an inn owner and pipe-enthusiast. Later he has a cream and strawberry refreshment at a shop called "Nanadaru-Jyaya" while amusing himself with the loud chat of three oba-chan customers. He strolls around the town and feels refreshed by its quiet and idyllic scenery. He next tries out a wasabi specialty shop that sells direct sale wasabi and wasabi-based dishes. It's called "Wasabi-En Kodaya." Uncharacteristically, Goro orders only one simple type of dish but not necessarily in just one order...

Goro goes to Edogawa-bashi in Bunkyo Ward for the first time. He meets with an owner of a Go board game shop who happens to be quite an active matchmaker. The client insists Goro to take part in an omiai. Of course, the perennial bachelor, feeling uncomfortable, quickly ends his appointment. Nevertheless, it does not mar his day since orders keep pouring in. He strolls along a small shopping district, called Jizo shopping street. He takes time to snack on purposely broken senbei bought from a traditional rice cracker shop, "Kisaku". Then, his feelings of hunger continue to gnaw on him, so he searches for a place and ends up at an eatery run by the fish market, called "Uotani". It serves delightful dishes that would make any seafood-lover extremely happy.

Inogashira goes around the old cultural town of Ningyo-cho, looking for Japanese gifts to send to his European female friend. Since his friend is expecting a child, Inogashira wants to get her something for her pregnancy as well as an item that denotes Japanese culture. While looking for shops, he stops by a tea shop called "Mori no En" and tries out their sweets made with green tea. Later on, as he was browsing in a shamisen shop, he feels the need to eat something that's classically Japanese... and so, tempura comes to mind. He goes around the area searching for a tempura-ya until he smells the aroma of frying foods. It was coming from a shop called "Tempura Nakayama"...

Goro goes to the vibrant district of Ginza. He is not on a business trip but to visit a friend of his and offer his support. This friend, Sasagawa Hitomi (Hirooka Yuriko) is holding an exhibit of her photographs she took from her travels in Vietnam. After the visit, he strolls around Ginza, and tries out some soothing sweets and tea at a Taiwanese cafe named "Santokudou". After further strolling, he decides to look for a place to have a "Ginza meal." However, he walked a tad too far, and ends up on the outskirts of Ginza and in what appears to be the district of Shinbashi. Nevertheless, an eatery named "Namiji-Tei", that offers Korean home-cooked meals catches his attention. However, it was narrow inside the small eatery and and is already packed with other customers, all sharing a big table. Since he prefers to dine alone, Goro plans to leave. But somehow, he gets persuaded by the eatery's Omoni (Shibata Rie) to stay and eat...

The lone merchant arrives in Miyanoshita, Hakone to take a look at a gallery/cafe called "Naraya Cafe" as a potential venue for a friend's exhibit. The cafe is managed by a pleasant man (Doi Yoshio) who is secretly nicknamed "Momi-yan" by Goro because of his huge sideburns. The owner also treats Goro to anything he likes and so he orders the cafe's specialty, a unique gourd-shaped monaka with sweet sesame seed paste filling. Afterwards, Goro decides to take a stroll around the village by way of the Miyanoshita Walking Trail. He reaches an old elementary school turned preschool. He reminisces and plays in the schoolyard until his hunger creeps in. He decides to eat at a tavern whose sign he saw a moment ago, during his walk. It took him a bit of moment though, looking for the said tavern. Finally he arrives at "Iroriya", a shop which is being run by two ladies: an elderly one (Onuki Kae) and a younger woman (Aoyama Noriko)...

Goro arrives this time at Asagaya Station. On the way to a business appointment, he stops by an old candy store and plays a nostalgic game with a vintage arcade baseball machine. Next he meets with the owner of a nearby pool hall, Ishikawa (Wada Soko), who is asking Goro the necessary goods for installing a new counter bar. Somehow, while watching a game of pool, Goro suddenly is reminded of food and feels hungry. He abruptly ends the meeting and under the glare of the blazing sun, he wander the streets. Soon, he finds a shop sign with the word, "Hawaii" written on it. It belonged to "Yo-Ho's Lanai Cafe", a refreshing eatery that offers Hawaiian themed menu. Inside, Goro is greeted with a Hawaiian blue walls and displays, as well as the cheery greetings of its proprietor (Terajima Susumu) and his wife (Horiuchi Keiko)...

Arriving at Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Station in Koto Ward, Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) receives some bad news on the phone. It seems some business deal did not push through. He goes to buy a handkerchief at a souvenir shop and chooses one with a Daruma design on it. He hopes it will bring him good luck. Then, he meets with Tajima (Satoi Kenta) at the Fukagawa Edo Museum for a business meeting. To his delight, Goro is able to have a successful outcome with this deal. He goes out into the streets to celebrate and have a Fukagawa rice meal. But instead, he chooses an izakaya because of its name: "Daruma". Feeling that luck brought him to this place, Goro goes inside the crowded tavern, to be greeted cheerfully by the attendant, Suu-san (Asano Atsuko). Goro is also awed by the varied menu displayed on the walls, boasting a hodgepodge of Japanese and Western snacks and dishes.

Goro meets with one of his regular clients, Yamamura (Ryu Raita) who has gotten wind of his upcoming business trip to Taiwan. Yamamura asks him to deliver an item to his granddaughter, Takako (Okubo Mariko) who is studying and working in Yilan County, Taiwan. Goro reluctantly says yes... Sometime later, Goro arrives in Taipei. He goes straight to Sanxing, Yilan to deliver the said item which turns out to be... Afterwards, he goes around Luodong in search of a shop where he could eat. He chooses an eatery named Quántái Xiǎochībù, which offers seafood and stir-fried dishes. However, Goro feels intimidated when confronted with the menu completely written in Chinese text. Nevertheless, despite the language barrier, the friendly proprietress (Yang Yunyu) and local girl (NueNue) help him out by recommending what dishes to try out...

It is Goro's (Matsushige Yutaka) second day in Taiwan. On this day, he will research on Taiwanese products for the upcoming trade exhibition in Paris. He goes to the National Traditional Arts Center in Yilan County. There, he finds all sorts of good ideas for the exhibition: glassware, tea utensils, brushes. He also tries candy-coated tomatoes being sold there. At a tea house, Goro encounters a young entrepreneur Liu Shinichi (Mizuma Ron) who gives him a tip on where to go and find more Taiwanese goods. "Go to Dinghua Street". Goro takes his advice and visits the old warehouse district at Dihua Street in Taipei. The exotic items there made Goro hungry, so he goes on a food-hopping adventure around Yongle Market. He chooses an eatery called "Yǒnglè Xiǎochī" and asks for a meal of Taiwanese street food. Next he tries a stall called "YuanWei LuRou Fan"...

At a time when Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) is busy, his lower back hurts once again. The doctor (Kitamura Yukiya) suggests he be hospitalized so he could make thorough examinationof his health. Goro hesitantly obliges. Three days later, Goro is in his hospital bed being served dinner by a nurse (Sudou Atsuko). Goro is looking forward to the hospital meals, which he deemed "has improved considerably lately". However, his meal this time was disappointing, and describes the flavor as "thin". Then, the doctor comes to check on his progress. He says Goro is ready to be discharged the next day. However, for no particular reason, he nonchalantly asks Goro about gyoza. As a result, Goro who is yearning to eat something salty and savory, cannot stop thinking about gyoza, and had trouble sleeping. The next day, he gets discharged and decides to reward himself with a hearty meal. He chooses a ramen shop called "Saien", which of course serves his much longed-for gyoza...

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) arrives at real estate company in Nishi-Sugamo in Toshima Ward. At the request of his client Morita (Keiichi Noda), he has come to preview a shop his client is eyeing to rent. While he is filling in an entry form, the company president (Tsuchiya Nobuyuki) and employees (Hanawa Nobuyuki, Hosono Kyoko) are all trying to read his last name, and somehow pronouncing it wrong. Goro is bewildered since he assumes his last name is pretty easy to read... Then, later on, after previewing the shop, Goro feels hungry. He hurries and finds a shabu-shabu and sukiyaki shop called "Shabu Tatsu" along an old-fashioned, quaint shopping street. Inside, there is a rarely seen U-shaped counter. Goro finds the set meals quite tempting. When asked by the proprietress (Yasuko Tomita) what his order is, Goro chooses a luxurious solo order of sukiyaki set meal with prime beef cuts. What a fitting choice for an advanced year-end banquet!

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) arrives in Osaka City for some business appointments. He is immediately invited by a barker (Namioka Kazuki) to try and have lunch at a kushikatsu shop. However, Goro has to regretfully decline for he has to leave for his appointment. During his meeting with real estate agent Shimazaki (Rokkaku Seiji), Goro cannot help but be amazed at how his Hokkaido-born friend/client sounded like a true-blooded Osaka native. After his meeting, Goro eats at an okonomiyaki/yakisoba shop called "Amakaraya". Although he is reluctant to eat okonomiyaki with rice (the Osaka way), he tries it out in the end, and was not disappointed... Later in the day, after another meeting with a client, Goro passes by a stall called "Kushikatsu/Doteyaki, Takeda" along a street. He finally can have the skewered goods that he had left behind earlier in the day...

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) has been up early in the morning helping a panicking client in a coffeeshop near Okubo Station, Shinjuku. The client, coffeeshop owner Takeuchi Sakura (Kochi Machiko) is very thankful to Goro for his service, and for providing the much--needed coffee cup items and accessories she needs for an exhibit set to take place that day. After the work is done, Goro sets out to find a shop where he could eat. However, it was eight o'clock in the morning, and what Goro needs is a heavy meal. He reaches Yodobashi Market, a wholesale market of fruits and vegetables, and assumes there must be a diner there. Sure enough, he finds "Iseya Shokudou", a diner frequented by the market workers. Inside, Goro is enticed by the menu of delectable set meals, and small side items...