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A Western-style restaurant beloved by literary figures, established in 1972. A renowned establishment in Ginza that has refined its traditional flavors.
Service Manager: Kyoko Innami
Chef: Nodoka Ozawa
Natsuno: Today, we visited Nanban Ginentei, a famous Western-style restaurant that has been using Ginza Natsuno chopsticks for about 10 years. We will be speaking with Kyoko Innami, the service manager, and Nodoka Ozawa, the chef. Thank you for having us. When did you start using chopsticks in your restaurant?
Innami: We’ve been using them for 50 years. Most of our dishes can be eaten with chopsticks, which is a unique feature of our cuisine.
Natsuno: Nanban Ginentei’s dishes are truly delicious, and even dishes like stew can be easily picked apart with the tips of the chopsticks. From appetizers to main courses, your Western-style dishes are indeed suitable for chopsticks. The roast beef we had today was perfectly sized for a bite when rolled up with chopsticks.
Innami: At Nanban Ginentei, it’s our tradition to serve dishes like in a kaiseki cuisine. The table is always set with chopsticks, knives, and forks. Our customers are very pleased to see chopsticks available, saying, “Oh, there are chopsticks.” It’s very important for us to give our customers the reassurance to eat with chopsticks. Many customers say they didn’t use the fork and knife at all after their meal.
Natsuno: That’s the highest compliment for a chopstick maker. How do you find the usability of the current Natsuno chopsticks?
Innami: They have a simple design and the tips are thin, which our customers find easy to use. Moreover, we are very pleased that they can be repaired by reapplying lacquer when they get slightly damaged.
Ozawa: The philosophy of cherishing and using items for a long time matches perfectly with Ginentei’s approach to cooking. They fit perfectly next to a fork and knife, offering a sleek image. We want our guests to eat comfortably without fuss, so a too unconventional design might not be ideal.
Natsuno: Thank you. When proposing, we kept in mind that they should complement forks and knives, focusing on comfort and simple design. I assume you have many international customers lately. Do they use chopsticks?
Innami: Yes, they do. In fact, they prefer using chopsticks over forks and knives. Although we are a Western-style restaurant, we serve rice on flat plates, and everyone manages to eat from them quite skillfully. While we offer both rice and bread, most of our foreign customers choose to eat rice with chopsticks. (Laughs)
Natsuno: That’s an interesting story. They don’t choose bread, huh? (Laughs) But it’s great that they’re experiencing Japanese Western-style food with chopsticks. I believe rice definitely goes better with Japanese Western-style food than bread.
Ozawa: Natsuno-san, you always order rice instead of bread too! (Laughs)
Natsuno: Lastly, do you have any requests or suggestions regarding the chopsticks?
Innami: Yes! It would be interesting if we could offer our regular customers who are interested in chopsticks a chance to dine with a different pair of chopsticks than usual, saying, “How about trying these chopsticks today?” We would love to introduce chopsticks that make Western food taste even better, yet are slightly unusual.
Natsuno: Understood! Hearing that “chopsticks reassure our customers” was truly heartwarming. This has been a wonderful interview. Thank you for today.
[ Nanban Ginentei ]
A Western-style restaurant loved by literary figures, established in 1972. A renowned establishment in Ginza that has refined its traditional flavors.
Located at 5-4-8 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Namiki Street,
Carioca Building 7F
Phone: 0335731991
Hours: Lunch 11:30 – 14:30 (Last order at 14:00)
Evening 17:30 – 21:30 (Last order at 21:00)
Closed: Sundays and public holidays
Capacity: 50 seats, 40 tsubo(132.23sqm)
Ginza Natsuno, EC & International Customer Service, Minemura
Ginza Natsuno
EC & International Customer Representative,
Editorial Postscript
We are extremely pleased that Nanban Ginentei’s dishes are being served with Natsuno chopsticks. We hope everyone can experience the joy of eating Western cuisine with chopsticks.