Savoring Autumn in a Tiny Alley Diner

終電を気にしつつも腹が鳴るほど空いていたので、会社の近くの路地にある小さな食堂に滑り込んだ。

Shūden o ki ni shitsutsu mo hara ga naru hodo suite ita no de, kaisha no chikaku no roji ni aru chiisana shokudō ni suberikonda.

Although I was worried about the last train, I was so hungry my stomach growled, so I slipped into a small diner in an alley near the office.

暖簾をくぐると、出汁の香りがふわりと広がり、冷えた空気までやわらぐ気がした。

Noren o kuguru to, dashi no kaori ga fuwari to hirogari, hieta kūki made yawaragu ki ga shita.

As I passed under the noren curtain, the aroma of broth drifted out, and even the chilly air seemed to soften.

メニューを開けばどれも魅力的で、定食にするか季節のおすすめに乗るか、迷いに迷う。

Menyū o hirakeba dore mo miryokuteki de, teishoku ni suru ka kisetsu no osusume ni noru ka, mayoi ni mayō.

Opening the menu, everything looked tempting, and I wavered and wavered between a set meal and the seasonal special.

すると、水を運んできた店員さんが、「今日は秋刀魚が脂が乗っていて、土鍋ご飯との相性が抜群ですよ」と、耳寄りなことを教えてくれた。

Suru to, mizu o hakonde kita ten'in-san ga, "Kyō wa sanma ga abura ga notte ite, donabe gohan to no aishō ga batsugun desu yo" to, mimiyori na koto o oshiete kureta.

Then the server who brought my water told me, “The pacific saury is nice and fatty today and pairs perfectly with the clay-pot rice.”

背中を押された形で秋刀魚の塩焼き定食を頼むと、厨房からジュウという音と香ばしい匂いが、空腹に追い打ちをかける。

Senaka o osareta katachi de sanma no shioyaki teishoku o tanomu to, chūbō kara jū to iu oto to kōbashii nioi ga, kūfuku ni oiuchi o kakeru.

Nudged along, I ordered the salted-grilled saury set, and the sizzle and toasty aroma from the kitchen drove my hunger even harder.

待つ間、隣の常連らしき人が「ここは味噌汁が日替わりなんだよ」とさりげなく話しかけてきて、少し肩の力が抜けた。

Matsu aida, tonari no jōren rashiki hito ga "koko wa misoshiru ga higawari nan da yo" to sarigenaku hanashikakete kite, sukoshi kata no chikara ga nuketa.

While I waited, the person next to me, who seemed to be a regular, casually said, “The miso soup changes daily here,” which helped me relax a little.

やがて盆に乗って現れた定食は、焦げ目のついた皮が艶やかで、すだちを絞れば、ほのかな苦味が脂をきゅっと締める。

Yagate bon ni notte arawareta teishoku wa, kogeme no tsuita kawa ga tsuyayaka de, sudachi o shiboreba, honoka na nigami ga abura o kyutto shimeru.

When the set finally arrived on a tray, the charred-skin gleamed, and with a squeeze of sudachi lime, a faint bitterness tightened the richness of the fat.

一口目で、子どもの頃に父と市場で食べた焼き魚の記憶がふっとよみがえり、思わず箸が進む。

Hitokuchime de, kodomo no koro ni chichi to ichiba de tabeta yakizakana no kioku ga futto yomigaeri, omowazu hashi ga susumu.

With the first bite, memories of eating grilled fish at the market with my father as a child suddenly resurfaced, and my chopsticks moved of their own accord.

旨いだけでなく塩加減も絶妙で、漬物の酸っぱさと土鍋ご飯の甘みが、互いを引き立て合うのがたまらない。

Umai dake de naku shiokagen mo zetsumyō de, tsukemono no suppasa to donabe gohan no amami ga, tagai o hikitateau no ga tamaranai.

Not only was it delicious, but the salt was spot-on, and the sour pickles and the sweet clay-pot rice brought out each other’s best.

会計のとき、「少しお待たせしたので」と、店主が小さな柿のシャーベットをサービスしてくれ、気配りに胸が温かくなった。

Kaikei no toki, "sukoshi omatase shita no de" to, tenshu ga chiisana kaki no shābetto o sābisu shite kure, kikubari ni mune ga atatakaku natta.

At the register, the owner offered a small persimmon sorbet “for the wait,” and the thoughtfulness warmed my heart.

外に出ると夜風が心地よく、次は友人を連れて、季節が変わる頃にまた来ようと心に決めた。

Soto ni deru to yokaze ga kokochi yoku, tsugi wa yūjin o tsurete, kisetsu ga kawaru koro ni mata koyō to kokoro ni kimeta.

Stepping outside, the night breeze felt pleasant, and I decided to come again with a friend when the seasons turn.