What is “makadeki”?
Makadeki” is an unfamiliar term. Originally, it was the employee cafeteria of an IT company (a small company with less than 30 employees), and when lunch was ready, the person in charge of cooking (since the offices were spread out over two locations) would announce over the chat room that “makaki de makareki” was ready. The name was shortened to “makadeki” and was used in the past.
Why a set meal with lots of vegetables?
Since many of the employees were young, the management was concerned about their eating habits and wanted them to eat a lot of vegetables at least for lunch, since they were likely to eat carbohydrates and meat most of the time. This is still the case today.
Why one lunch menu?
A typical restaurant has a fixed menu throughout the year and needs to obtain and store ingredients without regard to the convenience of nature. However, this method inevitably results in a certain amount of food waste. It also requires a certain amount of compromise in using the freshest ingredients.
On the other hand, at Makade Restaurant, we try to use fresh local vegetables as much as possible, based on the idea that seasonal produce is good for the body because it is rich in nutrients that the body needs/needs during that season. You can get a lot of seasonal produce. Some years we have a good harvest, and some years we have a larger crop than usual. (Maybe the reason for the good harvest is that the human body needs them too!)
However, even if you have a lot of food, you will get bored with the same menu every time. This is where the wisdom of mankind in the form of recipes and the skill of the chef come into play. At Makade Diner, we use various methods to create a menu that you will never get bored of.
Instead of deciding what you want to eat based on your mood at the time, we offer a menu based on nature’s bounty, which is the Makade Shokudo style. We believe it offers the following advantages
- You can eat a lot of delicious seasonal vegetables without getting tired of them.
- Quality ingredients at a great price.
- Eat lots of seasonal foods to stay healthy!
- Feel a sense of the seasons that is difficult to feel in the city.
- Less waste loss because the menu is decided in close cooperation with the production area and nature.
- Outdoor products have a lower environmental impact than greenhouse products.
About the Chef
In a normal restaurant with a fixed menu, in other words, what the cook makes is predetermined. Except when devising the menu, the cook does not need to be creative in such restaurants.
Makade Diner is different. We assemble the day’s menu from the ingredients in front of us, so we have to be very creative and keep our heads on a swivel from morning to morning. It requires a lot of skill and experience, and you have to be a person who really likes cooking. Eating a set meal at Makade Diner with this in mind may make it taste even better.
Commitment to Ingredients and Seasonings
Most of the ingredients, mainly vegetables, are purchased directly from farmers, producer groups, and direct sales outlets selected by the owner, who lives in Kamiyama-cho, Tokushima Prefecture, and sent to Tokyo several times a week in the freshest possible condition. The owner of the diner, who resides in Jinzanmachi, Tokushima Prefecture, selects vegetables directly from farmers, growers’ associations, and direct sales outlets, and sends them to Tokyo several times a week in fresh condition. Of course, the vegetables are from farmers who are particular about organic farming, using no pesticides during the growing season, and natural farming methods. Seasonings are also chosen from traditional methods, which are not only additive-free but also made with a lot of time and effort.
History
Initially a closed cafeteria for employees and related parties only, it began general business in February 2014. During the course of its operation, the management company was changed (management remained the same), and the restaurant was renovated, but as of March 2022, it has been in operation for over 8 years. There have been some changes in style, but the “set meal style lunch with lots of vegetables” has remained the same.
