New SFC Faculty Club | Choichi Yoshino (Dean, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care)
2005.04.14
The theme given to me by the editor this time was "A Passion for Food," and I was also asked to briefly mention the rebirth of the new SFC Faculty Club. So, playing the part of an investigative reporter, I decided to visit the Faculty Club that the editor described as "newly reborn."
I arrived on-site at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 6, the very deadline for this article. My first impression was that it hadn't changed much. Just like before, the entrance space was rather dim and spacious, with what looked like a large potted plant.
I don't know if these kinds of mishaps are common during such assignments or if they happen often at this newly opened establishment, but the following occurred. As I was about to enter, I noticed the sign on the right of the entrance said "closed," and there was little sign of anyone inside. I briefly wondered if they opened at noon, but I still had a feeling they were in business. Mustering my courage, I went in and, surprisingly, was immediately called over to buy a meal ticket by a very pleasant-looking madam at the ticket counter. I was a bit irritated, but being a veteran past the age of sixty, I calmly replied, "But your sign says you're closed." "Oh, I'm so sorry," said the pleasant madam. Charmed by her pleasant demeanor, I flipped the sign over to "open" myself.
I then purchased a meal ticket for "Spaghetti, 850 yen" and turned right toward the table seating. As it was still early, there were only a few groups of customers inside. I freely chose a seat and sat down. The lighting was pleasantly dim. It was an unseasonably cold day, so I avoided the window seats and opted for a spot in the center of the room.
A rather petite waitress with long hair pinned up and wearing black-rimmed glasses told me, "The salad, soup, bread, and coffee are buffet-style, so please help yourself." She was also pleasant. I immediately asked, "Actually, I'm here partly for a story. How has business been?" "We just opened a week ago, so it's still hard to say," she replied. "Is it about what you expected?" "I'd say so." After this exchange, her demeanor somehow became even more pleasant.
The spaghetti was decent, the portion was a bit large, and the buffet-style bread was good. The soup appeared to be a tomato-based vegetable soup; it tasted good but was a little lukewarm. Considering the price, this buffet would be beneficial for those who don't normally eat many vegetables.
It started to get crowded after 12:00. Naturally, I saw many acquaintances. Some greeted me with, "Welcome, all the way from the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care." Not knowing my true purpose, they seemed to convey a nuance of, "This guy is awfully curious for his age, isn't he?" which I found amusing.
To summarize my investigation, I would give the new Faculty Club a passing grade overall. As for seating advice, one should avoid the area near the buffet table due to heavy foot traffic. This would also help the flow of people move more smoothly.
Regarding this new Faculty Club, Mr. Kojima wrote a little about it in the Dean's Diary entry from two times ago (4/4) . According to him, an Italian restaurant called "Tablier" has apparently taken over. I tried searching for it online but couldn't find it. After the decision was made for the previous establishment to withdraw, a committee selected from SFC faculty and staff (chaired by Jun Murai) poured their passion into selecting this new restaurant. To honor their efforts, I hope we will all use it, provide feedback as needed, and help it improve and thrive for a long time.
I've already run out of space. I've realized that this type of article really eats up the word count. Therefore, I will end this installment with just the report on the new Faculty Club. As for the original topic, "A Passion for Food," I'll pass the baton to the other members. (End)
(Date Published: 2005/04/14)