Shinya Shokudo - Tokyo Stories Season 2 (2019)

3 reasons to watch Midnight Diner - (1) People watching (2) food porn (3) touching stories

Midnight diner Tokyo Stories Season 2 is a continuation of a people watching food porn series. Consisting of 10 episodes of roughly 20 minutes each, every week we are introduced to specific patrons of Master's Midnight Diner, each with a favorite dish, and each with their own story. This is the 5th season of the show and the emotional stakes seem to have been really stepped up this time!

I've stated to a few people that Midnight Diner is the Feels with Food show, as it seemed the goal of every episode is to make me cry. This season might have been the best at tugging at my heart strings. So many feels. It started with the game designer who was left at an orphanage ... meeting his mother at the Diner, the frustration of the horoscope (ouch, you'd be crazy not to sympathize with the guy), Marilyn's old teacher with old age problems, the adult model episode made me MAD enough to throw a cushion at the guy on the TV Screen, Kimono Instructor with sexy mystique (you can't TEACH that skill, whatever it is she has it).

The most touching story was probably the one about the film director as it gave one of the Diner's regulars a fantastic back story (pass the tissues), AND it also had a cameo by one of the recurring characters in his continuing adventures, a character who already has his own tragic back story, but I hope to see more of his story further fleshed out in future episodes. The acting in that episode is spectacular, it actually transported me back to my youth as those kind of movies were what I grew up on. Ah, Nostalgia achieved!

The food as usual, is mouth-wateringly spectacular. The look good enough to make me drool in real life, and CRAVE the food. Especially the Fried Chicken Wings, Curry Ramen and Crab Soba. More than once I started looking up where to order the dishes that Master cooks. Some are easier to find than others, but KFC is not exactly going to taste like the fried chicken wings that Master prepares. Alas, none of my nearby stores even have the more exotic ones on the menu!! After browsing a few recipes online I realized I might not be a good enough cook to attempt those (no way is hand made Soba or Udon happening and I don't know if I could do the cheese chicken cutlet), although I have succeeded in some of the simpler dishes from previous seasons (potato salad, karaage, egg sandwiches).

Watch this show for emotional catharsis, and to further your food cravings and perhaps future food preparation adventures. Oyah!

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