大好きな友人、麻日奈芽実さんの還暦お祝い会が、
日本のコロナ第六波の影響で、延期になってしまった。
せっかく日程を空けていたからと、仕切り直しで別の企画。
赤坂にある隠れ家的なロケーション。
たった１年程前にオープンされたとは思えないほど、ファンの多いお店。
「和漢洋才」をコンセプトに、薬膳モダンフレンチを提供。
各地から厳選された素材を使った、身体に優しいお料理の数々に魅了される。
お料理以上の主役、そこに集まった女性陣がいろんな意味で素敵すぎた。
芽実さんの周囲には、こんなに素敵な面々が集結しているのだと改めて感動。
さらに凄いのは、一人一人について愛情たっぷりに紹介してくださる芽実さんの心遣い。
今回は地方在住の方中心で、北海道から九州まで、普段まず交流できない方々ばかり。
ニューヨークでは、新しい人に出会う機会が皆無となってしまった昨今だけれど、
日本には、まだまだこんなに素晴らしい機会が溢れていることを痛感。
人との出会いは、心に豊さを運んでくれる。
My favorite friend, Memi Asahina's 60th birthday celebration, was postponed due to the effects of the sixth wave of COVID-19 in Japan.
Since we had free time, she decided to plan something else.
The restaurant is located in a secluded area in Akasaka.
It's hard to believe that it opened only about a year ago, and it has so many fans.
Based on the concept of "Japanese, Chinese, and Western cuisine," they offer modern French cuisine with medicinal herbs.
You will be fascinated by the many gentle dishes to the body, using carefully selected ingredients from all over the world.
More than the food, the women gathered there were too wonderful in many ways.
I was again impressed by how many beautiful people had gathered around Memi.
Even more impressive was the thoughtfulness with which Memi lovingly introduced each one of them.
This time, it was mainly people who live in the provinces, from Hokkaido to Kyushu, all of whom I don't usually get to interact with.
There are no opportunities to meet new people in New York these days.
But I was keenly aware that there are still so many beautiful opportunities in Japan.
Encounters with people bring richness to my heart.
