@HOOfan_1 Not likely, but if it was it would be an interesting twist. @DTonin@Crookshanks Considering Shiori's spending habits, it definitely would have been an expensive restaurant. Minoru even says "Let's go to an affordable restaurant today."
But it isn't always invite-only for a restaurant with no signboard; sometimes they are open to the public, but supported mostly by a small loyal customer base that only tells select friends via careful word-of-mouth.
When I was still a broke and hungry student about to graduate university, I wanted to treat myself to something nice to celebrate: a trip to one of my favorite kebab shops. I took a different route than usual on one of the quieter streets, and I saw an Asian couple walk out from this unmarked door with only a simple noren hung in front of it. The door didn't lock behind them, so I wondered... can I go in?
I pushed the fabric aside and opened the thick and heavy wood door wide enough to slip in. I had walked into a semi-lively, softly lit Japanese restaurant with a medium-sized sushi counter (probably sat 8-10 people at most?). A shallow bamboo basket with the offerings of the day (prepared slabs of fish, various cleaned shellfish), ready to be made into sushi and sashimi, resting on the corner and visible when you walked in. A few Japanese families with their kids and babies and other parties of two or four filled the tables. Everyone but me is speaking Japanese including the only non-Asians in the entire place, a visiting Peruvian couple that apparently lived in Japan for several years for work, chatting away with the sushi chef/owner at the counter (yours truly can't speak a lick of proper nihongo). Fortunately the waitresses spoke the local language. They greeted me, sat me at the counter, and helped me figure out my order (many pieces of nigiri sushi and a few hot dishes). The owner also spoke the local language and was very welcoming and friendly. One of the best meals of my life, and while it certainly wasn't cheap (could have bought a few weeks' of groceries instead), it felt really special being there.
In hindsight, walking into unmarked store at night was a risky move, especially with a door that thick. Fortunately it worked out that time.
Thank you so much for the chapter can't wait to read the next one πππππππππππππππππππππππππ
I wonder what an onee-san dungeon would look like lol