Home Table (Nishi Toyoda 1, Fujisakicho), a garlic pasta and afternoon tea restaurant, opened near the Aeon Fujisaki store on December 26th.

The restaurant was opened by two women, Zhang Chu-chao (nicknamed Sen), a Taiwanese woman who moved to Aomori, and Sasamori Seiko, who returned to her hometown. They serve a monthly changing pasta menu using garlic, as well as afternoon tea.

Sasamori worked as a nutritionist in Aomori Prefecture, but moved to Tokyo at the age of 35 to study interior coordination. She met Sen in a share house in Tokyo. Sen has loved ninjas and samurai since childhood, and came to Japan on a working holiday in 2015. She worked as a freelance designer in Tokyo.

The two founded the design company "Kurobushi" in 2017 and launched their original garlic brand "ICHINICHIIPPEN." Sasamori, who was born into a garlic farming family, recalls, "We started this because we wanted to spread the word about 'Tokiwa Garlic' in our hometown of Fujisaki Town, Tokiwa District (formerly Tokiwa Village)."

In 2020, the couple moved to Aomori, where they worked in garlic farming and also worked in design and website production. "I never thought I'd live in a rural area of ​​Japan, but Japan is a better fit for me," says Sen.

Sasamori has experience as a nutritionist, and Sen, who had previously worked in a restaurant, had not initially considered opening a restaurant. "Because we knew that running a restaurant would be hard," said Sen. Sasamori continued, "One of the goals of our activities was to help people learn more about garlic. We had thought about opening something like a 'garlic museum' where people could enjoy the production process and cooking with garlic, but we realized that a restaurant was the best place to convey the appeal of garlic in an easy-to-understand way."

The property they found in November last year was a 2-storey residential building that was built about 30 years ago. They had been using it as a residence with an office for "Kurobushi", but this summer they started preparing to open a restaurant. "Sen and I have different personalities and upbringings, but once we decide to do something, we get along well. It's always hectic right up until the last minute though," Sasamori said with a wry smile. They didn't decide on the opening date until December. The menu wasn't even decided until right before the opening.

The store has an area of ​​182m² and seats 20. The two of them renovated the store, making use of Sasamori's experience as an interior coordinator. The store will be located in a Western-style room and a Japanese-style room on the first floor, and they paid particular attention to the lighting and tables. They were conscious of the flow of traffic, considering future uses such as for events such as home parties, cooking classes, and the manufacture of processed goods.

The lunch menu includes "Garlic First" (1,800 yen), "Taste of Home" (2,300 yen), and "Harvest Table" (2,800 yen). Each menu includes a different garlic pasta dish each month, and garlic-based dressings and breads are available. The afternoon tea menu is a set of three desserts, such as shortcake and banana kiwi roll cake, paired with a drink (1,600 yen).

Sasamori is enthusiastic, saying, "I want to make this a restaurant that people in Fujisaki can stop by to try our garlic-based dishes." Sen says, "I want people to enjoy afternoon tea in a homely atmosphere. I hope to hold events that make the most of the restaurant and become a place where we can spread the word about the appeal of garlic."

Business hours are 11:00-15:30 (lunch menu available until 13:00). Closed Sundays and Mondays.