Matsuri in Ljubljana

For the fourth day in a row, I try something new on the way to physical therapy. This time it was Matsuri place – the name of a cultural festival in Japan (11 a.m.-7 p.m., phone: 070 333 311), Japanese fast food in the underpass of the train station. A Japanese chef and a Slovenian waiter who speaks Japanese. They have 3 tables in front.

The menu has only a few items. The base is a snack from Osaka, Takoyaki – wheat dough dumplings stuffed with octopus, covered in soy sauce, and baked in special molds, sprinkled with dried tuna leaves, mayonnaise and spring onions. There are two more options, one with cheese and the other with octopus and cheese. Another option is Karaage – fried marinated chicken. The last dish on the menu is Sumashijru – seaweed soup. For drinks, their own tea and beer are options.

The waiter kindly explains the offer to me and I ordered everything: Takoyaki with octopus/cheese with spring onions, and I got soup for free and breaded chicken. I soon got the soup (€3) in a cup, I drank it slowly and picked with toothpick algae. A few minutes later I got a chicken, 2 pieces. It’s not bad, but it’s a really small portion. At the end comes Takoyaki, 8 pieces. The waiter warns me that they are hot. They have an interesting texture, the taste is not bad either and they are really hot.

When I eat everything, I was quite full, but a single dish would not be enough. I paid €11 for 3 dishes. Interesting experience, different cuisine, I will try it again sometime.