This is a story set in the summer of 1982.

Rena (later known as Chef Rena) has become fed up with everything, and her family and friends are worried about her, but she shows no signs of getting better. During summer vacation, she receives a plane ticket to San Diego from her parents and visits her aunt's house.

 

Her aunt was a fashion leader and a big fan of America. She was also a popular, beautiful bartender who catered to the American soldiers stationed in Yokosuka. She married one of her fans and moved to the suburbs of San Diego, where the US Navy base is located. She was blessed with three children and lived a happy, if not luxurious, life.

 

This is the clear blue sky and blue sea of ​​the American West Coast. The strong sunlight and dry air wrap Rena in a refreshing and comfortable way. But every day, Rena climbs onto the roof, looks out at the street alone, and sheds tears at the setting sun.

 

The latest American hits are playing on the radio.

Homemade cookies bought at the church bazaar.

BBQ parties are held in the gardens of neighboring houses.

Rena has lunch with the Hispanic and African-American children in the neighborhood who adore her kind aunt.

Rena gradually begins to feel better.

One day, her aunt invites her on an excursion to Tijuana, Mexico, near San Diego.

Tijuana is a cheap city, so it's a great place for her aunt to shop for her family's finances.

Her aunt drives a big American-made car without air conditioning through the midsummer wilderness, gripping the wheel tightly. Dust comes in through the car windows, and Olivia Newton-John's song "Physical" plays on the car radio.

The two cross the border. Her aunt warns Rena, "We'll get shot, so close the window quickly!"

When they arrive in Tijuana, the atmosphere of the town is very lively. Mariachi and salsa music reverberates on the streets, and souvenir shops line the streets. Rena's eyes widen when she encounters a donkey loaded with luggage. The market is full of energy, with Spanish being spoken everywhere. Hanging chickens and large chunks of raw meat, colorful vegetables, edible cacti, and everyday items piled up in huge quantities that I have never seen before. The surprising scenery continues in a foreign market.

Rena has been good at cooking since she was a child and already had a repertoire of over 100 dishes at this time. What caught her eye was a bicycle food stall. Rena was interested in what an old man who seemed to be the owner of the stall made skillfully. "It's called Tacos. But you can't eat them because they will upset your stomach," her aunt warned. However, Rena sneakily eats the tacos without her aunt's eyes. She opens her mouth wide and is shocked by the taste that sparkles like a kaleidoscope. For Rena, it was a taste she had never experienced before.

After returning to Japan, Rena visits import food stores around Yokohama to make Tacos. At that time, Tacos were not yet known in Japan. She gradually buys spices and herbs. However, she couldn't find any tortillas. Rena was in trouble, but she came up with the idea of ​​using saffron rice instead of tortillas, and created an original dish called Tacos Rice (✳︎). She then served it to her family and friends.

 

A decade later, Rena has grown up and become a professional chef, working in the kitchen of CARIMELLO in Shibuya, Tokyo, as one of the founding members. The restaurant, which started with Tacos Rice, quickly became popular, but Rena, who was obsessed with the appeal of food around the world, traveled to more than 50 countries for various reasons, and evolved the restaurant into a high-end borderless restaurant.

Golden Week (Consecutive Japanese holidays from the end of April to the beginning of May) in Tokyo is sunny and the weather is like early summer. The dry air reminded Rena of her experiences in San Diego and Tijuana, and motivated her to recreate those flavors.

 

(✳︎) Tacos Rice: A dish created by Rena in the fall of 1982 based on her experience in Mexico. It was one of the most popular dishes when CARIMELLO was first established, but it is no longer served at CARIMELLO. Instead, it is supported by food at "5958 Roanoke TACOS" during Golden Week only. It is a different dish from the “taco rice” that originated in Okinawa in 1984.

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