[Ren tilts his head up a bit, trying to remember some exact numbers since he doesn't really look into that kind of thing incredibly often.] I think it's something like fourteen million people...? It's definitely where the biggest number of people live, though there's a few pretty huge and busy cities other than just Tokyo.
[Granted, depending on exactly how long ago Shino is from, Tokyo might not even be the capital yet, but Ren hasn't been able to put an exact time period on him yet, so it might be helpful information, honestly. In any case, he says it casually enough that it's definitely just a fact of life that the city is that big in Ren's time, and it means he's never had an issue adjusting to this city in comparison.]
It's just common sense to not have the very best thing first, isn't it? Even if it's not food.
[Either way, the way Ren eats implies he's a lot more used to both this style of cuisine and this level of quality, because while he does give a pleased little hum at the flavour, he's less outright in transports of delight than Shino. He'd be disappointed if they came all this way for anything that was subpar, so as far as he's concerned, this is just to be expected.]
Though from the sound of all that, you must not be used to having stuff this good either...
[ He cannot imagine that number. Fourteen million? That was what, a quarter, a fifth of the population of the country as a whole in his time?
Incredible. (He is from a Japan where Tokyo has been the capital for sixty years or so, but truly, placing any of that is difficult and he'd not be so helpful outside of giving the name of the Emperor in his present day. ]
Might depend on who you're asking, but I can see your point.
[ Let a guy who fully enjoys his meals just enjoy, Ren, he's managing to make decent tracks even with his left hand. ]
The capital has good food, but it's different. Can't I enjoy new things as much as stuff I've tasted before?
Well, if we're talking about it in the business way. [Nobody's going to hang around if you get known for serving your best first, they're just going to get the one thing and then get going. It grabs customers better to keep them on the hook as long as possible.
Or maybe Ren's just been in business too long. Shino's attitude gets a slight hum of amusement out of him regardless.]
I mean, there's enjoying and then there's sounding like that...you must really want to give your compliments to the chef.
[Though Ren does hang around a lot of people who are a lot less prone to showing feelings like that blatantly. The closest thing he can remember recently is probably Aichi's reaction when Kai cooked for that "we just defeated a destruction god" afterparty.]
[ Meanwhile Shino, whose only brush with business was advising a bun maker on new fillings for his buns. On the one hand, not what most would expect. On the other, they'd ended up being wildly popular.
Even if it was literally Shino asking after things he knew he'd like, such as curry stuffed buns. ]
Aren't I already?
[ He asks, giving Ren a quizzical look. What else need he say other than showcasing his appreciation? That's what all the chefs he knows back home love best... hence why he looks at the chef cooking their next portion and smiles. ]
Thank you! This is incredible!
[ It's enough of a genuinely unrestrained expression that the chef, who had not been inclined to smile, blinks and offers... something that in some certain situations might be called a smile instead of a grimace. (It's in the wrinkles around their eyes.) ]
Never mind~ [Ren may have been implying some things about the reaction, but he's never the type to explain that kind of joke if the drift isn't caught anyway, so he'll just let things move on. And face down into his plate for a moment to disguise his laugh at that reaction from the chef, because that's more like the kind of emotion he's used to seeing.]
I don't know, I feel like it suits better at the end of the meal because then you can appreciate all of it, right? Or maybe that's just what I'm used to.
[Though Ren's also marginally more used to the fancy side of this kind of thing. Not that he's unused to teppanyaki or he wouldn't have suggested it, but having the chef right there the entire time isn't quite as familiar a dining style as what fancier restaurants tend to aim for.]
[ The chef's already turned their attention back to cooking, and Shino is wrangling with something slim and disinclined to stay grasped by chopsticks. It's the fifth time it's slipped out of his hold, and he's a second away from giving in and just picking it up with his fingers, since even trying to use his right hand with him holding hands with Ren would make it useless. ]
I tend to say thanks as everything comes out. If that's even what we're talking about. Oh, come on!
[ There goes that slippery bit, time number six. ]
[Ren pauses in eating to watch Shino's disaster chopstick attempts (and is quietly thankful he got his good hand, even if he is reasonably dexterous with both).]
Just lift up your plate and push it into your mouth or something, I'm sure nobody will mind. [And then he just casually proceeds to pick his own up quite easily, because dominant hands are useful like that.] Especially since it's probably pretty obvious you can't use your good hand.
[He bounces their joined hands up and down for a moment.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[Granted, depending on exactly how long ago Shino is from, Tokyo might not even be the capital yet, but Ren hasn't been able to put an exact time period on him yet, so it might be helpful information, honestly. In any case, he says it casually enough that it's definitely just a fact of life that the city is that big in Ren's time, and it means he's never had an issue adjusting to this city in comparison.]
It's just common sense to not have the very best thing first, isn't it? Even if it's not food.
[Either way, the way Ren eats implies he's a lot more used to both this style of cuisine and this level of quality, because while he does give a pleased little hum at the flavour, he's less outright in transports of delight than Shino. He'd be disappointed if they came all this way for anything that was subpar, so as far as he's concerned, this is just to be expected.]
Though from the sound of all that, you must not be used to having stuff this good either...
no subject
Incredible. (He is from a Japan where Tokyo has been the capital for sixty years or so, but truly, placing any of that is difficult and he'd not be so helpful outside of giving the name of the Emperor in his present day. ]
Might depend on who you're asking, but I can see your point.
[ Let a guy who fully enjoys his meals just enjoy, Ren, he's managing to make decent tracks even with his left hand. ]
The capital has good food, but it's different. Can't I enjoy new things as much as stuff I've tasted before?
[ He grins, and shoves more into his mouth. ]
no subject
Or maybe Ren's just been in business too long. Shino's attitude gets a slight hum of amusement out of him regardless.]
I mean, there's enjoying and then there's sounding like that...you must really want to give your compliments to the chef.
[Though Ren does hang around a lot of people who are a lot less prone to showing feelings like that blatantly. The closest thing he can remember recently is probably Aichi's reaction when Kai cooked for that "we just defeated a destruction god" afterparty.]
no subject
Even if it was literally Shino asking after things he knew he'd like, such as curry stuffed buns. ]
Aren't I already?
[ He asks, giving Ren a quizzical look. What else need he say other than showcasing his appreciation? That's what all the chefs he knows back home love best... hence why he looks at the chef cooking their next portion and smiles. ]
Thank you! This is incredible!
[ It's enough of a genuinely unrestrained expression that the chef, who had not been inclined to smile, blinks and offers... something that in some certain situations might be called a smile instead of a grimace. (It's in the wrinkles around their eyes.) ]
no subject
I don't know, I feel like it suits better at the end of the meal because then you can appreciate all of it, right? Or maybe that's just what I'm used to.
[Though Ren's also marginally more used to the fancy side of this kind of thing. Not that he's unused to teppanyaki or he wouldn't have suggested it, but having the chef right there the entire time isn't quite as familiar a dining style as what fancier restaurants tend to aim for.]
no subject
I tend to say thanks as everything comes out. If that's even what we're talking about. Oh, come on!
[ There goes that slippery bit, time number six. ]
no subject
Just lift up your plate and push it into your mouth or something, I'm sure nobody will mind. [And then he just casually proceeds to pick his own up quite easily, because dominant hands are useful like that.] Especially since it's probably pretty obvious you can't use your good hand.
[He bounces their joined hands up and down for a moment.]