Wakako Zake - Season 5

First aired: 4/7/2020 12 episodes

Episodes

1. Oyster Hut in Tsukiji

Aired: 4/7/2020

Wakako (Takeda Rina) and her friends get excited when they see a photo of Mii-san's (Yamada Kinuo) daughter in the office. After hearing Chief Okada's (Shiotsuka Kohei) words, "We have to make the most of this time," she goes alone to an oyster shack in Tsukiji. Wakako spots the familiar Ganganyaki on the menu and orders it right away. She opens and eats, eats and opens again, enjoying the pleasure of the moment. However, after a while, Wakako is busy at work and feels tense and tired, so she goes to her familiar Oraku. There, she hears a conversation between the head chef (Nozoe Yoshihiro) and a regular customer (LaSalle Ishii)...

2. Immerse yourself in Chinese cuisine with Shaoxing wine

Aired: 4/14/2020

Lunch break. Chinese bento from a recently opened bento shop is popular in Wakako's (Takeda Rina) office. Newcomer Kuramoto (Niwa Norimoto) has been coming for three days in a row. Eating her homemade bento, Wakako listens to the conversation of Chief Okada (Shiotsuka Kohei) and others, and her mind is completely filled with Chinese food. On her way home from work, Wakako spots a sign for a Chinese home-cooking restaurant and decides to go in. The customer next to her is eating delicious-looking dumplings with wings. Suppressing her excitement, she orders pickled mustard greens and enjoys the fizz with Shaoxing wine and soda. The next day, despite having gone in for a Chinese meal, Wakako goes to buy a Chinese bento, but Chief Okada and his team get there first, and it's sold out, so she can't buy one. Chief Okada feels sorry for her and asks her for some recommended restaurants in Takadanobaba...

3. Excellent minced meat cutlet

Aired: 4/21/2020

Wakako (Takeda Rina) is on her way home after making a delivery for Chief Okada (Shiotsuka Kohei) when she finds a nice-looking Western restaurant and decides to go in. She has a vegetable salad and drinks a wine spritzer recommended by the owner. Her eye is caught by the restaurant's specialty minced cutlet on the blackboard. Just then, the minced cutlet ordered by the couple next to her arrives. Though surprised by its size, Wakako also orders one. On her way home, feeling energized for the next day by the happiness of eating delicious food, Wakako spots a sign for "Touya Sakadokoro" and comes back another day. It is a restaurant serving Kyushu cuisine, and the conversation between the manager and part-time staff is amusing...

4. Everyone loves teppanyaki

Aired: 4/28/2020

It seems that Chief Okada (Shiotsuka Kohei) has bought a new hot plate at home. As Wakako (Takeda Rina) listens to him boasting about recreating the sound of meat being grilled, her head is filled with images of meat sizzling. Before she knows it, she has the iron in her hand... Naturally, she looks for a teppanyaki restaurant on her way home, but whenever she looks, she can't find one. Finally, she spots a Hiroshima Yaki sign and bravely goes in. The restaurant, decorated with Carp merchandise, is run by the proprietress alone. Wakako, who is concerned about calories, orders a tofu steak and draft beer. As she sips the draft beer, she watches the tofu being grilled right in front of her with skillful skill with the iron. And then...

5. Enjoy a drink with some tempura

Aired: 5/5/2020

Abe-chan (Watanabe Mizuki) is wondering what to take her parents to eat when they come to Tokyo, and is discussing this with Mii-san (Yamada Kinuwo) and Wakako (Takeda Rina). As Wakako is talking, her mind is completely on tempura, and on her next day off, while walking around town, she comes across a casual stand-up tempura restaurant and decides to go in. Attracted by the unusual daikon radish and avocado, Wakako eats with a bottle of Akaboshi beer. The freshly fried tempura goes perfectly with the cold beer. Wakako is so pleased that she decides to order one more dish, seasoned egg tempura. But what should she pair it with...?

6. Wakao Public Bar

Aired: 5/12/2020

New employee Kuramoto (Niwa Norio) makes a mistake. Wakako (Takeda Rina) scolds him in an unusually strict tone. After being reprimanded by Mii-san (Yamada Kinuo) and the others, Kuramoto leaves the office feeling frustrated, but comes to a pub to cheer himself up. The bar is cozy and welcoming, with the taciturn owner Wakao (Takeda Tetsuya) and part-time employee Hatchan (Iida Yuma). Kuramoto orders asparagus with butter, soy sauce and wasabi, and when he asks what cold sake would go well with it, the owner Wakao recommends Shizenkyo. At that moment, a salaryman (Adachi Tomomitsu) arrives with a junior colleague (Honda Kyoya). Wakako overhears their conversation. Then Wakao...

7. Cheers with Beer from Around the World

Aired: 5/19/2020

When Wakako (Takeda Rina) answers the phone, she hears English being spoken. Flustered, Wakako passes the phone to Mii-san (Yamada Kinuo). Mii-san is also unable to answer, so passes it on to Chief Okada (Shiotsuka Kohei). In the end, Abe-chan (Watanabe Mizuki), who has passed the Eiken Grade 2 exam, takes over and everything is fine. Wakako is completely impressed. While walking around, thinking that she too must become more international, she spots an American hamburger shop. Deciding that this is also the first step towards internationalization, she bravely enters the country. She orders a grilled pineapple burger with an American craft beer recommended by the waiter...

8. Nankotsu Skewer

Aired: 5/26/2020

Wakako (Takeda Rina), who visited an art museum in Ueno on her day off, comes across a rare lotus root restaurant in Ameyoko and decides to go in. The female waitress (Hayashida Mari) is friendly and Wakako enjoys the lotus root dish and shochu water. The next day, when she is talking about it with Abe-chan (Watanabe Mizuki) at the office, Hasegawa (Sakoi Takayuki) is heard scolding Kuramoto (Niwa Norimoto). Chief Okada (Shiotsu Kohei), who is watching, warns her to be careful with everything she does. Having been told off for her chatter, Wakako reflects on her actions and...

9. A Toast at a Nice Bar

Aired: 6/2/2020

Wakako (Rina Takeda) comes to Kitasenju to explore new places after her junior colleague Ito (Shinya Hasegawa) asks her to recommend a place to go on a date with her girlfriend, which has recently become a bit stale. She finds a nice bar in an alleyway and goes in. Wakako is fascinated by the log of prosciutto sitting on the counter, but she orders a Spanish omelette and a glass of white house wine. And then...

10. To the Mountains of Kamakura, Pu-shu~♪

Aired: 6/9/2020

Wakako (Takeda Rina) comes to Kamakura with beer and snacks to go on a little mountain climbing, and heads to the Genjiyama hiking course. Just as she begins to regret wearing a skirt and taking it lightly, she reaches the summit, where there is a statue of Yoritomo, panting. Finding a bench in the best spot to get a panoramic view of the city of Kamakura and the sea, Wakako immediately decides to treat herself. She takes out some chilled beer and kakinotane from her cooling bag...

11. My first game dish

Aired: 6/16/2020

Wakako (Takeda Rina) feels a little rich after receiving a convenience store coupon from Abe-chan (Watanabe Mizuki) that expires today, and decides to go into a game restaurant that she has been interested in for a while. Rabbit, wild boar, duck... While she is looking at the menu and wondering what to get, a man who appears to be a regular customer (Otsuki Shuji) comes in and orders grilled Ezo deer. Wakako also follows suit and orders Ezo deer, and when she asks the waiter (Takayama Takehisa) what hot sake to pair with it, he recommends a sake called Gibier. Then, venison is placed on the hearth in front of her...

12. Exceptional Fugu Sashimi

Aired: 6/23/2020

It's busy season. Wakako (Takeda Rina), who has been working day and night without time to go out for drinks, makes a reservation and goes out to enjoy fugu sashimi, since it's a day off and after payday. After ordering fugu skin ponzu and fugu sashimi, Wakako asks the waiter what sake to pair it with, and he recommends "Hakurakusei" from Miyagi, which is said to be the ultimate sake to drink with food. After enjoying the natural tiger fugu with lukewarm and hot sake, Wakako regains her energy and overcomes the most difficult part of work. The feeling of accomplishment makes her tiredness feel good. On days like these, she is drawn to the lights of a bar. When she passes through the familiar noren, she is warmly welcomed by the usual members, including the head chef (Nozoe Yoshihiro)...