The Time is IMA

Scene One – Interior. Japanese Canteen. Lunch.

Close up. An empty table. Two plates harboring two pairs of unused brand-new chopsticks, soy sauce in a bottle keeping them company. The atmosphere is warm, some might say beige, but not in a boring way. More like letting one bring their own nuances, anecdotes, and conversations to be held within. In a couple of minutes, a woman will enter from the point of view of the protagonist, in this case, me, with a heartfelt, welcoming smile and bring the menu and a glass of water. Ah, I love London for reminding me to drink water regularly, without the need for an app. From this point on, the protagonist of this story, who is actually me, will smile back and let the woman who is going to take their order know that it’s their third visit. The last two times they have been here, they had the pleasure of tasting almost every sushi item on the menu, which was delectable, by the way, and this time, they would go for something hot and comforting to take the edge off the winter outside. A bit self-conscşous. It’s like they're trying to cover up the embarrassment of coming to IMA and not ordering sushi.

The IMA mood.

Scene Two – Interior. A Table for One. Lunch. 10 Minutes Later.

The notorious onlooker, me again, is hungry, trying to read a book. After browsing a couple of pages impatiently, two plates enter the scene: first, five pieces of rectangular cut pan sizzled Mountain Tofu, coated with teriyaki sauce, followed by a plate of vegetable Yakiudon noodles, garnished with all the colours of vegetables. The camera follows the unused chopsticks between my thumb and index fingers, carefully taking pieces out of the plates orderly: Broccoli, tofu, noodle, cabbage; broccoli, tofu, noodle, mushroom. The soy sauce is neither poured nor touched, nor hot sauce is asked because the plates are perfect as they are.

The Teriyaki Tofu Mountain.

Scene Three – Interior. A Table for Two. Dinner. Flashback to a Couple of Weeks Ago.

A night in Exmouth Market, two people: one vegan, one non-vegan are looking for a place to have a bite after having exactly four glasses of wine (so two each) at KEN’s, before the nightcap at Morchella. The vegan, also known as me, suggests the non-vegan to have sushi at IMA. It’s right around the corner, and who would say no to sushi? The non-vegan gladly agrees. The availability is found, and they sit because it’s slightly later than dinner time in London but just right for European standards. The order is given: Mapo tofu and kimchi gyoza to start, followed by a mixed leafy salad with yuzu wasabi dressing, beetroot kissed mango tuna, and an umami vegan dragon roll. A sake to share while they are waiting. A voiceover adds: Here’s every vegan’s dream moment: sushi made from tofu, eggplant, mushrooms, avocado, corn, and daikon!

Vegetable Yakiudon Noodles. Just perfection.

Scene Four – Interior. A Table for One. Lunch. IMA (as the Place and Present Moment)

Elated, satisfied customer (yes, as you guessed, me), just before asking for a box to take the leftovers home so they can have an elegant dinner by themselves later that night in front of their favourite TV show, is looking at the content of the plates, going to the table, and coming back emptied out. The miso soup, followed by the chick’n katsu curry, the sticky aubergine unagi, the harumaki spring rolls with sweet and sour dressing—all the plates they could have had, but will order in exactly 12 days when they bring a mixture of vegetarian, flexitarian, and Japanese food-loving friends. Because what are friends for, if not sharing every item possible on the menu and using the £10 card they’ve been given that day?

The Last Scene – Exterior, Exmouth Market to Clerkenwell.

The protagonist, me, on my own, wandering into the streets of Clerkenwell. One shot espresso at Ground Control, magazine perusing and inspiration gathering at MagCulture. Later, a Negroni at around with a blast from the past.

Address: 16 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE

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