Atelier Food: When I Need Some Comfort During a Hectic Day

 

Some days, I don’t need dinner to be interesting.

I need it to be comforting.

Atelier days can get hectic very quickly. I can be printing one order while assembling another, checking something on my laptop, looking for a tool I was holding five minutes ago, and mentally arranging the next three things I need to finish.

Eventually, I get hungry.

And when I’m already tired and surrounded by unfinished work, I tend to reach for food that feels familiar.

For me, that’s often Japanese food.

It has been one of my comfort cuisines for years. I love having several dishes in front of me rather than committing to just one: noodles, rice, something crispy, a little sushi, something savory on the side. 

That’s the Bicolana in me. I spent summers in Bicol when I was younger. Breakfast and lunch were elaborate productions. It was like a fiesta every day! And that’s why I serve my family a full table as much as possible and as much as I can. It brings back wonderful memories of food family. 

So on this particular hectic day, comfort arrived in several Botejyu containers.

My favorite sukiyaki beef yakisoba, shrimp tempura popcorn, pork tonkotsu ramen, California roll, sukiyaki beef , king crab & egg fried rice. 

These are mostly our regular orders from Botejyu. 

I didn’t like the sukiyaki. There was nothing special about it and the portion was too small. 

The tonkotsu broth was good. My son and I usually order this when it’s just us. 

The king crab & egg fried rice is a long-time favorite. I first tried it at Botejyu SM Clark and really liked it. 

There’s something lovely about eating food I already know I enjoy when the rest of my day feels busy.

I’m not looking for a culinary adventure.

I’m not analyzing dinner.

I’m just moving my chair away from the work for a while, opening the containers and eating something that makes the day feel a little softer.

Then, eventually, I go back to whatever is waiting for me in the atelier.

The orders are still there.

The printer is still printing.

There is probably something somewhere that still needs to be cut, punched, bound or packed.

But I’ve eaten.

I’ve had something I love.

And sometimes that small pocket of comfort in the middle of a hectic day is enough.

—-

I’ll set the table again soon.

Lady E
Founder, Lady E Eats
Where food becomes story, and every table holds a moment