Midnight Diner. Netflix

Just finished season one of this utterly delightful series with episodes that are only 24 minutes long but filled with marvelous characters and food. The Diner in Tokyo is run by a mysterious chef with a scar down his face who opens his diner from midnight to 7 the next morning and only has three choices on his menu but will serve and make anything for a customer as long as he has the ingredients on hand. Who doesn't have seaweed laying around. The customers are all eccentric and charming and the episodes always end with a quick recipe for the dish was was served. There are wonderful details on all things Japanese which is right up my alley because I love all things Japanese. I was once nominated for a national endowment grant to go to Japan but didn't get it, a big disappointment. Most of the show takes place in the diner so don't expect a tour of Tokyo but if you want to learn how to take apart those wooden chopsticks or how to serve up those packaged Ramadan noodles in new ways then this is for you.