Fukushima Restaurants (part 2)

And now, for our second featured Fukushima restaurant . . . (If you missed part 1, click here) . . .

      Gusto   ガスト

“It’s on the west side of the station, near Gusto!”  That’s the easiest way to describe to someone who lives in Fukushima where our tiny Lutheran church is located.  Everyone knows where Gusto is.  Gusto is Japan’s version of the 24-hour Perkins chain restaurant that we all went to at 2am when we were college students.  The wait staff here are very friendly, the atmosphere is busting (especially on Sunday afternoons), the air is a little smoky, the food is quite familiar to both foreigners and Japanese alike; it’s a very comfortable place.

And, quite conveniently, it’s about a 2 minute walk from Izumi Lutheran Church.  When we have visitors on Sunday morning, we go to Gusto.  When the 5 of us want to eat out together, we go to Gusto.  When people are trying to find our church for the first time, we direct them to Gusto. 

As I mentioned, Gusto is a lot like Perkins, with a few improvements:

• When you enter the restaurant, the host/ hostess hails you as お客様 “the most honorable guest”. 
• As soon as you’ve decided what you’d like, you simply press the button on the table, and within seconds a server arrives to take your order.
• If you want to order a beverage, you get the “Drink Bar” which is a self-service, all-you-can-drink bar with a variety of juices, coffees, teas, sodas, and soups!  (no more waiting for the waitstaff to refill your one beverage)
• You can order miso soup, fish, seaweed flakes, and pickled Japanese vegetables!  (Okay, I’m probably the only American here who’s thrilled about that)

The "Drink Bar" - it's pretty amazing.  I'm surprised American restaurants don't offer this . . .

Beautiful picture menus (a lot like Perkins).

What to eat?  Hmm. . . American food . . .

. . . . or Japanese food (there's something here for everyone).

Or you could always order the infamous: "Cheese in Hamburg" (no, that's not referring to the city in Germany).

 

A picture of the 5 of us (actually, SIX of us. . . I think this was Nathan's first trip to Gusto).

For more pictures of the yummy food served at Gusto, visit their website:  http://www.skylark.co.jp/gusto/menu/index.html.

Stay tuned for Restaurant Number 3 . . .

Students

She walked into the classroom for a private lesson with an air of independence beyond that of the usual high-schooler. All I knew was that she'd asked for some sessions to prepare for an upcoming trip to America...didn't know her English level, her trip details, or anything else. After 10 minutes of my introductory questions and her wide-eyed silences, I decided to jump into a lesson of basic introductions. We spoke haltingly, repeated many things several times, wrote notes of important phrases, role-played being a visitor and host, and ended with some laughter.

Language teaching is an interesting thing...4 hours were all we had together, but now I know about her family, school, likes and dislikes, fears of travel, hopes, etc. We practiced things like, "Can I take a bath instead of a shower?" and "I don't like raw onions." We giggled at silly mistakes that are bound to happen in language-learning, and I watched her dig deep one day after I admonished her to give an answer plus a comment, not just a short "Yes" or "No."

After our last lesson, she lingered in the entryway and finally just said an emphatic "Thank you!" I stood waving after her, wanting to tell her a hundred more things...to bring a jacket, because the air-conditioning in America is cold if you're not used to it...ask how big a large coffee is, before ordering it...don't be afraid of making mistakes...enjoy stepping into something new...know that whether you enjoy the new culture or not, you are allowed to have opinions...know that whether the trip feels successful or not, it has helped you grow.

Instead I just stood, feeling foolishly emotional, and prayed that God would teach her and take care of her. :) It's a gift to see glimpses into another person's heart...a gift to get to know the students.

Fukushima Restaurants (part 1)

We thought some of our friends and family who follow this blog would enjoy this somewhat lighter topic.  We’d like to share some of our favorite Fukushima restaurants that we frequent on a regular basis!  Over the next several weeks we’ll feature a different restaurant with each new post.

**Note:  This won’t be a “Top Ten” list; the restaurants will be in no particular order (such as “least favorite” to “most favorite” or something like that).  To be completely honest, Haidee and I are creatures of habit and probably haven’t even been to ten restaurants here in Fukushima. . . we stick to our favorites! 

Introducing our first featured restaurant . . . (drum roll please) . . .

元気寿司 (Genki Sushi)

If you live in Japan (or just come for a short visit), you have to take advantage of the most amazing invention in food service here in Japan:  the conveyor belt sushi bar.  回転すし (kaiten sushi) is the Japanese name for this style of sushi restaurant.  I can’t believe that this has not yet caught on in the United States.  The sushi chefs stand behind the counter (in the middle of the room) preparing sushi and placing it (served on top of tiny plates) on a conveyor belt that runs past every booth or counter where customers are seated.  All you have to do is reach out and grab it – and the sushi is yours!  (for the low, low price of one to three dollars a plate, depending on the variety of sushi)  If you don’t see what you want, you simply shout out:  “すみません!” to which the chef replies, “はい! お客様!” Then you give the chef your order and he will prepare it for you on the spot.  Sometimes, even if what I do want is cruising around the room on the conveyor belt I’ll order directly from the chef – to ensure I get a very fresh cut of sushi.  And, let’s face it, who doesn’t want to shout out “すみません!” and be addressed by the chef as the “most honorable guest.”

a view of the sushi atop little plates, cruising around the restaurant on a conveyor belt

Our students laugh at us, because they say that Genki Sushi is pretty cheap food (not as good as some of the more refined sushi places in town), but to be honest, I can’t taste the difference.  I just know that I can eat my fill of raw fish – made on the spot – served with wasabi and pickled ginger, for less than $10 (the same meal in the States would cost $40-50 easily).  Haidee and I have tried out many different sushi restaurants, but we always return to Genki Sushi.  It’s about a five minute walk from church, and the sushi chefs there know us pretty well (they have even started to offer me my favorite cuts of sushi before I order them).

Haidee reaching out for her first 'catch' of the day.

If you'd like to, you can check out the Genki Sushi website here.  There are even a few restaurants in the USA!  However, you'll have to come visit us in Japan if you want the full experience.  Here is a small list of my most frequently ordered foods (by the way, most of these are NOT found at the American restaurants):

青さ汁 (blue seaweed and miso soup)

サーモン (otherwise known as "salmon")

いくら (salmon eggs: known better in English as caviar) served with cucumber.

This sushi is made with salted fermented rice. . . and it's SOOO good!

光三枚 (Hikari San Mai - 3 shiny fish (from L to R):  Gizzard Shad, Mackerel, Anchovy)

納豆 (Natto - fermented soybeans) served with まぐろ(tuna).

Eric with a satisfied grin, after consuming 10 plates of sushi.

The waitress bows honorably to Haidee upon receiving the payment.

Check out featured Restaurant Number 2!

(NOTE - To explain the hats and winter jackets:  No, we didn't just go through a cold weather snap here in Fukushima.  These pictures were taken back in February when it was quite chilly outside.)