18 July 2025
The gang rotated in and out of Ozu for the massage booth out front on First Saturday. It was fucking beautiful, like ice hockey. If it messed everything up it would have been Lucie’s idea, but it didn’t so I’m taking all the credit. Visionary leadership.
Success means nothing unless you’ve been unfaithful to it. Finessed the newsletter at the counter on Friday, in the morning rush. A puzzled look from a regular customer. Doesn’t this asshole work here?
It made me feel like a kid again, writing my English essay on the way to school. A precious feeling as I near 38 years of this horse shit.
On that note I’m trying to take better care of myself. Pull-ups at El Gancho, collagen in the breakfast smoothie. If you mentioned “self-care” to my dad he’d probably think you were talking about masturbation. Just ignore your problems until they go away. Mow the lawn.
How long do I have left? I said as she worked on my troubled right hip. Laughter, then silence.
After the massage I was so relaxed I didn’t feel like writing. Like a piano with loosened strings, couldn’t pick a tune. Tragic that so much tension is required to play my little violin.
Rewatched Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. I could feel the strings tightening. That’s more like it. The crew are sick and tired of the Philip Glass soundtrack I’ve been blasting in the heat of battle. Sowwy. Poetry with a splash of blood. We’re writing that on the t-shirt.
A nice visit with Sayoko after work, one of the Japanese legends who have randomly ended up in town. Mugi cha is undefeated. Brought her some at the care center and it made her cry. That’s twice now in as many months. Heartbreaker.
It’s funny, it’s the one thing that hasn’t made me emotional. Just a refreshing summer drink. Give it time, I guess. Now whenever anyone grabs it off the shelf I get nervous. Caveat emptor.
On the way out she thanked her parents for sending me. Ganbatte ne, and we bumped fists.
Speaking of tears, about to get absolutely slotted by these tariffs. 25%. Thanks, G. But the senbei are on their way. You’re not a football manager until you’ve been fired, and you’re no unbuttoned linen shirt wearing importer/exporter until you’ve brought in a pallet of rice crackers in the middle of a trade war. There’s still hope, negotiations forthcoming. Apparently TACO is now an acronym (Trump Always Chickens Out). Rather exciting little phone call with Kyoko checking on things at the port. I think the crackers will taste extra good. The secret ingredient is anxiety.
Was very impressed with the Jeju island hirame last week. So was Nina, a taste from the home waters of her ancestral clan who once ran things on the island. A Ko girl eating fish from Jeju in Santa Fe was the reason we started this thing in the first place. I can’t accept time and space as limitations. A guy came in the other day and, looking bemused, let out a “Fish in the desert?!” and I was tempted to tell him about airplanes.
The kanpachi namerou is also really good with a bit of shiso leaf from the garden. It’s a deep cut from Chiba prefecture. If they served it at 21 it would be more popular, but they didn’t so we’re headed uphill.
The transition to table service at dinner was smoother than expected. We’ve very nearly become a proper restaurant. I watched an old tv program on high end hostess clubs in Ginza last night. Lots of staff meetings and trips to the hair salon. Dom Perignon. I’m ready for my second act as a bottle girl.
seasonal crudités with sesame miso bagna cauda
hiyashi salad
local lettuces, radish, cucumber, sesame ginger dressing
temaki
choice of blue crab, maguro, kanpachi namerou, or ikura
kyuri sunomono
vinegared cucumber and seaweed salad
calamar salad
squid poached in olive oil, marinated in yuzu & garlic, with Bread Shop baguette
kanpachi namerou
tartare of raw kanpachi*, white miso, ginger, shiso, over rice
miso butter lobster don
fresh lobster in miso butter over rice with suji aonori
scallop ceviche
raw sea scallops, sudachi, ikura, aonori
Jeju Island hirame sashimi
raw fluke* kombujime, yuzu kosho
seared scallop bento
seared sea scallops over Japanese rice, hiyashi salad & pickles
maguro bento
raw bluefin tuna over sushi rice with hiyashi salad, pickles
Hokkaido kaisendon
blue crab, ikura, smoked salmon, & scallop over sushi rice*
basque cheesecake
sesame miso cookie