White Smoke

Liam in limbo. Seeing a man about a car. Like a soldier on furlough, waiting in Greenpoint. Spooning ikura into his mouth. Mind racing. Restless.

“Every minute I spend in this hotel, I grow weaker. Every minute Charlie squats in the bush, he grows stronger.”

No training like live fire. The smell of the crowd, the roar of the butane torch.

Chirashi waits for no one. Slicing fish on Thursdays. Me on snapper, Gabe on tuna. Watching Trinity scald fish skin with boiling water from the corner of my eye. Our traditions are in good hands.

That first taste of autumn. On mountaintops the aspen is already golden. I sent for some Ora king salmon to smoke. About that time. The first smell of fireplaces and precious oakwood smoking. What’s that scent you’re wearing, handsome? Ozu Saumon Fumé.

Working on a vinyl setup for Thursday nights. Legends only. Close your eyes, a clear and natural sound. Researching audio, room acoustics. Very technical. Hastening descent into madness. It’s the notes you don’t play that matter.

Hisa came by asking about the sanma hookup.

Here take one.

“No, I can’t actually.”

C’mon take it.

“I can’t.”

What are we afraid of? The taste of sanma. The kanji spells out “autumn knife fish.” A dagger blow. Fragile brain chemistry of the Japanese abroad. Butterflies in our stomachs. We have become like the Greek gods. Powerful and capricious, capable of summoning, though not invulnerable. In rolls the delivery truck. A scrap of newspaper from Tokyo: TARIFFS. Do me a favor.

In rolls the Land Cruiser.

Welcome home.

“Good to be back. John’s got you on the Century.”

Cheers.

LET’S DO…

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Niigata senbei
Japanese rice crackers, choice of black pepper, uni, squid, nori, or a mix of all 4

temaki
choice of blue crab, maguro, kanpachi namerou, or ikura

sesame miso bagna fredda
local raw vegetables with an umami-rich anchovy dip

hiyashi salad
local lettuces, radish, cucumber, sesame ginger dressing

owan
rich fish stock miso soup

white anchovy salad with shiso vinaigrette
marinated white anchovies over local greens with fresh shiso dressing

smoked salmon battera
house-smoked salmon pressed over sushi rice

scallop ceviche
raw sea scallops, sudachi, ikura, aonori

kanpachi namerou
tartare of kanpachi with white miso, ginger, shiso, over rice

mapo tofu bento
local beef and pork stewed in a spicy Sichuan sauce with tofu over Japanese rice with hiyashi salad and pickles

seared scallop bento
seared sea scallops over Japanese rice, hiyashi salad & pickles

maguro bento
raw bluefin tuna over sushi rice with hiyashi salad, pickles

chirashi
raw itoyori, saba, tuna, nodoguro, scallop, kinmedai, tai, ikura, uni over sushi rice*

basque cheesecake
yuzu coconut rice pudding
sesame miso cookie