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Tradition demands a teahouse structure to have a very low entrance, to compel those who enter to bow and for the samurai to take off their swords. This would allow enemies to sit together in one place. Only small talk was allowed, for instance, how the tea or cups were made or the smell of flowers.
At Otafuku, one can be quickly served delicious squid balls. (By Nadia Ghattas/The Epoch Times)
Thirty years later, Yagi has single-handedly and successfully managed to bring the taste of all of Japan into an area of two blocks in New York’s East Village (ninth and 10th streets), creating 11 traditional Japanese eating places.
His establishments were the first sushi and sashimi restaurants in New York City, Hasaki and Choshi. then on to Shabu-Tatsu, Shabu-Shabu, a sake bar, to Decibel, Sakagura (43rd Street), Soba-ya, specializing in soba, buckwheat noodles, a traditional Japanese version of Chinese wheat noodles, and the fast food stand specializing in Takoyaki—octopus balls—and the not to be forgotten Ramen place, RaiRaiKen, on 10th Street.
At Rai Rai Ken, you can get ramen, Japan's iconic dish: hearty, healthy, and satisfying. (By Nadia Ghattas/The Epoch Times)
One of his most recent additions is a casual and contemporary-style Japanese curry, Curry-Ya, serving superb curry that took Yagi at least six months to master.
Another recent addition is Robataya, which takes diners back to an earlier era of food preparation served hibachi-grill style, prepared from the freshest ingredients, some of which are flown in from Japan.
As I listened to Yagi’s stories, I wished time would stop, even for an extra hour or so, to learn more about him and his meticulous work and the food traditions of Japan, but time as we all know won’t stop…it is a commodity we cannot waste. It was time to leave.
He graciously escorted me out of the Cha-An, onto the street. As I stood there, I truly felt that I was once again on the back streets of Tokyo.
