Vol. 63, Issue 24 / June 6, 2008
The Cat is Out
By David K. Yamaguchi
The North American Post

Photo by David K. Yamaguchi

BEEN THINKING about eating at Maneki Restaurant? Now's the time. For one of the best-kept secrets of the Seattle Nikkei [ethnic Japanese] community will shortly be out of the bag. Maneki was recently selected for a 2008 James Beard Foundation award as an "American Classic" restaurant. This means that as soon as the news hits the main-street presses, it's going to get even harder to get a table there.

By way of background, a James Beard award is the equivalent of an Oscar in the restaurant world, according to owner Jean Nakayama. It is a big deal in that she will be stepping onto a red carpet at Lincoln Center, New York City, to collect the award on June 8.

Maneki-the beckoning cat-was "discovered" through the James Beard Foundation's "network of spies," according to their documentary director, who was in town in April to tape footage of Jean around the restaurant and adjoining International District. Maneki is one of only five restaurants nationally to receive the annual award.

Jean's comments, presumably to be aired during the awards program, included the following:

Her late husband [Kozo Nakayama] was the chef, but passed away 11 years ago, leaving Jean the "baton" to run the restaurant.

Maneki actually means "welcome." It comes from an old story of a lucky cat. A shogun once saw a beckoning cat, and thus got out of his carriage, just before it was struck by lightning. "Maneki" thus makes a good name for a restaurant.*

The restaurant will be 104 years old in October. It has been in its present location since shortly after World War II.

Maneki has long been a community favorite, "a meeting place to talk over food, [to discuss] business deals…, a comfortable place." It was the first to have a sushi bar in Seattle. While sushi is traditionally one-bite, Chef Nakayama introduced a larger "two-bite sushi."

"This is America," he said.

Maneki has "a lot of regulars." Jean mentioned the story of a local Nisei writer who fondly remembers coming to Maneki once a year, from Vashon Island as a child [Mary Matsuda Gruenewald of "Looking Like the Enemy"]. Separately Ms. Gruenewald explained to me that she used to come to Seattle once a year, to get her eyes checked and glasses updated. That was when she got to go to Maneki. In her mind, there is still only one Japanese restaurant in Seattle. Besides their Nikkei clientele, Maneki also has quite a few non-Japanese customers, "the tattooed, the gay…, many who have traveled to Japan."

News of Maneki mostly travels by word of mouth. Among the famous who have followed their ears to it over the years include former Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Miki, who washed dishes there while a University of Puget Sound student. Cicely Tyson came in shortly after she finishing filming "Roots" [1977]. She plays Kunta Kinte's mom in the landmark historical drama. Similarly, a young Bill Gates came in one day, about the time when Microsoft had just gone public. Not knowing who he was, longtime employee Fusae Yokoyama carded him.

Maneki's food mission is to provide traditional Japanese food at a reasonable price. The dishes are created by Jean and her kitchen staff. Some 150 items are currently on the menu.

Jean "strive[s] for authenticity of Japanese food. There is nothing wrong with [Asian] fusion, but that is for another restaurant."

Responding to the question, "How does it feel to have a Japanese-American restaurant recognized as an American classic?," Jean said "Just to be noticed is a dream come true… Japanese food has been overlooked. [There are] many types of cooking. Not many Japanese restaurants get honored. I feel grateful.

"I am still in shock. When the [JBF] woman called, I thought it was a crank call." It took chefs who come in from other restaurants to convince her that the award is real.

The thoughts of several others, invited to provide community commentary, enlarge Jean's picture:

Ms. Yokoyama, informally called "Mom," by Jean: "I have been here 50 years. The restaurant is my home. Even on days off, I come into the restaurant to eat." She is a 78-year-old grandmother.

Ken Miyake, a retired minister: "I like the efficient, courteous, well-trained waitresses. They treat me like a king."

Elaine Ko, former director of InterIm [the International District development agency): "This is a family restaurant. There is not a high mark-up. Jean is serving the community… Maneki has endured."

Please join those above and me in congratulating Jean and the staff at Maneki for a job well done. In doing so, stumped non-regulars would do well to order Elaine's favorite: the black cod.

*Other possible origins for the tradition of the good-luck cat can be found under "maneki neko" at Wikipedia.org.

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