Junbi dekita...Oishii !!

check out this picture with the specials of the week/day/month - i don't know! recognize it? yup - it is from maneki. two of my favorite people in the whole wide world run the place, jean and oka-san! and i like them because every single time i go there, they always want to chat and we always chew the fat for an extended period of time. btw, do you have a favorite resturant? sure you do but do you have one where the owner snacks with you sometime or, does he/she let you in after they close and still serve you? and does this same owner make fun of you and your idiosyncrasies in the nicest possible way? did i spell that right? anywho, jean is the bestest ever and i am here to write it out and make it public.

i went to maneki with k.fey after she suggested sushi so last friday night we went and had an exceptional dinner...the black cod was stellar...sweet and sticky black cod collar in miso, then broiled can be one of the greatest things to eat on earth. we ordered up some takoyaki and it was sooooo good! tako can be tough and it can be unyeilding but damn it, when it is done right whether in sushi form or takoyaki, it is one thing - delicous! the special tuna was blue fin and we ordered up some sashimi to get the optimal taste and it was delicate, tender and a slight firmness that lent well to the pureness of the fish. phenomenal. some spicy tuna roll, miso and kinpira and we were pretty happy. i am not sure where else i can get kinpira (gobo), crazy inexpensive black cod ($6.95!!) and many other traditional japanese items but maneki comes through every time.

and on a totally different tangent, maneki and jean remind me of so much i love about los angeles. which is maybe why i like it so much. maneki can be anywhere and it would remain the sweetest, nicest and most sought after place to dine in my eyes. i love it when people say that maneki is unorganized, bad service and uneven food but damn it, i love this place! i consider this place one of "my" places even though maneki is no secret to many seattlites yet i feel welcome there like no other place.