Japanese restaurant soon

Press, 18 March 1982, Page 10

Japanese restaurant soon

Christchurch will soon have its first Japanese restaurant.

The owners of the Beachcomber Restaurant >5 in Sumner. Mr Russell Black and his Japanese wife. Kumiko, are converting the floor above the Hide Shop on the corner of Gloucester and Colombo Streets into a restaurant which will specialise in Japanese cuisine.

It will be called “Kurashiki" after Christchurch's sister city in Japan. The decor will reflect the old quarter of Kurashiki based on postcards and photographs of that city.

To the Japanese tourist it will seem like home awa/ from home: Patrons will be

contronted. when they step out of the lift, with a Japanese garden and piped Japanese music and will , be greeted by Kumiko wearing a formal kimono. The menu, which will be prepared by two Japanese chefs, will ’ consist of the kinds of dishes available at a modern restaurant in Japan, Mr Black said. The food would be served in the traditional Japanese style by kimono-clad waitresses. Mr Black hopes to recruit them from among the students of Japanese at the Christchurch Polytechnic.

It will be served on specially imported crockery, and eaten with chopsticks. Cutlery will, however, be

provided and patrons will not be expected to eat sitting on the floor with their shoes off, Mr Black said. The restaurant, which will be licensed and will open six nights of the week, will cater primarily for local people rather than Japanese tourists. Mr Black said.

Although the main diningroom will seat between 90 and 100 people, to encourage intimacy bookings for eight will be the largest taken. The restaurant will not be a cheap place to eat. but patrons will be able to linger over their meal because only one sitting will be taken for a table each night.

Children will not be accepted. because the food is

not suitable," Mrs Black said. Both she and her husband emphasised that Japanese food was very different from Chinese food. Seafood will feature prominently on the menu but beef, port, and chicken will also be served. The cuisine will be plain by European standards, relying on natural flavours, and will be suitable for the diet-conscious, Mr Black said. Nutritionally the Japanese diet was among the most healthy’ in the world, he said. Traditionally each person orders four or five dishes since the portions are small. It is like having four entrees by European standards." Mr Black said.