Year of the Rabbit

As most of you know, Matt and I love our sushi and frequent our local sushi restaurant an average of once a week. Over the last year and a half, we've gotten to know just about everyone that works there, from the dishwashers to the owner. Many nights we've been the last people in the restaurant having drinks with the owner Mr. Yung and our favorite sushi chef Ronald and listening to stories of their interesting pasts. The funny thing is that though it is a Japanese restaurant, the owner is Vietnamese, the sushi chef is Chinese, and the other staff are from a combination of both of those plus Korea and Mexico. I don't think there is one Japanese person that works there!

So, when they invited us to join them after hours last night to celebrate the Chinese New Years with the staff, their families and friends, Matt and I couldn't resist!! When we arrived at 11pm, the restaurant was a buzz with staff finishing the usual cleaning after closing the restaurnt at 10, and about 40-50 other family members and friends hanging out, talking, etc. We quickly realized one thing - we were the only white folks there and the only patrons invited! We immediately felt a bit out of our element, but also honored that we had been invited. We spent the next 3 hours eating REAL Chinese food, drinking, getting to know the staff on a more personal level, and having a great time. By the end of the night, Matt had given a speech to the group (as demanded by Mr. Yung), Mr. Yung announced us as "family" and we had cemented ourselves as Kyoto's favorite patrons! And the last part of that statement was solidified the next time we visited Kyoto and discovered that the "Jen Roll" and "Matt and Jen Roll" were permanently added to the menu!