Wooing you with sake
Last night was the busiest night ever. At the end of the night, when our rice was already running low, Miho brought the gang after her gig at Tonic, returning to the site of 'curry incident.' (She even called it 'the legend'.) So I got to take a picture with her. Since we're not in Time Out this week, peace finally seemed to return to SOY. We recieved the first sake shipment tonight. Now added to the menu to compliment our amazing food: Zuichou, Kurosawa, and Kudoki Jozuor, 'Wooing Expert.' Love that name!
on march 31, 2006 @ 02:35 am [link]
| March 2006 | ||||||
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
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| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
soy diary
Spring has come
"You're in Tme Out!" Kathy brought me the page on Thursday. We're on Mr. TONY's 100 list again. No wonder we've been so extra busy this week. We were raided by Sake drinkers who brought in many bottles of their drink, ate very little, occupied entire table area, partied loudly and left lousy tip. Just a day late I finally picked up the liquor license and ran out to get some beer. I'll be getting some nice selections of sake next week. Tonight was extra lively and I accidently poured hot coffee on a customer's pants, which was the second worst accident after I spilled curry on a cute pink coat of Miho Hatori. But except that, most of the new customer who found SOY seemed extra happy. Again, we ran out of all our amazing gyozas, treasure sacks, and nikujaga. Over an hour before the closing we were out of rice, too. It was our busiest week ever. It feels like spring.
on march 26, 2006 @ 01:06 am [link]
"You're in Tme Out!" Kathy brought me the page on Thursday. We're on Mr. TONY's 100 list again. No wonder we've been so extra busy this week. We were raided by Sake drinkers who brought in many bottles of their drink, ate very little, occupied entire table area, partied loudly and left lousy tip. Just a day late I finally picked up the liquor license and ran out to get some beer. I'll be getting some nice selections of sake next week. Tonight was extra lively and I accidently poured hot coffee on a customer's pants, which was the second worst accident after I spilled curry on a cute pink coat of Miho Hatori. But except that, most of the new customer who found SOY seemed extra happy. Again, we ran out of all our amazing gyozas, treasure sacks, and nikujaga. Over an hour before the closing we were out of rice, too. It was our busiest week ever. It feels like spring.
on march 26, 2006 @ 01:06 am [link]
Jo Jo the bike
At the end of the busy night, we realized that our purple delivery bike was disappeared from the pole in front of the store. This one didn't last very long; since last September. This happened right after I had its brakes repaired. I once had very old beaten-up delivery bike stolen after more major 50-dollar repair. It's kind of ironic since last year there was a all-right looking bike unchained (really!) standing against the pole for a month or so. So this morning I had to run to Frank's bike shop and find the next incarnation of SOY delivery bike. The cheapest bike was the appropriately green light little bike. I brought her home and named her Jo Jo. I don't know why.
on march 22, 2006 @ 02:13 am [link]
At the end of the busy night, we realized that our purple delivery bike was disappeared from the pole in front of the store. This one didn't last very long; since last September. This happened right after I had its brakes repaired. I once had very old beaten-up delivery bike stolen after more major 50-dollar repair. It's kind of ironic since last year there was a all-right looking bike unchained (really!) standing against the pole for a month or so. So this morning I had to run to Frank's bike shop and find the next incarnation of SOY delivery bike. The cheapest bike was the appropriately green light little bike. I brought her home and named her Jo Jo. I don't know why.
on march 22, 2006 @ 02:13 am [link]
It was just a dream
The other day Orly was telling me about her dream she had before her wedding last year. During the ceremony in her dream she realized that she forgot to get Jed's ring. Now her son Guy's Bar Mitzvah approaching, she dreamt of the day. The ceremony went fine, but when they went to the reception room, there was no food. "Shoot, I forgot to call Etsko!!" But I won't forget. I'll be catering the party with my soy feast. That night, I had a dream about running a marathon. When I got to the start line, I realized that I forgot my shoes!! I was shoeless. I stared at my feet bearing just socks. But this was a foreign city and I didn't really know who to call to bring me shoes. That was a nightmare. When I told Kathy the story tonight, she said, "Did I tell you about my dream of getting a kitten with a shell like a turtle? I was worried that the kitten would outgrow the shell and I didn't know what to do!" "If it's a turtle, Kathy, the shell grows with the turtle." She didn't know that. It was good to laugh about our nightmare.
on march 15, 2006 @ 12:25 am [link]
The other day Orly was telling me about her dream she had before her wedding last year. During the ceremony in her dream she realized that she forgot to get Jed's ring. Now her son Guy's Bar Mitzvah approaching, she dreamt of the day. The ceremony went fine, but when they went to the reception room, there was no food. "Shoot, I forgot to call Etsko!!" But I won't forget. I'll be catering the party with my soy feast. That night, I had a dream about running a marathon. When I got to the start line, I realized that I forgot my shoes!! I was shoeless. I stared at my feet bearing just socks. But this was a foreign city and I didn't really know who to call to bring me shoes. That was a nightmare. When I told Kathy the story tonight, she said, "Did I tell you about my dream of getting a kitten with a shell like a turtle? I was worried that the kitten would outgrow the shell and I didn't know what to do!" "If it's a turtle, Kathy, the shell grows with the turtle." She didn't know that. It was good to laugh about our nightmare.
on march 15, 2006 @ 12:25 am [link]
It was a pretty busy week for us, with all new staff at SOY. I brew the fuse twise on Saturday afternoon in my apartment. I wasn't doing anything unsual, just making my breakfast! Was it so bad?
I just watched Grizzly Man by Herzog. What a fascinating film. A man and his obsession. He wanted to be a bear. He was lonely. He was crazy. We're all crazy because we have our obsessions. I just thought it was so beautiful and sad that he died for his obsession.
on march 13, 2006 @ 01:06 am [link]
It's not like I'm really enjoying the pain
At 36 I'm finally beginning to feel kind of old. Stiff shoulders. Lower back pain. Maybe I'm overworked. Stress. Travelling was fun but added different kind of stress. Maybe I'm not working out enough. So this morning I went to take yet another abuse from a massage therapist uptown. He was good; he really dug into my tender spots and made me scream. Maybe I'm just getting old.
A quiet afternoon. My lunch help never showed up. Crazy Luis had to turn off water for a repair. I said, great, I can't do anything. But he turned it back on in only 15 minutes. My break was over. Chaotic dinner time. My new help Momo handled it very well. Kathy brought me a BAM program, which featured SOY among the great dumpling restaurants in NYC. Is that why we've been selling so much dumplings these days? Welcome to SOY, the house of the greatest homemade gyoza dumplings. After serving the last big party of 9, the bottom of my feet were achy, but over all my body was feeling good. Massage is a strange kind of treat.
on march 10, 2006 @ 01:25 am [link]
At 36 I'm finally beginning to feel kind of old. Stiff shoulders. Lower back pain. Maybe I'm overworked. Stress. Travelling was fun but added different kind of stress. Maybe I'm not working out enough. So this morning I went to take yet another abuse from a massage therapist uptown. He was good; he really dug into my tender spots and made me scream. Maybe I'm just getting old.
A quiet afternoon. My lunch help never showed up. Crazy Luis had to turn off water for a repair. I said, great, I can't do anything. But he turned it back on in only 15 minutes. My break was over. Chaotic dinner time. My new help Momo handled it very well. Kathy brought me a BAM program, which featured SOY among the great dumpling restaurants in NYC. Is that why we've been selling so much dumplings these days? Welcome to SOY, the house of the greatest homemade gyoza dumplings. After serving the last big party of 9, the bottom of my feet were achy, but over all my body was feeling good. Massage is a strange kind of treat.
on march 10, 2006 @ 01:25 am [link]
Keep your teeth clean.
Yesterday morning, I had yet another torture session at periodontist. Dr. Berger walked into our little chamber and sternly said, "Today will be a little different." "Is it going to be better?" I hoped. He just repeated, "It's different." Then he began to scrape around my still sensitive teeth from all the gum surgery I endured in the last six months. I hope some day we really don't have to have teeth. We can perhaps use 'disposable daily wear teeth.' In the meantime, I have to look forward to this every three months. After half an hour, I was exhausted, and the entire back of my shirt was wet from sweat. Boy, what we have to go through to keep our teeth!
I was riding my bicycle for my morning shopping routine and thought about my friend Nuria in Barcelona as I crossed some intersection. She said one of the changes in NY that struck her upon returning to New York since she left was Walk/Don't Walk sign turning into the big red hand to stop you in the name of love and AOL guy. I told her that in my neighborhood some artists dressed the AOL guy in a blue suit and a hat, or crossdressed him in a red dress. "Only in New York," she laughed. I should take some pictures and send it to her.
on march 9, 2006 @ 12:12 am [link]
Yesterday morning, I had yet another torture session at periodontist. Dr. Berger walked into our little chamber and sternly said, "Today will be a little different." "Is it going to be better?" I hoped. He just repeated, "It's different." Then he began to scrape around my still sensitive teeth from all the gum surgery I endured in the last six months. I hope some day we really don't have to have teeth. We can perhaps use 'disposable daily wear teeth.' In the meantime, I have to look forward to this every three months. After half an hour, I was exhausted, and the entire back of my shirt was wet from sweat. Boy, what we have to go through to keep our teeth!
I was riding my bicycle for my morning shopping routine and thought about my friend Nuria in Barcelona as I crossed some intersection. She said one of the changes in NY that struck her upon returning to New York since she left was Walk/Don't Walk sign turning into the big red hand to stop you in the name of love and AOL guy. I told her that in my neighborhood some artists dressed the AOL guy in a blue suit and a hat, or crossdressed him in a red dress. "Only in New York," she laughed. I should take some pictures and send it to her.
on march 9, 2006 @ 12:12 am [link]
It's been already a week since I was visiting Gaudi monuments, snapping photos at every corner, drinking Spanish wine over tapas, running on the hill overlooking the city of Barcelona. It was a short but wonderful trip. It was also a great reunion with my friends Nuria and Gisela. Their hairy son Felix the dog also welcomed me. My short three-day stay was filled with 'incredible,' which is also Gisela's favorite word. Gaudi's unfinished passion, Sagrada Familia was just breathtaking. Gray sky and drizzling rain even added some effects to my impression of the immense building. 
I was hooked to Catalan tomato bread, with smeared tomato, olive oil, and salt, and have been trying to re-create it here since I got back but I haven't found the right tomato to make it. So instead I'm enjoying my bagel with cream cheese and tomato. Here's my lovely hostesses and Felix who likes to smell evey tree and every bush he comes across. I brought back with me 500 pictures, two bottles of Rioja wine, three unsent postcards, and a wonderful memory of a little excursion. Because I hardly ever leave, it felt like I was gone for two weeks when I came back. Although NYC is a lot more colder and chaotic, it was nice to be back. This afternoon I attended the Restaurant show at Javits Center, which was filled with super-sized people. Really. People in the food service industry are generally larger. I sampled too much little goodies myself, I had to go running when I got home. It was beatiful dusk by the East River.
on march 5, 2006 @ 10:01 pm [link]