20 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM other local sushi chefs whose circumstances prevented them from making their own pilgrimages to the cuisine’s birthplace. Discover his innovative solution in my story. (Page 69) This month, you’ll meet some other people who were inspired by their travels, from Woodsider Kevin Harvey’s persistence in crafting local pinot noirs on par with those of France’s Burgundy region (Page 74) to a Hillsborough remodeling project that draws on influences from both Paris and Texas. (Page 83) Coastside fiber artist Birgitta Bower offers her wooly take on gorgeous scenery that’s closer to home (Page 88) while our short list of lakeside hiking routes invites you to experience beautiful vistas firsthand. (Page 52) When it comes to scenery, we can all agree that it’s hard to beat Big Sur. Senior Editor Johanna Harlow explores how to make the most of a stay at the iconic Post Ranch Inn. (Page 45) Art is top of mind for several Peninsulans featured in our September issue, despite their early careers in the tech world. Atherton’s Komal Shah is a passionate collector on a mission to raise the profile of overlooked and underappreciated contemporary artists. (Page 31) Friends Tom Zarzueta and John Avilla followed their muse and created Redwood City’s Sound Union, a welcoming new space for the musically inclined to band together and make some noise. (Page 100) Summer may soon fade into fall, but September’s adventures await! Andrea Gemmet andrea@punchmonthly.com {editor’s note} My frame of reference for Japanese food didn’t expand much beyond Top Ramen and teriyaki chicken. I’d never heard of soba noodles and if Redwood City had an authentic ramen shop in those days, my family didn’t know about it. Expanding my palate to try sushi was a bridge too far for this picky young eater. That’s not to say I wasn’t delighted by the place. Japan in the 1980s felt like a tween’s fever dream, from the familiar face of Hello Kitty peering from the side of the big Sanrio building to the incredible variety of sidewalk vending machines. Plus chewing gum in flavors I’d never imagined. (Blueberry! Melon! Strawberry!) Unable to read Japanese, servers would have us point to what we wanted in restaurant display cases, where every dish on the menu was realistically replicated in plastic. Nibbling on crunchy Pocky Sticks and tiny mushroom-shaped crackers with milk chocolate caps as the Shinkansen bullet train hurtled me north toward my friend’s house, I might not have been well-nourished, but I was in no danger of going hungry. Regrets? Yeah, I’ve got a few. While that trip sparked a lifelong love of travel, sometimes it’s hard to see past all the missed opportunities. Over the subsequent decades, I’ve relished some of the best Japanese food the West Coast and Hawaii have to offer. I’d love a chance to eat my way around Japan, and see the country through slightly savvier adult eyes. I thought about this when talking with Adam Tortosa, the chef/owner of modern Japanese omakase restaurant Robin Menlo Park. He was a devotee of sushi long before he took his first trip to Japan— which got him thinking about The first time I confronted a plate of raw fish, I was in Tokyo, a brand-new passport tucked alongside packs of bubblegum and traveler’s checks in my faux-leather purse. I eyed the glistening pink sashimi suspiciously and opted instead for a bowl of rice topped with something that was fully cooked. It’s possible the word “eww!” escaped my mouth. The way I figured, I’d already been pretty adventurous for an 11-year-old. I’d just kissed my parents goodbye at SFO and flown halfway around the world to stay with my best friend and her family who were living in Japan for two years. I’d never left the country before and I’d never been on a plane by myself.
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