Gaijin Sushi coming to the Park Harvey

[Halfpint919]

I use to work at the Gaijin Sushi in Norman when I was going to college. So to clear up a few of the previous posts. No, Gil is not Japanese. But he did train to be a sushi chef in Japan for several years. And the reason the restaurant is called Gaijin is because that was his nickname while he was training. He was the "foreigner".

I am really excited that he is expanding his business to OKC. The Norman location, although small, did very well.

[mecarr]

it should be open by now...

[OKCMallen]

they have a permit hearing in about a week.

[KurtTGS]

I applied there today. We'll see how it goes.

[metro]

Kurt, are you saying you're the owner of Gaijin?

[mecarr]

A guy named Gil is the owner of Gaijn.

[jbrown84]

He applied to work there, metro.

[metro]

gotcha. makes sense. we were talking about them applying for a permit, and then he said he applied today, so I assumed he meant he filed for a permit with the city today.

[Chef Foy]

Hello all,

Yes, Gaijin is coming to Park & Harvey. Hopefully, 4/11 will be the opening day. Gil has a solid business plan in place and will have about 5 locales running in the area within the next year. Despite some of the pessimistic viewpoints regarding the business end, this place will cater to a crowd willing to pay for convenience and should do nicely due to the number of "high end" offices/professionals in the immediate vicinity.

Who cares if its small. If you think having a huge eatery with lots of room to hang out is profitable, then you obviously don't make a living in this industry. Get in, have your meal, and get out so the next customer can be seated. This is business.

Gaijins menu will provide a very well-rounded menu considering it is owned and managed by a "gaijin" who is well educated in this type of cuisine. I always find it funny when someone in the states, especially Oklahoma, complains about the authenticity of their cuisine. Go visit the country of origin if you want that, but if your complaining about paying $5 for a two-piece nigiri, then you should probably stick to a filet-o-fish sandwich.

Just because a sushi house is owned and operated by a Japanese family doesn't necessarily mean it's the best thing around or more "authentic". Although, I do have a fetish for the folks over at Tokyo House, I certainly don't have any misconceptions regarding the reality of their past or abilities. In other words, if you think that the Asian dude preparing your meal grew up in a rice patty learning how to play with fish his whole life and would love to do nothing else than show you what all those old, archaic lessons have taught him, then you need a wake-up call. It's 2008. Most consumers, especially in the Midwest, can't afford to be entertained by a traditionally trained sushi chef who spent at least seven years training for something that most westerners would never appreciate or pay for.

So, be happy you have some variety here in OKC and people who are willing to bring something other than tex-mex, Nonnas re-run, or another family-style i love this joint eatery to our metro. Unless your some high-flying, jetsetter who can afford to go to foreign places for "real" cuisine, and there are plenty of people in this area who think they have that kind of money(sorry Wade), then sit down, have a nice glass of wine or a $22 martini, order something you can't prepare yourself, have some laughs, and get out so the next customer can do the same. This is business.

[jbrown84]

That was a tad defensive, but I generally agree with you. I live in the Park Harvey, and although I don't care for sushi, I'm excited about Gaijin coming in. It will be great for downtown, and a hit I have no doubt.

[metro]

I know, I'm sure Gil would be pleased with such a defensive viewpoint being spewed on his behalf before his restaurant even gets off the ground.

[mecarr]

Chef Foy, why are you so angry sounding? Most if not all of us here have been very excited about Gaijin Sushi coming to downtown and are very grateful that there are urban developers out there like Gil. It seems a lot of your anger and criticism is being misdirected at us. I do hope though that Gil doesn't take your motto of "get in, eat, and get out."

[ouguy23]

You don't have to take it soo personally guys. It's just a rant

[jbrown84]

Yeah, but against what? Granted there were some comments here about not liking sushi made by white guys, but some of the stuff is out of nowhere.

[kevinpate]

On the bright side, as I don't get the appeal of this type of establishment, one canna lose me as a customer by being pompous and rude.

On the down side, I have friends who do seem to enjoy sushi. As they tend to view pompous and rude with the same distain as I, learning of the attitude expressed above may well keep them away.

Sheesh

[OKCMallen]

I love Americanized sushi. I work in Leadership. I patronized Gaijin in Norman. I plan to move into the Park Harvey when my lease is up. I stand to be a completely regular customer there. So, I have this to say-

WTH is your post dripping with derision?? I don't know whether you are involved with Gaijin downtown, but if you are, I don't even want to go now. I'm tempted to print out your post and take it into the restaurant when it's open full time to see what they think. I can take my, according to you, unrefined tastes to one of the Good Egg Group restaurants, ass. I can vote with my feet and dollars. "It's business." Just because you feel like an unappreciated sushi scholar doesn't empower you to be a condescending jerk.

[metro]

Oklahoman
Sat April 12, 2008

Sushi shop owners bring raw talent to downtown

By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer

Owners of Norman's Gaijin Sushi are invading downtown Oklahoma City with plans to open two restaurants over the next few months.
The first, at the Park Harvey Building in the Central Business District, could open as early as next week. Stephanie Schwartz, partner in the venture owned by Gil Gentry, said they had already chosen a MidTown location when they were approached about opening a second spot by owners of the Park Harvey Building, which was recently converted from offices to apartments.

"It's a beautiful location,” Schwartz said. "For the rollers, their view will be of the new library — and around the corner is the museum, and you've got the civic center down the block. It's just fabulous.”

Skeptical at first
Richard Tanenbaum, owner of the Park Harvey, said he was skeptical at first when his son Stephen suggested the sushi restaurant would be the perfect fit for the building's ground floor, corner spot.
"I don't eat sushi, but we went to Norman, and it was delicious,” Tanenbaum said.

The restaurant, Tanenbaum said, completes the transformation of the half-century-old former office building. He said the building's fitness center and men's clothing store are both doing well, and the apartments are 90 percent leased. Tanenbaum predicts the sushi restaurant will prove to be a popular after-hours gathering spot for the tower's residents.

"I think the residents will just be delighted,” Tanenbaum said. "It's great food, well priced, and it's got incredible exposure on the corner.”

Schwartz said both downtown restaurants are larger than the original in Norman, which she admits is the size of a "tiny diner.”

"We rub up against each other (in the kitchen),” Schwartz said. "We're a pretty close knit group.”


A ‘diamond in the rough'
Although the MidTown location was chosen first, it is still at least 90 days from opening. The site, at 1201 N Walker, is a former gas station with an unusual atrium that is being renovated as part of Greg Banta's MidTown Renaissance development.
Banta said the exterior and interior improvements are close to completion and the building should be ready for occupancy this summer. Like other old buildings being restored by Banta,

"Being a former gas station, it had its own challenges,” Banta said. "But it's getting there. They are diamonds in the rough.”


Who would eat there?
Schwartz said that despite the close proximity between the two new restaurants, she expects them to have different customer bases and different peak hours.
The Park Harvey location, she said, will enjoy a clientele of lawyers, judges and bankers thanks to its proximity to the Oklahoma County Courthouse and some of downtown's Class A office towers. "We're hoping to get a lot of the legal and banking community in for lunch and for those wanting a meal in a lively atmosphere.”

The MidTown restaurant, she added, will likely be more of a dinner attraction for residents of nearby Heritage Hills and Mesta Park.

But both restaurants, she said, have great street views and will be adorned with glass sculptures created by Craig Clingan at Norman's Ring of Fire Studio. Schwartz said the atrium area of the MidTown location will be an attraction of its own.

"That was the selling feature,” Schwartz said. "That room is just beautiful. It will be lovely when it's complete.”

[Turanacus]

when this joint is going to open. ?

[metro]

as soon as they get a permit from what I understand. The city is holding it up as usual.

[KurtTGS]

Tuesday is the goal I was told.

[metro]

Nope, tomorrow they are opening. I went by tonight and the signs on the door and window say opening tomorrow!

[Dave Cook]

Just because a sushi house is owned and operated by a Japanese family doesn't necessarily mean it's the best thing around or more "authentic". Although, I do have a fetish for the folks over at Tokyo House, I certainly don't have any misconceptions regarding the reality of their past or abilities. In other words, if you think that the Asian dude preparing your meal grew up in a rice patty learning how to play with fish his whole life and would love to do nothing else than show you what all those old, archaic lessons have taught him, then you need a wake-up call. It's 2008. Most consumers, especially in the Midwest, can't afford to be entertained by a traditionally trained sushi chef who spent at least seven years training for something that most westerners would never appreciate or pay for.

Thank you, Chef Foy, for taking the time to respond.

While I've yet to dine at one of your fine eateries, I must say that you are a keen businessman. No doubt that if you were to attempt to pull off an ethnic restaurant in Oklahoma City, Japanese is certainly the dish. As there is an obvious lack of a Japanese community in Indian Territory, how is one to know if the food is truly authentic....or even close to standard. What do we know?

Yes, we're well aware that the token Asian serving California rolls at Sushi Neko probably knows slightly more about chutaro than the white boy, token English teacher in Yokohama lecturing on about conditionals. But you gotta play the race card Buddha dealt ya sometimes, know what I mean?

Where abouts in Japan did you study?

[OKCMallen]

SWEET! I might try to go to lunch there today and I'll report back.

[OKCMallen]

It was good. Def some first-day confusion, but that's to be expected. There seemed ot be a nice lunch rush. I thought the food was great and well-priced, not to mention it was kinda fun to watch downtown bustle by while taking my lunch. OKCMALLEN RECOMMENDED!

[Dave Cook]

I'm curious....where does the fish served in these Oklahoma City restaurants come from? Is it local? I was surprised to see how much fish we import from Vietnam and Korea but surely it doesn't reach here in OKC or does it? I have no idea.