Nagi Sushi - 4 - Progress

February 22, 2024

With so many things up in the air, it was increasingly more difficult to find availability in Hiroha-san's schedule. It would be more than a month and a half before I ventured out to Orleans again.

The first visible sign of progress, upon pulling into the parking lot, was the newly erected Nagi Sushi sign. The kanji, 凪, "calm" was emblazoned on the sign and represented Hiroha-san's vision for the restaurant, a space where patrons can spend a couple of hours not having to worry about the world while dining on his sushi. Hiroha-san would later express his desire that he did not have sufficient time to add a more complicated design.

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The odour of freshly cut wood was immediately apparent upon entering the space. The light coming through the large windows had an ethereal quality, and it was only later I noticed small particles of sawdust in the air, creating a softness and dare I say, cinematic quality to the light. Hiroha-san observed me curiously examining the accumulated sawdust throughout the space and indicated he planned on spending 1-2 weeks doing a deep clean upon construction finish.

In a month and a half, Eric and Aademar, another construction worker had finished the following:

• Installed new flooring

• Installed new drop ceiling

• Paved over the hole in the wall leading to the kitchen

• Created a new entrance to the kitchen leading from the sushi bar

• Painted the walls to a light beige tone, matching the tone of the wooden
  

Eric would later comment that construction was delayed due to delays in the supply and kitchen equipment supply chains that had plagued all restaurants as of late.

A small alcove had been added for front of house staff and the point of sale system. A meeting with the Point of Sale supplier was scheduled for the next day to assess requirements and pick the appropriate system.

Immediately to the right of the alcove was the dining space. Eric had put in new flooring and replaced the ceiling He had also completed enough preliminary work on the sushi bar, made from oak, to install the showcase for the sushi ingredients. The walls were painted in a light beige to match the hue of the sushi bar.

The counter itself hadn't yet been built out though. Above, Hiroha-san demonstrating his preferred height for customers to sit at the bar to enable him to give sushi, have conversation, but most importantly, to make any astute observations and make any adjustments, if necessary.

Above, while the dining space looked cavernous in January, it was truly cramped during construction. A variety of tools, paint cans and other construction-related paraphernalia were strewn on the floor. Also pictured in more detail are the Japanese design embellishments to the space, including the wall's wooden slats and ceiling trim, small nods to Hiroha-san's request for the space to look like a typical Tokyo restaurant.

Eric had done a bit of research into the request but it was after Hiroha-san had provided some pictures of typical Japanese Shinto shrine architecture, that Eric had found his inspiration for the space and added the wooden accents.

Above, the view of the restaurant in its current state from behind the sushi bar with lanterns in the foreground and stacked and chairs. With tables occupying the space and construction materials unseen, it immediately has a much cozier feeling than before.

The lanterns, installed by Eric, were actually part of C'est Japon à Suisha's auction sale in July 2023. Arai-san ensured that the lanterns in best condition were provided. Hiroha-san had them installed as as a symbol and reminder of the thirty years of his life spent at C'est Japon à Suisha.

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Kitchen work was progressing smoothly. The gas and electrical work had been completed and new fixtures had come in. The fire inspection and public health inspections were scheduled for next week.

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Above, before closing up the restaurant, Hiroha-san presented his meishi (名刺), otherwise known as a business card and absolutely essential in Japanese culture. The logo was created by eepmon. Hiroha-san had requested that eepmon use his family crest or komon, represented by the three lines in the circular background, just behind the kanji.

The title, Master Sushi Chef, is the only time that I have seen Hiroha-san refer to himself as a master.

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On March 18, 2024, Nagi Sushi formally announced its opening with its first Instagram post. The grand opening would be in five days.