Touch to View Pakuri ArtMy first Pakuri Art:
The pizza take out box at toCousCous Restaurant in Japan.
The idea for this pakuri art came about when I saw the new pizza takeout boxes at a favorite local Kumano restaurant, toCousCous. I thought, “wouldn’t it be great to have my favorite chef with his handmade pizzas printed on these pizza boxes?!”. It was easy to imagine Chef smiling as he proudly held a freshly baked specialty pizza from the wood fired oven he built for his restaurant. Having the chef’s photo on the box that held these yummy, hand-crafted pizzas felt much more fitting than an Italian-looking youngster holding up an “OK” sign…
So I took the image printed on the original pizza box replaced it with my drawing of the Chef. Then I drew in his wife, Makiko, along with the chef’s signature wood fired oven. Finally I replaced the Mediterranean background with the signature mountains and vast ocean of Kumano, which is the picturesque backdrop of the restaurant.
Chef/Owner Toyohiko Hamano is a naturally-gifted chef with more than 20 years of restaurant experience in Kumano, Japan. His gentle, honest nature and evolving creativity, come through in the beauty and flavor of every dishes he presents. Chef Hamano’s omakase (chef’s choice) course menu satisfies both mind and body.
With that, I present this first pakuri art to my friends and owners of toCousCous restaurant.
So, if you ever make it down to Kumano and are craving an Italian inspired omakase course or a simply delicious hand-thrown pizza, toCousCous restaurant is the place to go. And to Chef Hamano and Makiko-san, here’s to a long healthy life of sharing your joy for nourishing others through inspiring dishes… and great pizza!
My first Pakuri Art:
The pizza take out box at toCousCous Restaurant in Japan.
The idea for this pakuri art came about when I saw the new pizza takeout boxes at a favorite local Kumano restaurant, toCousCous. I thought, “wouldn’t it be great to have my favorite chef with his handmade pizzas printed on these pizza boxes?!”. It was easy to imagine Chef smiling as he proudly held a freshly baked specialty pizza from the wood fired oven he built for his restaurant. Having the chef’s photo on the box that held these yummy, hand-crafted pizzas felt much more fitting than an Italian-looking youngster holding up an “OK” sign…
So I took the image printed on the original pizza box replaced it with my drawing of the Chef. Then I drew in his wife, Makiko, along with the chef’s signature wood fired oven. Finally I replaced the Mediterranean background with the signature mountains and vast ocean of Kumano, which is the picturesque backdrop of the restaurant.
Chef/Owner Toyohiko Hamano is a naturally-gifted chef with more than 20 years of restaurant experience in Kumano, Japan. His gentle, honest nature and evolving creativity, come through in the beauty and flavor of every dishes he presents. Chef Hamano’s omakase (chef’s choice) course menu satisfies both mind and body.
With that, I present this first pakuri art to my friends and owners of toCousCous restaurant.
So, if you ever make it down to Kumano and are craving an Italian inspired omakase course or a simply delicious hand-thrown pizza, toCousCous restaurant is the place to go. And to Chef Hamano and Makiko-san, here’s to a long healthy life of sharing your joy for nourishing others through inspiring dishes… and great pizza!
It was the Lunar New Year, 2020…
And the story starts off like this: “It was a relaxing morning at home when my son, who just turned four, said he wanted to go fishing…”, said this avid fisherman. So, the father packed their fishing gear in the car and together drove to a popular lake at a nearby park. This was not only his son’s first fishing experience but the first time to hold a fishing rod. Of course, there was no expectation of catching any fish…
With the poles set up and the first cast made into the calm lake, the young boy stood unusually serious with his fishing line in the water. The father glanced over at his son and in that moment, thought of his own father who had passed away less than a year ago. He wished for an opportunity like this for the three generations of boys to have fished together.
And then, his son yelled out, “Daddy, I got something!”
“There’s no way”.
He casually reached over to his son’s fishing rod and felt a tug on the line. The young boy with his father’s help reeled his line as quickly as he could, until to everyone’s surprise, a rainbow trout (about 30 centimeters long) jumped out from beneath the surface of the water.
As he looked at his son, “Unbelievable”, he thought.
When could you ever imagine a four year boy, on his very first fishing trip could catch a fish within 30 minutes of casting his first line. So as he was unhooking his son’s first fish, he couldn’t help but look up and say, “Thanks, Dad.” In some way, all three boys were fishing together that day.
When this father shared their story and photo, the image of this young boy holding his first fish captured more than I could put into words. It signifies a connection between many generations of men in this family, as I’ve come to learn that this father’s grandfather was a commercial fisherman before WWII. And fittingly enough, in Japanese we use the word “medetai” (symbolized by a fish), which translates to “auspicious” or “congratulatory” on New Year’s for good luck. What could bring more luck than a first catch on the Lunar New Year?! Medetai!
It was the Lunar New Year, 2020…
And the story starts off like this: “It was a relaxing morning at home when my son, who just turned four, said he wanted to go fishing…”, said this avid fisherman. So, the father packed their fishing gear in the car and together drove to a popular lake at a nearby park. This was not only his son’s first fishing experience but the first time to hold a fishing rod. Of course, there was no expectation of catching any fish…
With the poles set up and the first cast made into the calm lake, the young boy stood unusually serious with his fishing line in the water. The father glanced over at his son and in that moment, thought of his own father who had passed away less than a year ago. He wished for an opportunity like this for the three generations of boys to have fished together.
And then, his son yelled out, “Daddy, I got something!”
“There’s no way”.
He casually reached over to his son’s fishing rod and felt a tug on the line. The young boy with his father’s help reeled his line as quickly as he could, until to everyone’s surprise, a rainbow trout (about 30 centimeters long) jumped out from beneath the surface of the water.
As he looked at his son, “Unbelievable”, he thought.
When could you ever imagine a four year boy, on his very first fishing trip could catch a fish within 30 minutes of casting his first line. So as he was unhooking his son’s first fish, he couldn’t help but look up and say, “Thanks, Dad.” In some way, all three boys were fishing together that day.
When this father shared their story and photo, the image of this young boy holding his first fish captured more than I could put into words. It signifies a connection between many generations of men in this family, as I’ve come to learn that this father’s grandfather was a commercial fisherman before WWII. And fittingly enough, in Japanese we use the word “medetai” (symbolized by a fish), which translates to “auspicious” or “congratulatory” on New Year’s for good luck. What could bring more luck than a first catch on the Lunar New Year?! Medetai!