Chefs at Inakaya yell out your order.
Photo: Ryan Charles
Upon entering Megu in New York City's TriBeCa, you're met by a demure hostess who leads you down clay-tiled steps past flowers and temple bells. But just as you hit the bottom landing, you're jolted out of your serene state when your escort shouts at the top of her lungs, “Irashaimase!” As if you’ve entered the set of some bizarre musical, the waiters and other staff stop mid-action, execute a choreographed turn toward you and echo back the Japanese welcome: “Irashaimase!” Other diners turn and stare, and the more exuberant ones shout along. It’s clearly not the best dining destination for an illicit affair.
Bond Street, kitschy Ninja, ramen shop Ippudo and even pricey Kuruma Zushi in Midtown have all adopted the Japanese practice of shouting greetings and sometimes, as you exit, “arigato gozaimasu” (“thank you very much”). And the new Inakaya, which opened at the end of February in the New York Times building, takes the concept one step further by yelling out a customer’s order when it's given – woe be to the cheating dieter. “This is not typical; it’s something we created,” explains Yu Koyama, the restaurant’s general manager. “It began at our restaurant in Japan, where the waiters have to relay the order to the robata chef, and we are trying to duplicate that here. Yelling generates energy.”
According to Shingo Yonezawa, owner of the popular Union Square sushi spot Japonica, spirited shouting is a way of letting diners know you are busy, and to give the impression that your seafood is fresh. But, it's not just for the customers. “It’s also a way to build up the morale of the staff,” he says.
In case you're not sure what your role is in this choreographed scene, the answer should come as a relief: you are basically a prop. “Just smile, and don’t say anything,” suggests Yonezawa.
Not all Japanese restaurants are in line with the zealous vocal approach, however. “Many restaurants in Japan welcome you with cheers so that your spirits are lifted and you can enjoy your meal in happiness,” says Kiyoshi Nogawa, general manager of Sushi Zen in the Theater District. “Yelling 'welcome' also signals to the staff that they should be ready to serve a new guest. However, we prefer to welcome our guests with a traditional Japanese phrase that is spoken rather than yelled. We are pursuing a more luxurious and upscale experience, and feel we can use this quieter welcome to strike a friendship with the guest and alert our staff without disrupting the Zen-like atmosphere of our restaurant and food.” And for that, those who favor quiet ambiance might whisper, “arigato gozaimasu.”
– Beth Landman