Okay am back now and the grill rocks, I ordered some Binchotan Japanese coal from Korin in NYC and when it arrives we will see what she is made of… Kool thing about this coal is the crazy flavor it brings to whatever you are cooking, think of the old school bbq at the family picnic and your half way there, the coals are derived from organic mountain forests in Japan and Korea….again sooo much stuff going on hard to keep my head straight. I suspect opening restaurants are a lot like having children, you forget and are reminded quickly how much work it is every time you have another……

Have been making some trips down to see my fish monger Danny Soberano from All Seas where he has been diligently sourcing Yellow fin and Blue fin for me. On this visit stunning Yellow fin from Costa Rica (see picture below).

The first thing I realized about going all Japanese is the the menu is all product driven clean and simple…but wait a minute that’s not me…Mr. everything 3 ways, 20 million garnishes, 6 cooks hovering around just to finish one plate…well guess what? New brand, new philosophy….I would be lying if I haven’t told you its been a struggle, translation on my 7th attempt at writing a menu without the the 3 way junkie cheering on the side lines asking the coach when he gets to play, yes indeed old habits die hard……will get back to you on this later when my hands stop shaking….

So if u thought I was crazy, u should meet our designer Sandro from Munge Leung…i had mentioned how rocks were featured in almost every Japanese restaurant we hit on a recent Made To Order media tour in Asia..he decides he will go for a drive to the boonies north of the city and have this piece cut from the side a massive rock… Ummm it weighs 3 tons…hence our hostess stand was born…the picture below shows how this monster was hauled in from the street with a crane and “gently” dropped at the entrance and I suspect will stay there till eternity….which leads to the next bizarre event….

I was on Ossington looking at some potential lights for the hostess stand re Sandro’s direction and decided to grab some Pho at my fave spot. Look up and I see this vision of talent/grace and beauty walking down the street I am like no…can’t be..but in my head I am thinking I know they have a recording studio around here so I suppose its technically possible…then I look down see those boots and am convinced its her…I run not even thinking about what to say or do, but I love this band and she is a big reason why and cannot pass this one up….I stop say “hi Emily (voice is cracking at this point)…my name is Guy ” and blah blah blah I don’t even remember now what came out of my pea brain mind….I have met plenty of musicians, actors,athletes and chefs I have idolized over the years and nada nothing calm as miso soup, coherent and even amusingly entertaining (I hope) ….but this time voice cracking, knees shaking….what hell is wrong with me….???

Later looking back now I realized what is happening to me and its all about CHANGE (I know its been used) but whatever… In reality the old me wouldn’t even have made the effort to say hi…I am changing and its exciting…and I just hope that mind set transcends to AME’s service design and of course the food… “help I am alive”…and btw my apologies to Emily Haines of Metric who had to listen to my babble so graciously and politely…