nwasianweekly.com
June 7, 2008

Photo by George Liu

Jean Nakayama

Prestigious James Beard Foundation names Maneki an American classic

Maneki Restaurant, a local institution for 102 years, has been awarded a 2008 James Beard Foundation America’s Classics Awards.

The James Beard awards, called “the Oscars of the food world” by Time Magazine, are widely considered the highest honors for culinary professionals working in the United States.

Maneki, located at 304 Sixth Ave. S. in the International District, was chosen as an American classic for its long, rich history and superb traditional Japanese food. According to the James Beard Web site, “It has been around through both world wars, Japanese internment, and has even seen one of its former dishwashers become the prime minister of Japan.”

Maneki is also the only surviving restaurant from Seattle’s once-bustling Japantown — in fact, the newly restored theater curtain from Nippon Kan Theater, now hanging in Wing Luke Asian Museum, shows original advertising for Maneki Restaurant from the early 1920s. Beth Takekawa, the executive director of Wing Luke, pointed out on a recent tour that there was a faint ghost of the Maneki cat, evidence that at one time, the restaurant had not paid their bill and been painted out!

Owner Jean Nakayama will go to New York to accept her award at the June 6 gala ceremony, held at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. She and her restaurant were one of only five award recipients in that category.

For more information, visit www.jamesbeard.org.

Eleanor Lee can be reached at e.lee@nwasianweekly.com

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