The Otani Restaurant and Our Trip to Japan

Ed and I are heartbroken over the events that have occurred and are still affecting Japan. I write this post with the utmost respect and concern. I encourage you to donate what you can to the American Red Cross or the international aid organization of your choice. You can also check out our friends' Katie and Masato's fund-raising page at Nakagawas Have Hope. They are hoping to raise a total of $5000 for Japan. Any amount you can contribute towards this goal would be greatly appreciated.

Next month, Ed and I were suppose to go and visit some friends of ours that live in Sendai, Japan, one of the areas most severely impacted by the disaster. Thankfully our friends are ok and were eventually able to get out of Sendai. As additional news unfolds every day, we remain concerned for the safety of the Japanese people and interested in the ongoing recovery efforts. As for our trip, it is, of course, the least of our worries at this point. We will continue to monitor the situation as it develops. 

Last Thursday, in anticipation of our upcoming vacation, we decided to try the Japanese restaurant Otani in Gambrills, MD. The food was so beautifully presented. I took some pictures and was planning on posting them the next morning. Instead we woke up to news of the devastating earthquake. 

Eventually, I still wanted to share my pictures from Otani as it is a lovely restaurant that highlights the sumptuous food from this amazing country. The presentation of each plate was absolutely gorgeous. When the food arrives at your table, it is obvious that the each dish was prepared with care and love, and that is difficult to find in a restaurant these days. If you find yourself in Gambrills, check out Otanti.

Miso Soup

Plum Wine

Mango Tuna Wrap

Red Bean Ice Cream

 Again, I encourage you to donate what you can to the American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/ or the international aid organization of your choice in order to support the ongoing efforts to assist in Japan’s recovery.