What Imprisons Also Protects

What Imprisons Also Protects

A letter from Chef James Noble

Well, in the blink of an eye we were open, reborn if you like, in a much cooler, less expensive and family balanced location for me and so much easier to get to for you.

The river behaved itself and the team rose and fell just like the stream behind our home even though we didn’t have Nancy on River Watch.

The ebb and flow of the opening week were apparent, the hard push, and the raised levels of emotions to deliver our best to the booked customers were apparent sometimes but we got over the line.

What a team I have, from the dedicated culinary gang to the Burmese boy band at the front, stoic, staunch individuals that put up with my severe eye for detail. Food left the kitchen as we expected with a few tweaks as the week went on.

As most gamblers do, we watched the tickets being dealt, similar to the cards from a blackjack croupiers card shoe AKA our Micros, wondering what we would be dealt next and assessing our stock levels and anticipating the next day’s workload as well discussing how we can create magic in the here and the now?

Then it was all over — the dreaded silence as all the merry throng went home and the team got on their motorbikes and left me to reflect and nurse my burns.

But we did it, we survived! We were all extremely proud of what we achieved and what can achieve going forward, encouraged by feedback and of course the service charge and tips.

Behind the scenes insights, the scoop & the skinny

Chef blue is a big Britney Spears fan and chef Remi didn’t know who Johnny cash was! This I learnt as we all prepped hard in the mornings last week.

K Sa and the boy band are getting more positive around tables as the week progressed, although I think not to be late, they sleep in their uniforms and their shirts looked like a bulldog’s face on Friday, so my HR hat was out on in a lighthearted way, and I bought a company iron and board.

K Sa, the biggest wheel in our team, coped very well with the stewarding and was a machine, washing, cleaning, and polishing, without her this ship don’t sail, so glad you came with us on this journey P Sa.

We were praised with the nicest toilet in town and everyone was surprised about the internal space and how well it was choreographed as I designed and built it, it made me very fuzzy inside .

So many new faces along with a great deal of Ikigai fans popped in and ate too — blessings to every single one of you, this isn’t about me it’s about us, all of us.

So what was the bestselling dish I heard you ask?

The chamoula charred chicken (foot and all) with sunflower hummus followed closely and unexpectedly, was the nori soft tofu with wasabi leaf , now as we make our own tofu we had to pull an all-nighter to get another batch ready, we were caught off guard but what a great problem to have and it shows comraderie and pride that something so simple carried the flag for the japanese contingent of the 5 blue zones, “flavour and surprises come from the simplest things” I think it even got its own mention on Trip Advisor.

So, as our week starts on a Tuesday and we let Monday go, we now have an idea of what’s hot and what’s not and we are prepping like mad to get the purple potato gnocchi made for Wednesday and the head and hock terrine set in time for tonight, but we let Monday go as we all need to breathe.

So, what other things happened in our week? Well, I miss the Chicken like mad and can’t wait for her return as do the cats. Pepper and Pixie are lost without their mum and sleep every night on her bed waiting for her return — soon kittens, she’s home soon — and if you tell her I also curled up a couple of nights on her bed you will go without.

Funny story about Pepper & Pixie

When we moved here and started building our home, we had to keep the fly screens shut so they didn’t get out. They scratched, meowed and did everything in their power to get out.

After a month I could take it no more and decided they needed to experience our new street and beyond so I left the doors open and crossed my fingers. They gingerly went out sniffing before them and enjoyed their newfound freedom and much to my delight, came home!! After a lot of calling and food bag shaking.

After three or four days of this they seemed to have stopped going out and kept inside, hanging around my feet, odd I thought until I found out the reason why.

The not-so-friendly neighbor has a fat-headed cat who didn’t like the new kits on the block.

They ran inside followed by the white boisterous garfield who boldly strode into the Noble household and introduced himself. Well, P&P were beside themselves and jumped into my arms!

I ushered the white monster out and shut the doors, a sigh of relief came from the feline twins as they settled back down to be house cats and putting on the pounds.

The door that was their captor is now their protector, funny how’s things look from different sides.

So what country was the most popular cuisine I hear you ask?

Well that would have had to of been Italy and Sardinia. The Ikigai version of the Caponata was amazing as too were the Langoustine tortellini with split lobster dill bisque thickened with rice and the Amalfi broken lemon meringue tart with confit lemons and rocket.

It’s early days and we are sure it will even out, but my personal favorite is the Steamed shellfish with miso and ginger - seagrapes included with soft sweet Japanese bread, but Im biased of course.

Enough about me and my uneventful week, how you guys getting along? Have you found your happiness? Have you managed to experience fulfilment and joy this week? Are you getting to terms with your own Ikigai? Remember to stand still is an achievement, to position yourself in the middle of the circles and stay there is success!

Are you eating well? Have you reduced to 80% full? Are you following the 9 as we discussed?

There isn’t such a thing as failure, only the fact that you didn’t try is deemed as a fail as you never know how well you will do, I know you will.

Have you tried any recipes? Have you ventured out of town to the fourth ”V“mergency service and brought direct from the growers?

Don’t slip back to pre-covid laziness, buy before the supermarkets mess with it and increase the prices.

So what’s good around Thailand right now?

Well, the dragon fruits are sweet and make great granite and the delicious greens juice well as do the carrots and the first new potatoes are a day or two away. Young potatoes have such a unique flavour.

We are eagerly waiting white strawberries to add to our pickle cupboard, we have a cupboard full of interesting things fermenting away ready for the new menu…as well as some aged koji.

I’m rambling — so here’s my last comment this week and it’s the secret key to our success.

BRINE

Not to brine, is an ikigai crime. The succulence it brings to any meat is a must and should become a habit. We use 3% salt in ours and brine bath chicken, duck, beef and even beetroots.

Bring to the boil your desired amount of water add the salt and any flavoring you want, star anise, cardamom, bay, preferably dried spice and herbs, rapidly boil until the salt dissolves, cool, then add your items. Try it, then dry it and cook it. We brine for 24 hours but it makes a lifetime of difference.

This Week’s Recipe

Thats me signing off. I hope you have enjoyed your weekly insight into The Home of Ikigai. We have done the hard bit and opened with great reviews and now we need customers. Please tell 10 people you know and ask them to tell 10 too.

I have 6 staff, all who depend on ikigai so let’s make sure we do it for them and of course the Chicken Noble.

Don’t give headspace to the things you can’t change, focus on what you can and what brings you joy, for me its food for you it may be an array of things.

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