Jamie Graves: Food translator and waiter at Kajitsu NYC
Food & Drink, Reviews, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized 
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By Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94)
Just wanted to share that I had a really terrific dinner the other night at Kajitsu (www.kajitsunyc.com), a new and very unique Japanese restaurant on E. 9th Street in NYC, thanks to professional translator Jamie Graves (Saitama-ken, 2002-03) who not only waits tables in the intimate establishment but also translates the menu and other texts for Kajitsu and interprets for important clients.
Kajitu's Chef Masato Nishihara
Jamie, who specializes in translations relating to food and cooking, explained to me a few months ago at a JETAA NY gathering that he was working at a restaurant that specializes in shojin cuisine, which as a non-foodie I can best describe as a sort of high-end, vegan kaiseki. The chef, Masato Nishihara, had worked at Kitcho, a very prestigious kaiseki cuisine restaurant in Kyoto before coming to New York to open Kajitsu.
I can’t remember exactly what I ate, but each course did really blow me away in terms of both flavors and creativity. Plus the soba dipping noodles may be the best in NYC. The menu changes every month, so apparently a number of regulars come back each month to sample the new menu.
The fare is not inexpensive. But it’s well worth it if you have a special occasion to celebrate (which I did!) Especially if you get a seat at the counter where you can watch Chef Nishihara prepare each course right front of you, including his zen-like tea ceremony approach to making the macha at the end of the meal. (According to Jamie, all chefs at Kitcho must study tea ceremony.)
From the March "Spring" menu: Clear Soup with Sticky Rice Ball Mugwort, Rice Crackers.
Here’s a little additional background on Kajitsu from it’s website:
Kajitsu – “Fine Day”
Kajitsu means “fine day”, or “day of celebration” in Japanese. We have chosen the name Kajitsu hoping that a visit here will always be a special occasion for our guests.Shojin Cuisine
Shojin cuisine refers to a type of vegetarian cooking that originates in Zen Buddhism. Even though it does not use meat or fish, shojin is regarded as the foundation of all Japanese cuisine, especially kaiseki, the Japanese version of haute cuisine.
If you decide you have your own special occasion, make sure to say hi to Jamie and ask him all of your questions about the restaurant and the food. There’s lots to tell and lots to learn.
Kajitsu (www.kajitsunyc.com) is on E. 9th St between 1st Ave & Avenue A in New York City.
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