Sushi House

(NOTE: Sushi House is located on the corner of Park Street and Shoreline Drive. When you go, say hi to owner James Kim for me. This was published in the May/June issue of Alameda Magazine.)

“Sushi House: Sold on Sushi”

Just try getting a table at Sushi House on a weekend night in less than 45 minutes. It’s not possible. With a menu offering generous portions of delicious Japanese-American food at reasonable prices, the crowds keep coming back for more. This is Sushi House owner James Kim’s biggest concern.

“When the customer is happy, I am happy,” says the 39-year-old restaurant owner. “Customers now are not happy with the wait.”

Kim opened the original Sushi House in 1998 in a small, 45-seat space in the heart of Alameda’s Towne Centre. In a few years, he expanded that location to 75 seats. In early 2005, Kim moved the restaurant to the corner of Shoreline Drive and Park Street, which boasts 120 seats and a gorgeous view of San Francisco Bay.

Business has been brisk, and it isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.
What is the secret to this success? Kim says his good fortune does not come from a secret recipe, but is instead the result of providing great tasting, reasonably priced food and satisfying the customer.

And, Kim keeps the customer satisfied with a fusion of Japanese- and American-style cuisine. “Americanized sushi, with generous portions,” he says. Indeed, diners at Sushi house discover an extensive menu, offering separate lunch and dinner selections, with multiple choices for special combinations. The menu accommodates vegetarians, as well. The possibilities are endless.

Sushi House selections include a long list of nigiri (traditional), maki (rolls) and temaki (hand rolls) styles of sushi. There is also a selection of sushi and sashimi dinners, including soup and salad. The menu features the ever-popular Bento Boxes, which are a “box dinner” with several options for combinations, like teriyaki and tempura. For the raw fish shy, the menu provides long lists of mouth-watering options, including charbroiled and deep-fried meat, chicken, vegetables and fish; udon (noodles in broth), donburi (over-rice dishes) and nabe-mono (cooked in a pot).

Two delightful house specialties that showcase Kim’s Japanese/American style are the Lion King, a California roll wrapped with salmon and baked, and the Island Roll, a mixture of crispy prawn tempura, crab meat and cucumber, layered with fresh salmon, avocado and lemon slices, then topped with a special house sauce.

Alameda is just like Home
Immediately before opening Sushi House, Kim left a partnership in a restaurant in Livermore to come to Alameda. Kim’s Korean childhood played a part in his choice of Alameda. “I like the water and the ocean. I grew up on a small island in Korea, like Alameda. And, I know how to prepare fish that is tasty.” Simply put, he knows how to offer food that sells.

Kim also has a loyal, long-term staff. Manager Jason Yoon worked at the original location, but left to start his own restaurant. Now he’s back, more impressed with the skill and talent of his boss, especially when it comes to dealing with the customers.

“James knows how to treat the customer. He knows how to make them happy. Whatever they want, he says, ‘Just find a way to do it.’ ” Yoon realized how difficult this is to accomplish through his own personal experience.

Kim notes that he tries to appeal to many different types of customers—older, younger, Japanese, American and families. The Sushi House offering also includes a children’s menu, with kid friendly teriyaki, tempura and sushi dishes.

The business is a passion for Kim, who travels around the world trying to keep a pulse on the Japanese restaurant industry. He still studies, taking classes each week at the Culinary Institute in San Francisco. He is studying French cuisine and wants to incorporate what he learns into the Sushi House menu. “It’s like music—it’s my job and my life,” he says.

Getting back to his current concerns about keeping his customers waiting, he wants to relay a message: “I feel very sorry about this. With so many people trying to eat, workers might make mistakes. Please understand that we are working on this. Thank you for waiting.”

And, he wants his clientele to know that if they have “any dissatisfaction at all” they should talk to his crew—either to his managers or to Kim himself.
When you go to Sushi House, bring an appetite, but be prepared to wait. Kim is working on shortening that time. Both he and the long line of satisfied customers think it’s worth it.

Preservation Park

“Preservation Park Hosts a New Idea
Where Everything Old Is New Again”

Heading to a downtown meeting in Oakland near Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 12th Street, visitors might notice a neighborhood that seems like a different time and place. It’s quiet; the pristine Victorian houses look idyllic, and there is a picturesque fountain in the middle of the street. The uninitiated may be stopped dead in their tracks and end up late for that meeting because they can’t believe the setting. This isn’t some trip back in time—it’s Preservation Park, an appealing recreation of a Victorian neighborhood.
Preservation Park is a business district and neighborhood with 16 restored Victorian homes, the lovely aforementioned fountain and a public hall with meeting rooms. It is also home to a group of nonprofit organizations and creative small businesses with cultural, social and environmental goals. At one time, the site was the northwest corner of the original town of Oakland, developed back in 1853.
“We do see a lot of people walking through the neighborhood with a perplexed look on their face,” said Nathan Dalton, the office manager for Youth Service California, a nonprofit tenant in the R.E. Bauske House. Built in 1896 for dentist R.E. Bauske, this beautiful Queen Anne cottage is notable for its two towers and curved window sashes.
Preservation Park provides a showcase for these beautiful homes as well as a 40-year vista of Oakland architectural history. Five of the houses stand on their original foundations. The remaining 11 were moved to Preservation Park in the 1970s and early 1980s when Interstate 980 was being built. For City Center workers—and those who may meander on their way to and from meetings here—Preservation Park offers a quiet retreat for a meditative walk, as well as a self-guided history tour or a picnic on one of the many Victorian park benches. Five areas are available to rent for meetings, conferences, weddings and special events.
Denise Lewis, Preservation Park property manager, notes that on summer weekends, the site offers a private place for just about any special occasion. She says that many unique events have taken place there, including a premiere with actress Halle Berry and a World Figure Skating reception.
“And every bride thinks her wedding is special,” Lewis adds, noting that Preservation Park hosts private outdoor weddings from May through mid-October.
The homes of Preservation Park highlight a particularly rich period in local building design, starting with several ornate Victorian styles—Italianate, Stick and Queen Anne—followed by the classical refinements of the Colonial Revival and concluding with the rustic simplicity of Craftsman architecture. Seven distinct styles are on view, dating from 1870 to 1911. According to the Preservation Park self-guided tour materials, more than 80 percent of the homes’ exterior details are original (and constructed with local virgin redwood). The porches on the homes that were moved are recreations.
All of these architectural gems act as homes for the current “think-tank” community of 48 tenants. This group of businesses works to develop solutions to such urban challenges as health care, education and cultural participation. According to a recent survey, approximately two million people are served annually by the tenants’ collective efforts.
Dalton agrees that it’s an environment that is conducive to building a strong community. There are regular tenant meetings held in Nile Hall to share what’s happening among the residents. He adds that the setting offers an excellent venue for Youth Service California meetings and events.
“It’s such a nice setting, better than a hotel,” Dalton says.
Preservation Park has its own book, Through These Doors: Discovering Oakland at Preservation Park, which provides the stories and details about each house and a glimpse of a bustling port of Oakland in the late 19th century.
Lewis claims that a few ghost stories are floating around the Park. “There are rumors of different occurrences in the houses on the original sites,” she laughs, but none have been validated.
Go visit for yourself. It’s difficult not to feel the spirit of the past when walking through the park.
For more information on hosting an event or wedding in Preservation Park and maps of the area, visit www.preservationpark.com. The entrance to Preservation Park is at 13th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The Preservation Park Office is at is 1233 Preservation Park Way, Oakland, CA 94612.

Mom, Mom, Mom #4

issue date: 5/25/2006

“Don’t know much about History, Don’t know much Geography…”

Do you know where all the state capitals are? I didn’t until just last week. My fifth-grade twins are studying the United States and their most important cities. When they asked for my help studying for the big test, I failed miserably. I told them that Memphis was the capital of Tennessee (it’s Nashville) and had absolutely no idea what the capitals of Missouri, Kentucky, and, well, let’s face it, many other states are.

I don’t remember studying state capitals in elementary school. The only things I remember about the fifth grade have nothing to do with my education. I remember it was the year the first tower of the World Trade Center was finished. It was exciting to be able to see the world’s tallest building from our New Jersey classroom windows emerging from the New York City skyline. I remember a lot about my teacher, Sister Maria Francis. I remember sitting in the back of the room behind Pete Young and Bob Bednarzyck. (I was the tallest girl in fifth grade.) We got in trouble for shooting spitballs at our classmates and had to make 500 of them for homework and then bring them to school the next day in a baggie. Try explaining that to your parents.

I am learning many things now that I must have missed in fifth grade and all the others. Or, maybe its just my memory has started to fade. My third grader is learning about space. I really don’t remember learning about the nine planets and the rings of Saturn — ever. Now I know that there are seven rings that someone labeled using the first seven letters of the alphabet. It’s the gaps between the rings that are worthy of actual monikers: Cassini, Galileo, and a couple others. Who knew? Well, other than my third grader.

On a daily basis, I face the reality that my three kids are way smarter than I am. Right now, it’s states and space. Tomorrow it will be other things. Is it that they are learning more or are expected to know more than I did when I was their age? When I look at their future I worry, with the bar so much higher for them than it ever was for me, how will they make it? But then, I am thankful for the opportunities that lie before them. For now, I just worry how I will make it through their elementary school years. I have a lot to learn.