Michael Pollan and his "Food Rules" by Elisa A.

Stumbling upon some of Michael Pollan’s work truly got me thinking about one of the values behind Yojié’s.

Michael Pollan is one of the leading food experts in the world with 4 top selling books, including Food Rules. Some of the rules that stuck out to me are the following:

Food rule #2: “Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food”

Food rule #7: “Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third grader cannot pronounce”

Food rule #13: “Eat foods that will eventually rot”

Food rule #39: “Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself”

Michael Pollan advises that we put a little more time and thought into our food and by doing so it’ll help avoid time with the doctor in the future. With this book he wishes to accomplish “ a simple framework for [a] healthy and sustainable diet,” (Wikipedia).

Advice embedded- is this, “cook your own food because you take back control of your diet from corporations who want to cook for us that use too much salt, fat, and sugar.” Now, is that not exactly what Yojié’s helps you with? We give you recognizable noodles and vegetables with a choice of an entrée platter (seafood, chicken, or beef). Now I understand you may be hesitant because of the respective sauces/ broth. But right off the bat we will tell you that our shabu- shabu sauces and sukiyaki broth is made with home ingredients and as simple as a sesame paste, citrus- based soy sauce, and sweet Warishita broth. We have all the ingredients laid out for you, plain and simple and better yet, to go along with Pollan’s advice, you even cook the food yourself (so you recognize what is going into your body).
I think we’re right there with Pollan. I’ll even add that we were one of the FIRST (of three to be exact) in 2007 to get certified as free of trans fat. To go along with that, our beef is 100% Angus beef and our chicken is free- range chicken. What more can you ask for…? Well I guess it’s the experience to go along with the healthy food! :) Kampai!

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August's Artwalk Recap

Last week, downtown was brimming with locals and visitors here to take part in the monthly event of LA Artwalk.  While the event originated from the works of artists living and creating in the immediate area, many people from surrounding cities now make the journey to participate in the unique experience.  Yojie was pleased to showcase a new artist, Jason Liwag, on its feature walls.  Art enthusiasts filled the restaurant and bar area dining, drinking and contemplating Jason’s inspiration for his work.  Among his guests was the one and only Dante Basco, our favorite lost boy from “Hook”.  Can you say “RU-FI-OOOOOOO”? Another exciting night at Yojie.  Don’t miss out on the action, and be sure to join us for next month’s Artwalk and more events to come.  Jason’s work can be viewed until early September.  For inquiries, please contact the restaurant directly and ask to speak with Charles. 

Artist Bio:

Jason Liwag was born in the hard streets of Los Angeles in 1983. He spent his early years “growning up” in Santa Ana where he frequently forced his sister to take a broomstick and duel in the backyard. Like most nerdy kids, he spent a lot of time watching cartoons like Animaniacs, M.A.S.K, Voltron, Duck Tales, Talespin, the Maxx and Ren & Stimpy.

In 2007, Jason travelled to Japan and spent a lot of time aimlessly wandering around Japanese Gardens and Temples. Being in Nature has had a heavy influence oh his art and likes to integrate all of his materials as possible. For this show in particular he has left a negative space in the canvas to let the wood grain showcase through the paint to unify the paint with the material.

Jason graduated from California State University of Long Beach in 2007 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art with an emphasis in Graphic Design. Other than graphic design, Jason grew fond of screen-printing and became co-founder of e•phem•er•al apparel. Post graduation, Jason was hired at Buddha Jones, a motion picture marketing company, as a graphic designer. He has been there for over 3 years and has worked on various campaigns such as Repo Men, No Country for Old Men, Inglourious Basterds, The Crazies, Juno and many more.

After working on a computer for most of his career, Jason realized that he missed the feel of paint on his hands and how rewarding it was to actually have a piece of art you can hold and not just view it on a computer screen. Hopefully this show is the first step into something much grander. 

photo by: Yuko Iwamoto

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