Narita Japanese Cuisine — AAPI Month Feature
Alderton, Austin, Loubet, Juno.
Groton, Kessel, Burns, Fleet.
Other than being Forest Hills street names, these words refer to Narita Japanese Cuisine’s unique tradition of naming their rolls after loyal customers and neighborhood locations. For 41 years, Narita has snugly existed on 70th Road, an off-street between Austin Street and Queens Boulevard. Narita is a neighborhood Japanese staple, where local celebrities like Awkwafina and Phoebe Cates dined before their stardom. Support Forest Hills Eateries sat down with Stephanie Koyama, manager of Narita, to reflect on the last 1.5 years of the pandemic, discuss its long-lasting effects on the industry, and explore the significance of the Asian-American identity and Narita’s representation in the community as an Asian-owned business.
Who are you and what is your relation to the eatery?
I’m Stephanie Koyama and I’m from Osaka, Japan. I started working at restaurants in 1984 for supplemental income to pay my college tuition. I worked my way from bus person to server to assistant manager and then manager. I got along with the people and they ended up feeling like family, so I stayed.
I’ve managed this restaurant for 31 years now and Kobayashi has owned Narita for 41 years. I know younger people don’t usually stay put for long, but especially in my generation and in Japanese culture, we tend to stay for a long time.
What were some of the challenges the pandemic posed on Narita’s operations and business?
Everyone was scared in March 2020. While NYC deemed restaurants as essential businesses, my employees were scared to come into work. I said: “I understand. Let’s close and see what happens, because your safety is more important.” It was a hard decision, but our teammates are like family, so you care for them. In fact, I lost one employee to COVID. He caught the virus at home and passed away. When I received the call, I was heartbroken.
Otherwise, the most difficult issue we dealt with was sourcing our ingredients. Our dishes use wild caught — not farmed — fish. Back in May 2020, ingredients were overpriced or in low supply, so we actually had no sushi or sashimi. We’re also doing the same amount of work, but with fewer people. People often ask me: “What took so long to prepare raw food?” I’m like: “Sorry, but I cannot just throw you a piece of fish!”
The restaurants on 70th Road have helped a lot. When the City allowed 70th Road to be open for Open Streets, we got each other’s phone numbers. Now we’re in this group with texts like: “PPP is going to open, don’t forget to apply.” The pandemic did bring us closer.
How have the recent crimes against Asian-American affected you and your team?
I occasionally encounter things of that nature and it’s not easy to talk about. In some incidents, people say harsh words because I’m a woman. There are times when people say things because they cannot tell the difference between Chinese, Japanese or Korean people. People have told me to “go home.”
Forest Hills has generally been a safe place, but I’ve begun to worry for the safety of my workers, especially when they’re taking public transportation. We don’t get out until 12am. I worry for my waitresses, many of whom are also Asian, so I tell them to go home earlier and I’ll finish their shifts. They are young girls and I just want them to be safe.
Have you been seeing the Asian community galvanize during this time?
Not as much in Forest Hills as in places like Flushing and Chinatown. Asians have been the silent group because we were taught to keep quiet. I hope the younger generation does better than us to speak up and voice their opinions. I’m happy to see some demonstrations going on. My kids went to one for a Japanese pianist who was attacked in the subway last year and had his fingers broken. We need to stay together and fight this together.
What sparked your interest and engagement in Asian American issues? How has your perspective on the Asian American identity formed over time?
I’m a history buff. I think that as new immigrants, you expect the United States of America to be a different kind of country. You might not expect to be discriminated against. When I first came here, I heard about Vincent Chin’s story in a documentary and it was so heartbreaking because as a mother, I see his mother’s pain.
Going back to the ’40s, I knew Japanese people were put in concentration camps. My great-uncle also served in the U.S. Army. Since he was nisei (a US-born child with Japanese parents), he was expected to show loyalty that he was American before he was Japanese. That always made me curious; I always wanted to know why we’re treated differently. I think American schools need to educate more on this topic. Same with Black history!
What are the biggest challenges you see as we move towards business as usual?
Our staff is fully vaccinated and we know a lot of people are also on the way to vaccination. We have partitions set up throughout the restaurant and distanced outdoor seating. Still, I’m wary about how to approach fully opening back up. I want to provide a more safe and comfortable environment for both customers and workers to enjoy.
We’re at about 70%-75% of pre-pandemic business now. Do I see business doing better than before? No, I don’t. Rent, labor and material costs are high. For example, paying $24 per pound for wild tuna doesn’t let you profit much. This is our biggest challenge now. I really don’t know what’s going to happen.
Do you have a final message to the community?
My only message to the Asian community in this neighborhood is: be proud of who you are. Be proud. You do your best and that’s it.
