Miko loves Azay!
Thoughts about working at the restaurant
Needing a change
A couple months ago, I started working at this family owned restaurant, called Azay.
When I quit my hospital job doing music therapy, I was craving a space seeped in community and with positive energy. I also happen to love food, so when I thought of all of these things, the first thing that came to mind was Azay and the Hirose family.
Without having any formal food service experience, I was very nervous to start. But the family and staff welcomed me and have been showing me the ropes!
I’ve been enjoying getting to know and joke with the restaurant staff, and am learning a lot about all things restaurant, community, and Little Tokyo :D
What I love about Azay
They care about food quality, presentation, and giving the best the dining experience. Come and try the Japanese Breakfast & Chawanmushi! :)
They care for their community. They’re always supporting / collaborating with local artists, the people and businesses of Little Tokyo, and Japanese American (JA) farming families. They also cater events for so many JA organizations throughout Southern California.
They are so thoughtful towards their surroundings and of their staff.
We are multicultural! It’s really fun to hear and practice English, Japanese and Spanish all in one place… and sometimes in the same sentence. LOL
Maybe the thing I love most about working at Azay is that it feels like being extended family of the Hiroses. It really means so much to me to be a part of this restaurant <3
Ramblings on working at the restaurant vs. hospital…
I left my music therapy job at the hospital because I was feeling very burnt out, depressed and exhausted. I didn’t know what to expect when starting a food service job… but I imagined it at least wouldn’t be so depressing!
The nature of restaurant work is so much lighter… a change I really needed after the last few years.
I love that the work surrounds food and social gatherings, two of my favorite things :)
It’s really nice to constantly collaborate / tag-team and to see things get done quickly… As opposed to being a therapist, I often felt lonely and helpless.
I love interacting and serving people, and seeing customers genuinely enjoy their food and company.
I enjoy completing tasks with a very clear result.
It can get chaotic and tiring juggling a bunch of different things during service, but I like the simplicity of the work (pov: working front of house).
I’m very proud of Azay and grateful to be a part of such a wonderful and thoughtful team… Thank you Azay!
Visit us?
Please visit the restaurant sometime for wonderful Japanese or French food. Check out the website below if you’d like :)
Thanks for reading!
Hope you are finding time to take care of yourself.
With love,
Miko