A few years ago my husband and I thought we had to buy a house. We had to, we just got married and that is what you are suppose to do when you get married. Right? Well both he and I got over the whole \”this is what is expected of you\” that others impose and thank God! But now we had a house in Cedar Park when everything we love to do and experience was in Austin. Austin is a hop skip and a jump on the weekend but not so much on the weekday. We soon decided on some weekdays we would try to embrace the area nearby and this is where Hayashi comes in.
Hayashi, like us, was the new kid on the block. It was a new restaurant with a young innovative owner and ever changing, to include the menu, look and feel. You could walk into Hayashi and never know what to expect. There might be a pop band playing, karaoke or some Ghostland Observatory playing on an iPod. Just a week ago I walked in and noticed the tables had changed.
Believe it or not I did not LOVE sushi back then. Hayashi was my gateway into eating sushi and craving it on a regular basis. Because we tried to stay local several nights of the week we started eating at Hayashi weekly. If I had a bad day at work, I wanted to go to Hayashi. If I had a good day at work, I wanted to go to Hayashi. Hayashi essentially was my local bar per se. They knew our names, what we usually ordered and were up for a good conversation.
I got wind yesterday that Chef Lin was moving to Toronto and that Hayashi is closing their doors after April 30th. I initially felt similar to when you break up with the college boyfriend/girlfriend, the one you weren\’t ready to say goodbye to but had no choice.
We went last night and ordered a bottle of wine. Several regulars lined the bar sharing their stories and laughs. Chef Lin was playing Russian roulette (with wasabi oil in a sushi roll), poor Alex. I met the customer who the Jason roll was named after.
I will miss you dearly Chef Lin, as will many. Thanks for the great memories and best of luck in Toronto.
Sushi ATX 