The characters for ‘shokudo’ (dining hall) can be read as ‘jikido’: in Buddhist terminology, a hall where monks take their meals. The name reflects a desire to put people at ease through cuisine. Through dedication to improvement and hard work, Shokudo Uyuki creates simple, honest fare to calm the soul. Though he runs his restaurant alone, the Aomori-born chef devoted himself to preparing hot meals for survivors in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Mellow jazz plays in the background. Good-humoured service stimulates lively conversation.