After returning to Japan in 1979,
Tony decided to embark on a new
career utilizing his experiences
overseas. He worked for trading
companies in Japan and always had
the dream of returning to the United
States. Osaka is famous for its
great restaurants and Tony made sure
he learned from the very best.
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It was
Tony’s dream to open his own
Japanese restaurant in the United
States. In 1995 he returned to
Cleveland and prepared to make that
dream come true. But fate had other
plans and Tony found himself coming
to Southwest Florida with his Ohio
family. Once here however, they
decided to stay in Punta Gorda and
not only make it their home, but
they also decided to open an
authentic Japanese restaurant. After
some searching, Tony was able to
secure a location |
| in the then newly built Towles
Plaza on Tamiami Trail. |
On March 10, 2000 he
opened his doors for the first time. It just
so happened to be the same day that the
Nasdex Index reached its highest level ever.
Tony looks back on that date as being a very
lucky one. The restaurant is named Amimoto
which in Japanese is the name given to the
leading fisherman in a village. Since Punta
Gorda was historically a fishing village, it
was a fitting name for this location.
Tony chose the décor carefully to ensure his
customers would be been treated to a very
relaxed and serene atmosphere that would
enhance their dining experience. Upon
entering, customers soon know that they are
in for a special culinary treat.
Tony currently has
seven employees. Yoko, who only works
during lunches and Bang who works
during the dinner evening are very
knowledgeable and friendly hostesses and
servers. Kevin Czajkowski who will
be a senior at Charlotte High this year and
is eager to learn, assists in the kitchen.
Kevin’s father is the executive chef at
Heron Creek and occasionally he and Tony are
able to find some free time and play a few
rounds of golf on their days off. Steve
Garrity is presently assisting in the
restaurant, but will soon be leaving to
start a new career as a fireman. Tony also
has employees from the Philippines, Thailand
and Korea.
Having a small
restaurant does not allow for a great deal
of storage space, therefore he must order
often from his five different Japanese food
distributors located in Miami. To ensure the
quality that Tony demands, the majority of
his supplies come from Japan.
|
Sashimi Appetizer
(Salmon, Tuna & Scallops) |
Shrimp & Soba Noodles
(Garnished with Daikon Sprouts) |
Donburi
(Rice&Pork, Chicken or Shrimp) |
Tony has seen his
business grow and his clientele become more
diverse over the years. As the local
population increases many new residents are
grateful to find such a fine restaurant
serving Japanese cuisine. Tony, finding that
his regular customers are happy to spread
the word about his restaurant, has done very
little advertising. Amimoto’s has proven to
be a popular place for the local business
community and often companies will arrange
to have small gatherings at the
establishment. The PGI Islanders, a Punta
Gorda Isles boating club, has made plans to
hold an upcoming evening social at the
restaurant.
Sushi, a Japanese
restaurant staple, originally required a
very lengthy process to produce. However,
around 1820, Hanaya Yohei of Tokyo developed
a recipe that used sliced raw fish together
with vinegary rice. He prepared and sold his
sushi from his small portable sushi stand.
This recipe idea quickly replaced the
previous method and his sushi stalls became
what could be called the “fast food” origin
of the sushi bars we know today. In fact,
many WWII veterans may recall seeing these
popular “fast food” sushi stands during the
war.
|
Tuna Tataki |
Tony points out
that eating sushi can be beneficial
to one’s health, as sushi uses
simple and healthy ingredients, in
small portions, which encourages one
to eat slowly and savor their food.
Of course, when making sushi it is
of the utmost importance to use only
the very freshest fish. In order to
insure such freshness, Tony only
purchases his sushi fish from
specializing distributors.
Most sushi is well under 200
calories per four-ounce serving
which is about half what you would
expect to find in an average steak.
|
| It is important to remember that
the fatty oils found in fish carry
many nutritional benefits such as
Omega-3 fatty acids. The Omega-3’s
have not only been shown to play an
important role in maintaining a
healthy heart and metabolism but
also have been claimed to improve
conditions such as arthritis,
psoriasis and even depression. |
|
Sushi
first became popular in the U.S.
during the late 1970’s. Japanese
restaurants were opened throughout
the United States as many Americans
had their first exposure to this
somewhat exotic cuisine.
Previously
it took a minimum of ten years of
training and proven skills to become
a sushi chef. Now due to the
popularity of sushi, a sushi chef
can easily find |
Soft Shell Crab -Maki Roll |
|
employment after completing only a
couple of years of training.
However, a sushi chef desiring to
become an expert will continue to
master his skills over the life of
his career. |
The most
common forms of sushi are:
Nigiri-sushi (hand shaped)
Oshi-sushi (pressed)
Maki-sushi (rolled)
Chirashi-sushi
(scattered)
The artful arrangement
as well as the assortment of flavors found
in Japanese cuisine makes it a delicious and
healthy alternative. If you are counting
calories, carbohydrates, trying to reduce
your blood pressure or adhering to a special
nutritional guideline explore the advantages
found in the Japanese diet.
At Amimoto’s you will
find a relaxing atmosphere, wonderful food
and a very friendly staff. Tony invites you
to join him for lunch
Monday – Friday from11:30 to 2:30 or for
dinner Monday – Saturday from 5:30 to
9:30pm. He is closed on Sundays.
Amimoto Restaurant - Towles Plaza
2705 Tamiami Trail Suite 115
Punta Gorda (41) 505-1515 |
restaurant
serving delicious Japanese cuisine right here in
Punta Gorda.
