Wild Ginger: Fresh sushi, good wine

Monday to Thursday
11:30-2 and 4:30pm to 9pm

Friday 11:30-2 & 4:30-10 Saturday 12pm-10pm

Crane Chandelier

Origami cranes perched and nested on every surface of our home.  They hung in ribbons off of the second floor, piled in large gray tubs, and sat in neat rows waiting to receive their new golden feathers.  It was at this point that I had realized how complicated my mom’s innocent idea for decorating our restaurant Wild Ginger on 116^th street had become.  As the daughter of the owners of Wild Ginger, I have the privilege to see many customers marvel at our new crane creation.  Little do they know of the work process put into this creative crane chandelier.  This project’s original goal, which started in September, 2009, was to make 1000 origami cranes to decorate the restaurant.  Why 1000 you ask?  Let me explain the work process, the meaning behind the cranes and our whole crane making adventure.

In Japan making 1000 origami cranes will grant the person their most valued wish.  Legend has said a crane is known to live for 1000 years.  This is why 1000 cranes must be made in order for the wish to be fulfilled.  There is also a saying that I found interesting, a crane among chickens, which means something is special in the midst of others.  During the project while I was researching, I read a biography, Sadako and the Thousand Cranes.  In one of the many versions of this famous tale, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, when Sadako Sasaki was only two years old.  As she grew up she developed Leukemia from the radiation produced by the deadly bomb.  While in the hospital, she attempted to make 1000 cranes in order for her most valued wish, world peace, to come true.  She died when she was twelve years old not having completed her task.  Her classmates finished the remaining amount of cranes, and she was buried with all 1000 cranes, which is why the cranes have come to represent world peace.

Since 1000 cranes symbolize peace and love our goal was to make this many hoping to pass along peace and love to Wild Ginger on 116th street and its patrons.  Sadako was only able to make 644 cranes before she passed away.  Even though there are around 600 cranes on display in the chandelier, we have already made a total of 1000 cranes.  In haste to get this project done before Wild Ginger opened we always had origami paper handy.  From the first day we started making cranes until the day the chandelier was installed we took origami paper everywhere.  We took it to restaurants and made cranes while we waited for our food, on long car rides, and while my mom watched TV she strung the cranes on fishing line.  Cranes were even mailed to us from my cousins and aunt in Florida, and my grandma made 200 for us.  Now I can make one in my sleep even though at first it was a struggle to make my first one.  Not only did we make many cranes, we also spray painted some of them.

If you look up under the chandelier, you will notice shimmery gold cranes seated next to a mix of multicolored ones.  We had hoped to spray paint all of the cranes gold, but as we spray painted the first batch we began to run out.  After calculating how many cans of spray paint we would need, we decided not to spray paint all of the cranes, due to cost.  One windy day, before we did our calculations, my mom was spray painting cranes outside on the front porch of our house.  Suddenly we had runaway cranes. All of the ones waiting to be spray painted were staged inside a cardboard box, which had blown over.  Blustering winds carried the cranes in all directions and we stumbled downhill across the yard to collect them.  I couldn’t help but think how crazy we look to people passing as we scrambled to collect all of the cranes.

The steps to making the cranes chandelier were not extremely difficult, but very time consuming.  Obviously, making many cranes is the first step but try not to get Carpal Tunnel.  My mom and I bought fishing line and clear beads at Hobby Lobby so we could start stringing the cranes.  When we tied the strings of cranes to the circular ring, both of us had already poked our fingers with the needle many times.

Even though the majority of the cranes have been hung up for people to see, my mom has already planned to add the rest to make a total of 1000 cranes.  All of the cranes finally migrated out of our house but I think they will be back.  Making the crane chandelier was a fun family project that also benefited the restaurant.  When customers asked where was the chandelier purchased, I’m proud to be able to say that my family made it, and I was a part of it.  This demonstrates that a thousand step journey began with a simple step or in this case a simple crane.  We hope that Wild Ginger on 116th street will be considered a unique Japanese sushi restaurant, a crane among chickens.

This is what they wrote: “Purists may scoff at the gimmick, but the understated cool of Wild Ginger’s Flaming Dragon roll – rice wrapped eel topped with a creamy crab salad and brought to the table with flames licking at the sides of its foil cradle – has our unwavering respect.  The caramelizing effect of rum lends a… sweet-and tangy barbecued flavor that leaves a lasting impression.”

Would you like to try the Flaming Dragon featured in Indianapolis Monthly? It will be on special for $12 till December 9th, 2010.

Thanks to those who came to the sake seminar. Everyone found at least one sake that they liked tonight. It was fun to sit down and talk with everyone too! Hana Awaka Sparkling sake was tonight’s favorite. Other favorites were the Osakaya Chobei, Karatamba, Ohtouka, Ozeki Nigori and Nambushi. Special thanks to Jane Milauskas from the Marchetti Company and Katie Harty from Monarch Beverage.