Mythreyi Venkateswaran

The Golden Dish: A Short Story

Started Feb. 23, 2024

Abstract or project description

Set in Domestic World War 2, Chef Tor Mochizuki, forced to sell his restaurant, is headed to Tule Lake internment camp. He is only a few feet away when a US soldier kills an Issei (first generation Japanese) couple. On the transportation bus to Tule Lake, Tor meets Keiko Nakamura, a koto player with a mysterious past and an even more mysterious agenda. Tor and Keiko quickly become friends. Eventually, they find out the couple was killed because they smuggled money from Japan. Through this mystery, Tor is thrust back into the world of food, finding his connection not only to the couple but also to Keiko, who also found work with the same couple and restaurant.