Feeding The Masses (Ichiro)

asami

Jul 23, 2012 15:09:48 GMT -6

The Sato mansion was an expansive place, and given that it only permanently housed two people, generally a quiet one as well. From time to time it would suddenly fill with guests chatting merrily amongst themselves; they were always the privileged of Republic City, friends or business partners of the illustrious Hiroshi Sato. His daughter was no less social. Asami was not the only child of Republic City's wealthiest citizens, and over the years many of those who had also been born into economic royalty had become well known to her. Some were merely tolerated, for Asami was both unimpressed by entitlement and too polite to say so, but several had genuinely become close friends.

One of those children - or young adults now, rather - was Mingyu Tseng, the daughter of a wealthy clothing designer. Though younger by almost two years, she and Asami had become fast friends as children and remained close as they grew older and more involved in their respective familial industries. It had been some time now since Asami had seen her friend, but the perfect opportunity to do so had presented itself. In several weeks, Mingyu would be celebrating her seventeenth birthday. Although her parents traditionally hosted a lavish gathering for the event, they had been happy to allow Asami to assume the responsibilities for her friend. Most of her free time lately had been spent planning the celebration, but there were still one crucial detail that had yet to be completed: the menu. That was why Asami now stepped through the doors of Watashi's Restaurant during the post-lunch, pre-dinner lull. Mingyu had mentioned this restaurant months ago, heralding it as one of the best she had ever tried, and the thought of pleasing her friend was more than enough encouragement to send Asami across town on this particular errand.

Though the restaurant was mostly quiet, several tables were still occupied by those clever enough to take advantage of the time. Asami had hoped to find less people eating - the last thing she wanted to do was interrupt those at work - but at the same time she was pleased to see that there were so many people present in the restaurant. If it was still busy even between meals, the food had to be as good as Mingyu claimed. Asami just wished she had come here before and had an opportunity to see for herself. Her dark, loose waves of hair bounced gently as she strode further into the restaurant, and her green eyes slid of the room as she searched for an employee to question. Hopefully her timing would be good and she would be able to speak to a manager while she was here instead of having to return later on. "Excuse me," Asami spoke up, lifting her hand slightly to catch the attention of a young man walking past her. "Sorry to bother you, but is there a manager here I would be able to talk to?"

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Gia

Jul 23, 2012 22:12:12 GMT -6

Ken froze as Asami waved at him, asking for a manager. “Uh…. Sure,” he said, blinking at the pretty young woman. “Hold on.” He walked over to Ichiro and told him about her before going back to work.

Ichiro had been working. His father was doing a few interviews, so he had left his son momentarily in charge. Kohaku Watashi had told him more than once over that this was the best way to learn to be a manager. You had to learn from those that already were, and then just do it yourself. Honestly, it made the Waterbender nervous. He knew that he was going to eventually, and his father was by no means pushing him into anything, but… still, he didn’t like being a manager. He’d mentioned this to his dad, and the man had just said that he would get used to it. It didn’t feel like ever would, though, but he was constantly reminded by both his parents that he shouldn’t worry about it. With time, he would get better and managing other people. He was already a people person, and the rest he could learn by watching his father, mother, and the others that are in charge in the store.

Ichiro was on duty today with two other people – a young man by the name of Ken, in his first job, and a more senior waitress by the name of Ami. Ken had two tables, Ami and himself had three. The Waterbender was taking care of an elderly couple who came in every week and requested him. They loved him, and constantly told him how sweet and wonderful he was. It was very flattering, though he wasn’t nicer to them than he was to anyone else. One of the other tables he had was a family of four, mom, dad, and two kids, a boy and a girl. They were being rather rude and annoying, but he just put a smile on his face and went on. Some people were just like that, and there was no use getting upset about it. His other table was a couple of teenage girls, chatty and giggly, they were a few years younger than him and in ways, far more annoying than the family. At least no one in the family giggled at him every time he walked over to them.

Ichiro had been about to go and check on his couple again when Ken walked over to him. He said there was a young woman asking for the manager, and he knew Ichiro’s dad, who normally handled things like this (being the general manager) was doing interviews in a corner of the store. Therefore, he had come to get the manager’s son and person-in-charge at the moment, himself. Nodding, he thanked Ken before spotting the woman in question and going over to her. “I’m sorry, my father’s doing interviews at the moment,” he explained, his voice kind and gentle. “Is there something I can help you with?” She was very pretty, and if he had any interest in women at all, he might have liked her. However, since he didn’t, it was nothing more than passing thought as he waited for her answer.

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asami

Jul 30, 2012 8:23:39 GMT -6

Asami smiled and thanked the young man, who strode away a moment later. Alone once again, she took a moment to inspect the interior of the restaurant. It was a lovely place. Not the most high-end restaurant in the city, but it had that comfortable feel of a family-run business. Once again, Asami found herself wishing she had taken the time to try the food here prior to her presence now. It smelled delicious, and when she glanced over the faces of those currently eating, they seemed impressed. Perhaps she would have a small plate while she was here, if only to satisfy her own curiosity. The family chefs wouldn't be happy if she ate out without alerting them to such, as they despised having any of their cooking going to waste, but a sample of the cuisine wouldn't harm her appetite for dinner in any significant way. If not today, then she would have to make sure to come back at another time to try the food, perhaps when they were less busy. It was hardly the dinner rush at the moment, but again there were several occupied tables and it didn't appear that a great number of servers were working at the moment. What little work there was would likely keep them occupied.

Asami turned to the second young man who approached, this time with more of a sense of authority about him than the other. His words quickly explained why. This was a family business, and the son was clearly old enough to be taking on some of the responsibilities that came with operating such a place. He seemed better-mannered than many in his position, though. Again, Asami knew many people whose parents were at the forefront of an industry, and being the offspring of the 'boss' often gave a person an unwarranted sense of self-accomplishment. Having a person's parent be successful did not automatically make that person above everyone else around him or her. That was why Asami had always striven to secure her own accomplishments autonomous from her father's. It was pleasing to see that this young man did not walk with his nose in the air as so many others did, and as someone interested in the business of this restaurant, it was encouraging for Asami to see. Her father had always taught her to refuse to do business with someone whose moral character was in question. It set a bad image for a company to be associated with another whose image was frowned upon.

"Yes, please," Asami replied, offering the young man a quick, polite bow. "I'm sorry to take time away from your work. My name is Asami Sato, and I was wondering if your restaurant offers catering. I'm hosting a birthday party for a friend of mine; she loves it here. It would be amazing if she could have some of her favorite food there." She hoped they did, but if not, she supposed it wouldn't be the end of the world. Maybe she would simply take Mingyu here for lunch some time for them to privately celebrate her birthday. That being said, Asami would certainly prefer to serve food at the celebration that her friend had already stated she enjoyed.

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Gia

Aug 5, 2012 21:48:25 GMT -6

OOC: So sorry for the wait.

Ichiro was instantly surprised as she said her name. The Asami Sato, daughter of Hiroshi Sato? He was even more surprised that she was here, in his restaurant. He didn’t show any outward sign of surprise, though and just smiled at her. She seemed nice, so at least that was something. He always hated it when people came in here, and were rude about whatever it was that they needed. At least she wasn’t an angry customer. In fact, he had never seen her in here before, but then again, why would Asami Sato come in here to his restaurant? They were not high class, and surely those were the only places that someone of her upbringing would be in here. She quickly, explained that, though. So, her friend enjoyed their food? That was a nice compliment. What surprised him even more was that she wanted their restaurant to cater a party for her friend’s birthday.

This was big. His father had talked about opening another restaurant on the other side of town. If this went well, it could open doors for the restaurant – introducing their food to a crowd who normally wouldn’t walk in their doors. “Excellent,” he said, outwardly showing no signs of his inner thoughts. “Let me go and talk to my father real quick, and I will get right back to you. Please, take a seat, Miss Sato.” He motioned for Ami to get her a glass of water, and she did so. He went over real quick to check on his elderly couple. With that, he went over to where his father was doing interviews, away from the eyes of anyone in the restaurant. He mouthed that he needed to talk to him. His father excused himself from the interviewee, a young man about his age, and walked over to his only child. “I’m sorry, Dad, but I need to talk to you. Asami Sato walked in, and yes, it’s her. She wants us to cater a party for her friend, who loves our food.”

His father excused himself again from the interviewee, and followed him where Asami was. His father held out his hand to her. “Wonderful to meet you, Miss Sato,” he said. “We would be honored to cater a party for you. My son, Ichiro, will handle it. I have full faith that he will accommodate any needs for catering this party for your friend.” He felt his father pat his father pat him on his back, and then walked off with a smile. He stood there for a moment before realizing that he had a job to do. “Let me take care of what I need to do, and I’ll be right back.” He handed his elderly couple their ticket, and then told Ami to take his two top – they would distract Ken. He knew it was risky to give the rude table to Ken, but he knew that if he gave the girls to them that they would distract him from doing his job. He told Ken to take the four top, telling him to be overly nice and polite to them no matter what.

Ichiro went into his father’s office, and grabbed something to write with and something to write on. He wanted to able to take notes. He was extremely nervous about doing this, but if he was going to do it, he wanted to do it right. The brunet took a deep breath, and then walked back out into the dining room, making sure to grab a menu. He saw Asami, and went and sat down across from her. “Sorry about that, had to make sure everything was covered.” He knew that Ami would watch Ken, so he wasn’t worried about something happening. Besides, if anything did happen, then he was right here and they could come and get him and would he take care of it while his father was busy. “Okay, so you want us to cater you friend’s party? When is this party? How many people? Oh!” He handed her the menu. “That’s what we offer, so you can look over it. If you want to try a few things, let me know, and I’ll tell my mom to make it.”

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asami

Aug 8, 2012 13:18:32 GMT -6

Asami took a seat as she was invited to do so, content to wait and relax while the young man fetched his father. The seats were comfortable, the atmosphere warm. As she was arriving unannounced during business hours she was not surprised that she would have to wait a bit, nor would she hold it against them. In fact, she was appreciated quickly they were willing to discuss this with her, again given her lack of any sort of notice. Asami thanked the server who brought her a glass of water, then took a sip. It was surprisingly refreshing; she hadn't realized how great her thirst had become until that moment. She took another sip, then set the glass down. Her fingers marred the foggy surface, leaving patches of clarity in the gathered condensation. She raised her hand and dragged the nail of her index finger along the glass to draw little designs in the droplets.

She had only been waiting for a few minutes when the young man before returned with an older gentleman, presumably his father. The heiress stood, extending her own hand to shake the one offered out to her. "It's lovely to meet you," Asami smiled. Their willingness to accommodate her was sweet, considering how busy they appeared to be. The amount of customers present may not have been at its greatest of the day, but she doubted they were all just sitting about twiddling their thumbs. Especially since, as Ichiro had said, his father had interviews to conduct. Once Mr. Watashi had delegated responsibility to his son and returned to his duties, Asami waved a hand dismissively as Ichiro promised to be back shortly. "Take your time, I'm not in a hurry," she assured him. Once he had left, she took her seat once more and resumed trailing designs in the condensation of her water glass. Patience was fortunately a virtue she usually had a fair amount of, though it certainly didn't apply to all areas of her life. Waiting for someone to complete their work was understandable; waiting on a slow vehicle was sinful.

Once Ichiro had returned, Asami shook her head. "Like I said, it's fine," she grinned. She was, however, glad to get down to business. While she didn't mind waiting, she wasn't particularly fond of wasting time. The non-bender twisted her lips as she thought. There were a few people who had yet to get back to her, but she had a good enough idea of who was and was not attending to give a reasonably accurate number. "I'd say about a hundred people," she estimated. "And it will be a month from tomorrow." She gladly accepted the menu handed to her. Her green eyes ran over the meals and their descriptions; one stood out to her, and Asami realized it was the dish that Mingyu had told her about. She never would have remembered the name on her own, but having it right there before her forced the memory to come rushing forward. "This all looks really good," she said approvingly as she read over the dishes. No wonder her friend liked this place. It wasn't as upscale as most of the restaurants Asami ate at, but the food still sounded and smelled delicious. "I already know I'd like to have some of this served, it's her favorite," she said, tapping her index finger against the dish Mingyu had recommended weeks prior.

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Gia

Aug 8, 2012 21:47:59 GMT -6

OOC: Sorry for the wait.

Ichiro liked dealing with Asami. It made it easier doing this when he was dealing with someone who was so nice and polite. His family’s restaurant had catered parties before. Usually, they didn’t need more than a few waiters. They need more kitchen people, obviously, but they’d hired out before for that. It was by volunteer-basis only, as usually, enough people volunteered so that they didn’t have to schedule it. There was always someone who needed the money and was willing to work an extra shift for extra money – and you always got paid better doing a private party than actually working in the restaurant. He would get the most, since he was running the show this time. It made him nervous, but at least his contact person was so nice. It did honestly make everything much easier.

Ichiro nodded as Asami pointed out the dish that she wanted, one of the main course ones. He wrote it down on his piece of paper, also writing down the date of her friend’s party. “Okay, so how do you want to do this?” he asked her. “Do you want it buffet style? Would you rather that we served it?” if they wanted a plated dinner, it would take more, but as they had hired out before for kitchen staff, they could do so for wait staff as well. In fact, once, they had a deliver person volunteer to wait tables to make extra money. Buffet style was easier for the wait staff. Plated was easier for the kitchen. “Where is this going to be? I mean to say, is there going to be a kitchen there we can use?” It would be easier if the kitchen could do the prep here, and then cook everything there, instead of having to cook everything and make sure that it stayed hot.

Ichiro’s mind was already thinking about how this would work. What else did he have to ask? Oh, yes, soup or salad. “Did you want soup or salad, neither? Or both? Any of our desserts that you wanted?” That was typical of most parties – offer a three course menu. A buffet would allow people to choose their own portions, but some party hosts preferred that their guests didn’t have to get up and serve themselves. It was a personal preference. It depended on what kind of party the young woman was having for her friend. If it was a bit more upscale, then she would probably want it a plated three course meal. If it was a bit… looser, then she might still want three courses, but it would be on a buffet. He was trying to think of anything, because he did not want to screw this up. This was so important, she had no idea. He motioned for Ami, and told her to have his mom make the dish that Asami requested – her friend’s favorite. It was one of the more popular dishes.

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Last edit: Aug 8, 2012 21:58:10 GMT -6

asami

Aug 13, 2012 10:09:24 GMT -6

Ichiro asked the right questions, many of which Asami had yet to even consider. This wouldn't be her first large-scale gathering by any means, but admittedly she hadn't thrown many herself. In fact, this would probably the largest. Part of her was nervous; she didn't want to mess this up, considering it was for a good friend of hers. Regardless, she knew a good deal of her anxiety was unwarranted. She knew how this was supposed to go, and even if she didn't have all of the answers, she knew it would be fairly simple to gather the information she presently lacked. People like Ichiro did this for a living, after all. They knew what needed to be done even if she didn't, and part of their job was to provide expertise where it was otherwise lacking. Asami was an intelligent girl and even when she personally wasn't experienced in a certain area, she was perceptive enough to catch when someone had a comprehensive grasp on a subject versus when he or she was simply blowing smoke. Ichiro absolutely gave off the impression that he knew what he was doing, despite his age. This was a family business, she had to remind herself; he had probably been doing this for a long time or, like her, at least watching and understanding how it was done.

Under the table, Asami folded one leg over the other. If this were one of her father's gatherings, a plated dinner would be the more logical option. But, given that this was a celebration for a younger generation - and thus less formal - the buffet would likely be the best way to go. Asami knew that there would be older guests as well, but knowing Mingyu and the rest of their circle of heirs and heiresses, they would be happier running and getting as much food as they liked between whatever mischief they were plotting at any given moment. "I'd say buffet," she grinned slightly. "There will be a few people there I can't picture sitting still for a plated dinner." Not everyone had been raised as well as the rest; Mingyu associated herself with several other teens who had been spoiled from birth by their wealthy families and were, to put it kindly, a bit restless. If it were up to Asami they wouldn't even be attending, but she had to remind herself that this was Mingyu's party, not her own.

While she was unsure of what the kitchen of Watashi's looked like, she was confident that her home kitchen - which was more to a professional standard than most - would serve their needs. She was equally sure that their regular chefs, while appreciating an evening off, wouldn't be happy to give up their expansive kitchen to whom they would consider outsiders; they tended to be a bit territorial. "It'll be at my home, so you can use our kitchen," Asami explained. "We should have everything there that you would need." If not, there was still enough time before the party that she could scrounge up whatever they might need. Ichiro's next questions caused the young heiress to return to perusing the menu, this time to the dessert section. "Both soup and salad would be great," she answered as her green eyes flickered over the selection. Giving the guests options was key; with as many people present as there would be, the odds of everyone desiring the same food was extremely low. "How about these two?" Asami requested, motioning to the desserts in question. Again, options: not everyone was going to want the same dessert at the end of the evening.

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Gia

Aug 13, 2012 19:25:30 GMT -6

Ichiro’s heart was being so fast in his chest that he was sure Asami could hear it. She didn’t seem to act like she did, though, and of course, the Waterbender wouldn’t ask if she thought he was acting nervous. If she was, then she wasn’t acting like it. The brunet wondered if the dark-haired young woman had ever done something like this before. It seemed effortless to her, but he knew that just because she was acting like that didn’t mean that’s how she felt. For instance, he was very anxious, but he was acting like it. He kept his voice even, he smiled at her when he needed to, and he was polite and calm when speaking to her. He knew every question to ask. Of course, that was from being raised in a restaurant with parents who had been doing this since before he was born. It was in his blood, after all. His grandfather had run it, then his father and one day, it would be his job to run the restaurant.

At Asami’s comment about there being people there that she couldn’t picture sitting still, Ichiro gave her a friendly smirk. “Heh, I understand that, believe me,” he said. He wrote that down as well on his paper that he had in front of him. They would be using the kitchen in her house, in the Sato mansion. Wow, that was… that was huge. He didn’t outwardly act like it was a big deal, but he hadn’t known until then that the party would be in the Sato mansion. They would be there, using her kitchen. It was incredible to think about, and surely that would get people interested in wanting to do the party, simply for that reason. Sure, his own parent’s house was nice, but the Waterbender could only imagine with her father’s house was like. After all, Watashi Restaurant was nothing compared to the Sato Empire. Part of him was excited, the other nervous. This was a big deal, and if he screwed this up it could have negative consequences. On the other hand, if he got it right, it could make things a lot better for the restaurant.

Asami answered his other questions, too. She wanted both soup and salad, so he wrote that down. He knew just the kind of soup to serve, too. A smile crossed his face, but he quickly wiped it off as the young woman across from him pointed out the two deserts that she wanted. “Excellent choice,” he said, writing it down. “I also suggest rice and vegetables to be served along with the main course. “Give me one second and I’ll have some samples ready for you.” He stood up and went into the kitchen. “Mom, mom!” He called, and his mother’s head popped around a machine. She asked what he wanted. “Asami Sato is here. Dad put me in charge of a party she’s throwing. I need these things,” and he mentally read off the list he had left on the table. Luckily, he had a pretty good memory for stuff like this. She repeated it back, and said she’d have the soup ready first. He thanked her, and then went back out to Asami. “My mother’s preparing the soup. She won’t be there at the party, but her assistant will, and he’s more than capable.” He looked down at the list: one month, main course, Sato Mansion, soup and salad, and the two desserts, with a note about rice and vegetables. “Anything else that you want to have there?”

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asami

Aug 17, 2012 17:17:17 GMT -6

The good-natured smirk presented by Ichiro caused Asami to let out a small laugh. It would appear that such a characteristic was not limited to one social class or another. This was hardly a surprise, but it was still something on an entertaining thought. She nodded in agreement at his recommendation for rice and vegetables. The more options the better, though she didn't want to force the kitchen to prepare fifty different meals. Serving food for roughly one hundred people would already be complicated to begin with, and having a huge array of options was hardly necessary. "That would be great, thank you," the heiress smiled when the young man across from her promised to return after relaying her requests to the kitchen.

While Ichiro was gone, Asami mentally ran over everything they had so far. A main course, some desserts, soup, salad, some side dishes for the entree... it sounded like a complete meal. The only thing she could think of that was left was drinks, but she had to silently admit that she wasn't sure how that worked. She looked back down at the menu to read which drinks were available. This part she wasn't so certain of. Everyone would want something different here, and she would imagine that some of the older guests (as well as the more stealthy of the younger generation) would prefer something alcoholic. Trying to have a large amount of various beverages available sounded like it could get a bit tricky.

Upon Ichiro's return, she decided to voice the uncertainty she had been mulling over since he had left. "How would providing drinks work?" Asami asked. Another thought struck her shortly after she had spoken. For as wonderful of a job as Ichiro was doing of guiding her through the planning process, there was someone else whose aid she would also like to acquire. "And would it be okay if I borrowed a menu and took it home for a day or two?" It would be helpful to get some input from her father, who planned these sorts of things with far more regularity than she and who would know what sorts of meals would both appeal to their guests and be a logical option for feeding a large amount of people. While part of her wanted to be able to do this entirely on her own, Asami knew it would be foolish to put her ego first and disregard the advice of someone with more experience in this area. This was her friend's party, and she wanted it to go off without a hitch, no matter how she had to accomplish that.

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Gia

Aug 18, 2012 11:25:26 GMT -6

And of course, there was something else. Ichiro had been so worried about the food that he had neglected to ask her about drinks. Asami didn’t seem to notice, though. The pretty young woman just voiced a concern that had not come up yet. The brunet didn’t flinch for a minute, but just nodded as she spoke. “That’s up to you,” he said. “Some people prefer that only certain things are served. Others prefer that we have a limited amount of everything. In that case, we would either bring more of what you want us to or we just bring more of what we usually sell more of.” The Waterbender gave her a light shrug. There were various ways that they could do this. It all depended on what the heiress wanted to spend. Part of the brunet was sure that money was no object, but that didn’t mean that she wanted to buy one hundred people drinks all night, because that could get pricey.

“We’ll bring what we have here, so we will only charge for what you want to spend.” Just because he had forgotten to talk to her about that, didn’t mean that he didn’t the right thing to say and the right thing to ask. “Also, we will need to know whether or not you want an open bar, or a limited open bar, which means only certain things would be free, and the rest would be for yuans.” A cash bar would be expensive, but more popular with the guests. Why wouldn’t it? They didn’t have to spend the money. A limited cash bar would be all right, too, though, as some people would get the free stuff, and the ones that didn’t care would pay for it themselves. “We would charge based on consumption, either way.” He waited for a moment to let her think about it before going on. “Then, of course, there’s also making them pay for all the drinks themselves.” They’d sell less, of course, and it’d be cheaper for her. It wouldn’t bother anybody, but of course people like it better when they get free stuff.

Asami then asked if she could borrow the menu. Typically, they didn’t allow that, but she wanted them to cater a party! What was he supposed to do, tell her no? “Of course,” he said. Besides, she didn’t seem like the type of person to steal a menu. Besides, it was just a menu. They could get another one, but his dad didn’t like it when they disappeared, because they cost money. “Just remember to bring it back. It’s no big deal.” Ichiro gave her a small smile, just as Ami showed up with the soup. She must have been back in the kitchen when it came out. He smiled at her. “Thanks, Ami.” She walked away, and the soup was sitting in front of his prospective client. “My mom’s famous Miso soup. Please, try it. Let me know what you think.” No one complains about the soup at his family’s restaurant, but no one else mattered right now. Right now, it was Asami’s opinion, because she needed to like the soup, so she could have it at her party. If she didn’t want it, then he would have to tell his mother to make another soup.

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Anonymous

Nov 21, 2012 18:37:28 GMT -6

Asami nodded as the man spoke to her, wondering which would be the best option to have when concerning drinks. Understanding what the catering staff would have to do for either option would be something to factor in, keeping up with supply and demand. "I'll put in an order for a few drinks,"

[/color] she told him with a look of satisfaction. "Would it be alright if I put in an order for the drinks later?"[/color] she asked, knowing she wouldn't call in asking for a menu of drinks to be gathered the night before, but at the moment, she did not know what drinks Mingyu and her other friends would enjoy to have available.

Given the option of an open bar or a limited open bar had not been something she had came in knowing she would have to choose. Of course, she knew that she was not an expert in everything, though having general knowledge of most things was handy, especially in situations like these. For her, she knew a budget was something liked though not necessary. The dark haired girl did not find pleasure in spending her father's money thriftfully without his knowledge for an event she herself was planning simply for the sake of her guests. "An open bar would be for the best,"[/color] she eventually decided, realizing she had been biting at the corner of her bottom lip. Mingyu's variety of friends might not appreciate being restricted to the buffet while others enjoyed it's endlessness. In the end, Asami knew that the majority of her guests would be for not taking advantage of her generosity as most of those in her class were brought up with .

The heiress pondered on the idea of selling the drinks. Of course, drinks wouldn't be as expensive as one of the courses or any of the deserts, but, from her experience, not many people came to parties hosted by the wealthy expecting to pay. It was a bit of a set back, but in the end she decided that it would be best to bring that up with her father as well. "I'll think on the idea of selling the drinks, but in case I forget or until I decide otherwise, shall we put it down that I'll pay for them as well?"[/color] So far the party was starting to look a tad expensive, but after a talk with her father, she was sure he would be able to give her a few helpful hints on making it a swell party without having to hand everything out for free.

When the soup came, Asami realized that she was hungry. So consumed with planning this gathering, she must have forgotten to eat or -at the very least- eaten very meagerly without noticing it. She took a spoonful of the soup, welcoming the warm liquid in her mouth. "It's delicious,"[/color] she told him, starting to agree with her friend that this was -indeed- a nice restaurant. Even their soup was tasteful, and coming from the girl who lived with a chef in her own home, such a compliment shouldn't be taken too lightly. "This would be great for the menu,"[/color] she decided after a few more spoonfuls of the delightful soup. Soup wouldn't be something she would need a lot of varieties of considering she would also be serving salad. [/blockquote][/blockquote]

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Gia

Nov 27, 2012 20:55:04 GMT -6

Ichiro nodded as Asami responded to his inquiry about the drinks. “Of course,” he said, “that would be fine. As long as you give us some time to get together what you require, it’s no problem at all.” The waiter scribbled down drinks and then a question mark next to it. Then, he glanced up at her again. The dark-haired young woman seemed to be thinking about something, and then spoke again, saying that she had opted for an open bar. He nodded again, writing over the question mark with open bar in its place. “That sounds great.” It was more expensive, but of course, guests preferred it more because it meant that they didn’t have to pay. It was also more of a pain for the staff, but organizing a party like this was not about what the staff wanted. It was about wait the host – or in this case, hostess – wanted, and the hostess wanted what would make her guests - and the guest of honor – most happy.

Ichiro smiled as Asami complimented the soup. It was one of the favorites on the menu for sure. Everyone always said how wonderful it was. “I told you it was famous,” he said, the smile still playing on his lips. “There’s reason for that. In any case, I’m glad that you like it.” It was time for the next course, as salads were a little more predictable. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment, ma’am.” With that, he ran back off to the kitchen. Thankfully, his mother already had the main course ready, with rice and veggies in small bowls next to it. “Thanks, Mom,” he said, grabbing the plate with the main course in one hand, and the two sides in the other. The brunet rushed back out to his client, setting the plate and the two bowls in front of her. If she wasn’t finished with the soup already, she would be soon. “I wanted to make sure it wasn’t cold.” He noticed that the water was full, assuming Ami must have taken care of it.

Ichiro looked up, and waved to the elderly couple as they left. He noticed a rather generous tip on the table. They always tipped him very well. They were extremely nice people, and he truly enjoyed taking care of them. Sure, he had issues with them talking too much sometimes, but he figured at their age, they were fascinated with the lives of a young person like him and had nothing better to do then talk to him. Of course, he often had to excuse himself because as much as he wanted to get paid for talking to a nice old couple, his father was paying him to learn how to be a manager and to wait tables. Looking at Asami, he waited to her what she thought of the food. They’d be back to square one if she didn’t approve of the main course. It was her friend’s favorite, though, so he doubted that she would have anything negative to say about it. It was one of the more popular dishes on the menu as well.

“I hope you enjoy it, Miss Sato,” the Waterbender said. “Let me know if you think about anything else, or want anything else with the dish.” Ichiro tried to think about what he was missing, if he was missing anything. Looking at his list, the two of them seemed to have covered everything. “Oh, and just so that you’re aware, you are free to change this, or add to it, if you wish. I can give you a rough estimate of what it will cost before you leave, so of course, if you change it, I’ll give you a new price.” The prices for catering a party were slightly different from the regular menu, as they had to offset the extra charge. “It’s also worth noting that it would only be for the food, of course, and all alcohol and other drinks will be charged on the night in question.” He tried to think of something else to say to her, because he had a good feeling that he was forgetting something.

“Oh, yes, you’re free to change the menu or add to until ten days before, and then, we’ll require at least half of the cost of the food,” he explained. “The rest you can either pay any time before the party, the day of or the day after.” They rarely had any trouble with people refusing to pay the bill. His father told him a story one time of a man who’d gotten so drunk that he’d forgotten that he hadn’t finished paying. His father had come to his house a couple days later, insisting that he finish paying the bill. The man had argued with him until Kohaku showed proof of the payments he had paid. He’d been so embarrassed that he’d tipped extremely generously. Somehow, though, he doubted that Asami Sato would be anything like that. She seemed mature and responsible, the type of person who would keep track of all that, and not drunk enough that she forgot what had happened or if she needed to finish paying.

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Anonymous

Nov 29, 2012 23:36:40 GMT -6

Asami nodded understandably. She would never expect something on a moments notice and she made a mental note to send in her order at least a week in advance, which should be plenty of time to get what she needed. After all, she doubted she would be placing any requests for anything too extravagant. At the very least there might be a few bottles of wine, if her father suggested it might be a good idea to host a party with mostly minors. She had seen some parties manage to reserve their wine for those old enough for it, but there would only be so few adults there to have it, minus a handful of parents- including hers and Mingyu's parents.

"I can see why,"

[/color] Asami confessed. There wasn't a single thing she could see that could be better. Though she came in thinking that the restaurant was pretty popular to have people in at this time of day, she began to wonder why they didn't have more. It was something quite rare to find a restaurant of this quality for prices such as these. The young woman continued to enjoy the delicacy, only distancing herself from the food to give a nod towards the man as he excused himself. Her recently realized empty stomach welcomed the warmth, warming her body up despite the fact the air in the building was already swell.

She pulled off her scarf and loosened a few buttons of her top coat as one of the other servers came by with a welcome smile as she refilled her water glass. "Thank you,"[/color] Asami said, though returning to the soup instead of cooling herself with the beverage. She was finished with her soup for only a few moments when he returned with the other portions of the meal. "Oh, it's quite fine."[/color] Though she was a little more warm than she was used to, it wasn't necessarily uncomfortable. It reminded her of a time when she was younger, on her mother's lap by the fireplace. Her mother's warmth accompanied with an open flame had been so warm, yet neither had wanted to move.

The feeling of nostalgia seemed to make her crave the food even more, even if she managed to pace herself well, taking a sip of the cool water before anything else. "This is all just wonderful. I can see why my friend recommended your restaurant,"[/color] she said after a few bites. "I don't think I'll be needing any changes to these."[/color] The real problem will be the drinks and she forced herself not to worry about that for now, that it would be a problem to discuss later with her father and, later, Ichiro.

She nodded as he continued to tell her the procedures, taking a break from the meal provided before her. "If I could get the estimate now, that would be great,"[/color] she told him. "And let me pay for this."[/color] She was sure it was meant to be free, as some sort of act of good faith, but the heiress was well off, she didn't need a free meal. She poked through her coat pocket, pulling out a small hand bag in which held a manageable amount of yuans for walking the streets with. "Please, let me,"[/color] she said without thinking, expecting some sort of resistance as she placed the money on the table.

"As for paying after the party, should I wait until everything has been packed away to pay?"[/color] Asami questioned. The last thing she would want to do is hold off money where it's due. She would wait to see when the first half of the payment should be due when she received the estimate.[/blockquote][/blockquote]

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Gia

Dec 10, 2012 20:13:44 GMT -6

Ichiro was glad that Asami liked everything. It made everything so much easier. At the young woman’s compliments, the Waterbender smiled. “Excellent, I’m glad that you like everything,” he said to her. It wasn’t that they could deal with things when a customer – or prospective client in this case – didn’t like something. It did happen, but thankfully, most people enjoyed his family’s recipes. The menu wasn’t completely unchanged from when his grandfather opened the restaurant. Some items were still on the menu, but things had been altered and changed over the years. Times changed, and so the menu needed to as well. It had all been for the best, and the business only seemed to be growing as the years went on. That’s what had prompted his father to start thinking about opening another restaurant on the other side of town. That would open their business to more people.

A thought occurred to Ichiro at that moment, but he quickly pushed it away as he heard Asami’s voice. “Of course, I’ll be right back,” he said, grabbing his notes as he excused himself. At that moment, he looked around the restaurant to make sure everything was in order. Ami and Ken seemed to be handling things well. It was still in between lunch and dinner rushes, so the brunet wasn’t too worried about them not being able to handle it. Ken wasn’t a trainee still, but it was fairly new, so he had to make sure that he wasn’t getting overwhelmed. It would be different if he’d waited tables before, but he hadn’t, so his father wanted to make sure that he could handle things before he started throwing a lot of tables at him. The two of them seemed to be handlings at the moment so he didn’t worry about it at that time.

Ichiro hurried back to his father’s office, and quickly started looking for the list of prices that his father kept around for catered events. Luckily, his father was a decently organized man, so it only took a moment to find the necessary papers that he required. Looking for what he needed, he quickly wrote down the base prices for the dishes that she’d requested. He then did the math for the amount of food they need for the approximately 100 people she’d said would be at this party she was throwing for her friend. The waiter then re-wrote everything on another piece of paper for Asami’s benefit. After all, he had been writing rather messy as it had not been meant for anyone else. He’d need to rewrite his notes, too, because other people would need to read them, as well.

Once the notes had been properly rewritten for Miss Sato’s benefit, Ichiro put his father’s notes back where he’d found them, and exited the office. The Waterbender made his way back to the table where the restaurant’s new client was sitting, and took his seat across from her. “Here are my estimations,” he said, handing her the neat paper with figures and explanations. It was pretty self-explanatory, or so he thought. It listed every item she requested, the amount of the food that she’d probably need, the base price of each item, and the total price of each item. At the bottom, it had the total figure that she’d most likely be paying for the food alone. This did not include the drinks, obviously, as she had elected to tell him what she’d need at a later date. “If something doesn’t make sense, please let me know and I’ll explain it for you.” He was pretty sure that everything would be fine, though, but you never knew.

Ichiro noticed that she’d finished her soup, but at that moment, Asami was telling him that she wanted to pay. Normally, this was supposed to be on the house, but it was not his place to refuse it if someone wanted to pay for the taste testing meal. “Of course,” he said. If she wanted to pay, that was fine. The heiress was far from the first person who’d insisted on paying for it. The young woman then switched to ask about when she should pay during the party. “Whenever you’re ready to leave is fine,” he said. “If you want to pay everything beforehand, that’s fine, too.” They were normally pretty flexible as long as it at least half was paid ten days before hand, which he’d already explained to her. “Let me get rid of that soup bowl for you,” he said, grabbing it and standing up. “I’ll be right back.”

Ichiro went back into the kitchen. His mother asked if Asami was ready for the two desserts yet. “No, not yet, I think she’s still working on her food right now,” he said. “She loves everything that she’d had so far, though.” Dropping the soup bowl off in the dish washing station before exiting the kitchen. He went back to his table and sat down across from Asami again. This entire conversation was going well so far. She still had the desserts to try, but she seemed to be eating most – if not all – of her food, so he wasn’t sure that she’d have room. At least she could try them both to see if she liked them. The heiress didn’t have to eat all of them. He’d let her take them home if she wanted and couldn’t finish. “I think we’ve covered everything, if you don’t have any other questions. There’s still the desserts to try, of course, if you still want to try to them.”

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