I took the family out to Yamato Village to go eat at a new curry restaurant we heard of. A friend had eaten there and told us the owner loves cowboys and indians and the curry wasn't half bad. So we decided to drive out and see for ourselves.
Nikon D60, Sigma 30mm f/1.4, 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 -- EXIF
One of the Many
The name of the cafe was "Westerner's Cafe". He had so many signs on the side of the road and around his cafe that you could close your eyes, throw a rock and probably hit at least one.
Nikon D60, Sigma 30mm f/1.4, 1/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 -- EXIF
Another One of the Many
Nikon D60, Sigma 30mm f/1.4, 1/60 sec, f/1.4, ISO 100 -- EXIF
"Hey there pilgrim..."
(he didn't say that really)
This guy is the owner. He had the whole John Wayne thing going on. He walked with his arms kind of bent and swayed a bit as he did and he always put his hands on his hips. His little establishment was loaded with nicknacks, trinkets and signs that he made himself.
When I say his "little establishment", it really was little. Inside it was pretty cramped and there were only 2 tables. My daughter and wife and I sat at one table and there was probably enough room at the other table for 2 more people (although you would probably bump elbows with them). On the other hand, he did have a deck outside that sat probably 5 or 6 more people and some tall tables you could stand at to eat.
When we first got there, there were a bunch of cars and bikes parked out front. I didn't think we were going to be able to get the chance to eat there but some were just finishing up so the timing was just right. I wanted to take a photo of his cafe but there were too many cars out front and just couldn't get a nice photo.
Nikon D60, Sigma 30mm f/1.4, 1/40 sec, f/3.2, ISO 100 -- EXIF
Curry and Naan
We all ordered the naan curry set. When he makes rice, he only makes a certain amount and when that runs out, it's out and you have to order something else. Since we were having a late lunch, he was out of rice and we went with the naan.
The curry and naan was pretty good. The serving was rather small but I was grateful for this because I'm trying to slim down and I'm watching my portion sizes. In the above photo, the glasses with water aren't much bigger than a shot glass. So you can kind of get the idea how big the set was.
After I finished eating, I went out to take some photos of some of the signs and trinkets he had.
Nikon D60, Sigma 30mm f/1.4, 1/60 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 -- EXIF
Clean Your Boots and Check Your Guns
Nikon D60, Sigma 30mm f/1.4, 1/4000 sec, f/2.0, ISO 100 -- EXIF
John Wayne
One of the Greatest On-screen Cowboys
Nikon D60, Sigma 30mm f/1.4, 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 100 -- EXIF
Chained Up Hog
Nikon D60, Sigma 30mm f/1.4, 1/1250 sec, f/1.4, ISO 100 -- EXIF
Some of His Collected Plates
As I said, he had loads of trinkets and signs to photograph, but we didn't have too much time so there are a few of the ones I did take.
Again, I only brought my Sigma 30mm f/1.4 along. Probably for the next couple of times I go out, I'm only going to take this lens with me for practice.
3 comments:
I linked to your blog from Jeffrey Friedl's blog. I am so surprised that this says Westener's cafe and whole cowboy decor but food is Indian Naan and curry!! Is there a story around it or no one noticed it. One would expect food to be hotdogs or burgers and such.
Thanks!
You know, I don't know. lol His wife is the actual cook and he is sort of like the host/waiter. At first I thought they maybe had a menu that changes from day to day, but it turns out, that's the menu. They had curry and rice, curry and naan, curry and potatoes.
His wife is originally from here in Amami. I forget exactly where he said they lived before, but I think he said Hyougo-ken in the mountains. He used to be a fly fishing instructor. He said his dream is to die in Arizona.
What a cool set photos Earnest. I went to Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah a couple of years ago. This guy would fit in perfectly. There are LOTS of these types of places... signs by the road, lots of kitsch hanging all over. He may want to die in Arizona, but I think he would feel most at home in Kanab, Utah. We stayed there for a few days. Kanab has been called "Little Hollywood" by the locals due to the fact that so many Western shows and movies (including John Wayne movies) were filmed in and around Kanab. Check out the Wikipedia listing!
Gary in GR, Mich
Post a Comment
Keep the language clean please. I have family that see this. Tell us what part of the world you're in.