I miss the Japanese restaurants in NYC. They are more prevalent than pizzerias it seems.rob obrienFrom NY TimesHiroko Masuike for The New York Times Go! Go! Curry in the garment center, which is a tribute to Hideki Matsui, drew baseball and curry fans alike after Mr. Matsui drove home six runs to help the Yankees win their 27th World Series.
If there is a single shrine to honor Hideki Matsui in New York City, it is located on a grimy corner in the garment center at 237 West 38th street.
Many athletes are memorialized by sports bars and diners. This one is worshiped at a curry joint, specifically a Japanese curry joint. The walls of the four-table Go! Go! Curry have been a tribute to all things Matsui in the two and a half years since it opened.
A running tally of his home runs (28) hangs above the cash register. There are Matsui photos, Matsui caricatures, Matsui autographs, Matsui Japanese newspaper clippings with his last name, 松井, blaring in the headlines. Even the name, Go! Go!, was picked because of Mr. Matsui. “Go” is “5″ in Japanese and 55 is Matsui’s jersey number. Whenever Mr. Matsui hits a home run, the restaurant gives away coupons the next day (and on days ending in 5).
So a true gustatory celebration of the Yankees latest World Series win and Mr. Matsui’s Most Valuable Player award did not involve hot dogs, pretzels or Cracker Jack.
Instead, it meant indulging in one of the national dishes of Japan, the sturdy slightly sweet curry roux atop rice, also known as karē raisu. Go! Go! sells karē raisu in portions like “Grand Slam” and “Home Run.”
During Thursday lunch, about 300 Matsui fans, Yankee fans and curry fans spilled out onto the sidewalk, waiting up to 40 minutes to get their food at what is ostensibly a fast food place. A large poster screaming Matsui’s M.V.P. award, adorned with “No. 1″ and Yankees logos, had already been placed in the window to honor Mr. Matsui’s status.
“I make sure to come whenever Matsui hits a home run,” said Maria Diaz, 23, who knew that a special promotion would have to be in the works for Mr. Matsui’s memorable performance. Indeed, Mr. Matsui’s home run, six runs batted in and M.V.P. award translated to five coupons, retail value of up to $10, that could be exchanged for bonus toppings like boiled egg, sausage and pork cutlets.
Paul Sammon, a long-time Yankees fan, got a voice mail message Thursday morning from a co-worker, John Baroody, saying there were two options for lunch: Go! Go! or a Philly cheese-steak place to make fun of the owners.
They chose Go! Go! to “be part of the occasion,” said Mr. Baroody, as he dug into the heaping metal plate of rice, curry and fried cutlet. “This is a celebratory crowd,” he said.
Mr. Baroody had watched Mr. Matsui’s first home run for the Yankees, in the 2003 season. “I’m happy he’s going to get a World Series ring.”
The Go! Go! on West 38th Street is the lone outpost in the United States of a large chain that has nearly 30 locations in Japan. It was started by the owner, Hirokazu Miyamori, because he was inspired by a grand slam that he saw Mr. Matsui hit in New York.
Mr. Miyamori has flown across continents and oceans to hold up signs that say “Go Go Matsui!” at Yankees games. He flew from Japan to watch Game 2 of the World Series last Thursday, sitting behind first base, said Kazuko Nagao, a spokeswoman for Go! Go! Mr. Miyamori was on his way back to Japan when the Yankees won Wednesday night.
Mr. Miyamori and Mr. Matsui both have roots in Kanagawa, in the Ishikawa prefecture in Japan. Photographs of the two of them, with Mr. Matsui towering over Mr. Miyamori, appear on the walls. However, Mr. Matsui has never been to the store, Ms. Kagao said.
There is one delicate question. Mr. Matsui’s new free agent status means there is a fair chance that he may have played his last game for the Yankees.
Would Go! Go! still offer giveaways if Mr. Matsui hit a home run for another team?
The New York branch will always be here, though it might not continue with the coupon giveaway if Mr. Matsui leaves, Ms. Nagao said. But the restaurant might continue to support him regardless of his affiliation, she said.
And other cities might benefit from his success, she added. “If he moves to another town, we might follow him, open up another restaurant.”
Jennifer 8. Lee/The New York Times People waited up to 40 minutes at Go! Go! Curry in the garment center, which was doing a promotion to honor Hideki Matsui and his Most Valuable Player award in the World Series.
I miss the Japanese restaurants in NYC. They are more prevalent than pizzerias it seems.
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