at KOTO

i thought koto was a japanese restaurant because the name sounded like japanese. it was not. it meant 'know one, teach one'. thus the name KOTO - a not-for-profit restaurant and vocational training program that is changing the lives of street and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam.

the ground floor. pillows adorned the wall seats.

the stairs leading to the second floor. on the walls were bricks with written names of perhaps donors and patrons of the restaurant.

the setting was more homey and comfortable. the lighting was subdued as well. more pillows...

there was another stair leading to the rooftop.

my meal for the night - river fish curry with winter squash tips and rice.

they have all been in vietnam for at least a year. we talked of happenings at work, relationships, cultural events, food from home, trips - the list went on. they were open, funny and warm people. later we went out to have desserts. dropped by one place which had generic names on their menu like various cakes and a glass of yogurt. it was not appealing at all so we ended up in an italian resto where we had ice cream and panna cota.

i was just on my third week and vietnam seemed to be already warming up to me...