(Image: Anbai)
Another Capitol Hill counter expert has helped Anbai’s start — Rie Otsuka, right, has lended some of her experience growing Sankaku Japanese Onigiri Cafe and Bar to Mukohata (Image: Anbai)
By Emily Riehl
The mix of small spaces for shops and restaurants inside the warrens of Capitol Hill’s Chophouse Row have provided homes for some of the neighborhood’s most interesting businesses.
One of those spaces is currently host to one of those ventures you — and your tummy — should check out.
Meanwhile, another food and drink project benefitting from Chophouse is ready to strike out for a new start away from the challenging and expensive environment of Seattle.
Tummy, meet Anbai, the latest resident of perhaps the most interesting space inside this 11th Ave collection of interesting spaces — the Chophouse Row counter.
“Focusing on improving your gut health through fermented delicious healthy food” is the guiding mantra of Anbai. Run nearly single-handedly by owner Fumiyo Mukohata, the eatery is just getting started, serving up a variety of bento boxes and nutrient-packed dishes designed to boost digestion, fight inflammation, and protect your gut from toxins.
About 20 years ago, Mukohata moved from Japan with expertise in the “the inner beauty diet” emphasizing fermented foods rich in probiotics that support digestion and gut health. After her daughter developed multiple allergies, Mukohata became deeply interested in how certain foods can benefit health, eventually discovering that traditional fermented Japanese foods like miso, and shoyu koji were particularly helpful.
“The gut and the brain are connected. If your gut is healthy, your mind is healthy,” says Mukohata. Continue reading →
