Asian street food reimagined.

Back in the day — while I was in graduate school studying philosophy — I often fantasized becoming an auto mechanic. I never became one. Instead, I chose journalism as a lifelong career. After decades of writing and half a dozen books, I came to face a major setback. I found myself increasingly alienated from readers, who precipitously declined in the age of the Internet.

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My graduate school fantasy suddenly got rekindled, this time in the form of cooking. Food became my new passion. The metamorphosis was a decade-long process. While I was a stay-home writer, I assumed cooking duties for my family.  One of my daughters was a vegetarian, so I had to cater to her dietary needs, often cooking multiple dishes.  Eventually, the entire family of mine — my wife, Helene, had been a long-time vegetarian when we met — adopted a vegetarian diet.

Along the way, I learned how to cook simple yet delicious plant-based food, delving into my Japanese cultural background. 

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In January 2017, we left Montclair, New Jersey, our hometown of more than 25 years, and settled in Denver. My goal was to open a vegetarian restaurant with an Asian inspired menu. This initial idea went mobile and a food truck was started. My introduction to the warm and informed Denver vegan community has inspired me to commit further to a plant-based diet.  mu Denver, as my new food truck is called, served up its first bowl of vegan ramen in front of Nooch Vegan Market on July 20, 2018.

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It became obvious that I would not be able to run it all alone. My wife, Helene, agreed to help me manage the truck. mu Denver is more than just a business, it had became a symbol of our ever-evolving marriage and our ever evolving offerings of plant-based meals. 

Cooking and serving food has been a community building experience. When a bowl of ramen makes a customer smile — or jump up and down and clap in anticipation — I feel satisfaction and gratitude that my offering can provide so much happiness.

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-Yuki Ishikawa