by
Helen M. Davis While it has been inspired by the culinary traditions of other countries, Japanese cuisine has taken and polished these elements to find its own exclusive style and habits. Circa 300 B.C., China was the first to lend its influence when the Japanese learned how to cultivate rice. The use of chopsticks and the consumption of tofu and soy sauce were also brought from China. Another influence that factored in the Japanese diet was the Buddhist religion, one of the two major religions in modern day Japan (the other is Shintoism). The rise of Buddhism in A.D. 700’s resulted in a ban on the consumption of meat. As a result, sushi, (raw fish with rice) came to be. Other countries engaged in trade with Japan starting in the early 1200s began to bring Western-style influences. The Dutch introduced white potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn while the Portuguese introduced tempura (batter frying). Cooking styles were simplified by the 1800s and small portions of a wide selection of vegetarian foods were served using one of five standard cooking practices. All foods were placed into five color groups (black-purple, green, red, white, and yellow) and six tastes (bitter, delicate, hot, salty, sour, and sweet). This system continues to this day. After a ban of more than a thousand years came to an end, beef made a return to Japan during the Meiji Period (1868-1912). During the later years of the twentieth century, western foods such as bread, coffee and ice cream rose in popularity. The introduction of time saving cooking processes is another western influence. Included are the electric rice cooker, instant miso (fermented soybean paste), instant pickling mixes, packaged foods such as instant noodles and soup. The Japanese, however, remain devoted to their traditions. Japanese cuisine is a favorite of many in this country and in this area, Kento's trucks can be seen parked off of 1st Street near the Guarantee Chevrolet lot in Junction City, across from the Grocery Outlet in Veneta and in Coburg. Owned by husband-and-wife Dave and Rita Wilkinson, who have parlayed one truck into four, Kento's is essentially as the words painted on the sides of the retrofitted RV’s says, “A hibachi on wheels.” This business of theirs came about quite by happenstance. They had sold their home and were living temporarily in an RV before moving into their new home. In the interim, they stored most of their belongings with Ryan Prosetyo, the then owner of Kento's, named for his brother. Prosetyo asked the Wilkinsons if they would be interested in buying the original Kento's from him and in 2022, a new venture for them was begun. Dave had experience in the food industry as he had been helping out at Valley Kitchen. The Wilkinsons assumed the contract and began to operate their Kento's truck on Chambers and 6th Street in Eugene before buying a second RV later that year and expanding to Veneta and then the third truck in Coburg. Currently, a fourth Kento's truck is being remodeled to replace the truck in Coburg, which is a rental, with Dave and his friends doing the work. The Veneta Kento's truck is actually on the move quite a bit as Kento's also does catering and has traveled to places such as Highpass Winery, Bennett Winery, 5th Street Market, and Junction City High School as well as any number of private parties. Occasionally, one truck will have to be closed in order to cover an event when a double booking happens to occur. Currently, the Wilkinsons have three employees but are hoping to add three more. Most customers of Kento's are regulars the Wilkinsons have gotten to know, and they have a healthy following on their Facebook page. Veterans are given a 10% discount as a way of saying ‘thank you’ for their service. When asked, they say the top five favorite dishes are steak and chicken, steak and shrimp, chicken and shrimp, steak and chicken and shrimp, and double steak. All orders come with rice and a broccoli, zucchini, carrot and onion combo. Kento's also sells egg rolls, chicken filled pot stickers, shrimp tempura, fried calamari, and vegetarian meals that are mainly tofu. Their hours are 11:00 – 8:00 and they are closed on Wednesdays (until they hire more employees). This venture of the Wilkinsons may not have been something they had aspired to undertake, but it is something they love, and they have made their mark on the food scene. It is a calling they did not know they had but were willing to respond to and are glad they heeded. Whether this will translate to a brick-and-mortar Kento’s is unknown as they search for the perfect location, but the Wilkinsons continue to work hard to provide good food and good service to those who patronize their trucks. They take pride in providing a meal that will make those who try their offerings want to come back time and again. With its history and its influences going back centuries, Japanese cuisine is an olio of tastes and colors and traditions. Dave and Rita Wilkinson do their best to honor this history and in so doing, have made a name for themselves locally. Given how quickly they have grown their business in such a short time, it makes one wonder what else might lay in store for Kento's, ‘the hibachi on wheels.’ Comments are closed.
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