In 1852, Matthew Perry, father of the USA Steam Navy, was assigned a diplomatic mission by American President Millard Fillmore to open Japanese ports to the west trade. The Admiral sailed four steam ships from Norfolk, Virginia to Japan. Along that trip the salt water stained the metal ships black. At that time, the Japanese had never seen such machines and referred to them as the “black ships”. This is where we take our name. Perry didn’t just open up Japan but all of Asia. This fateful meeting of the East and West cultures plays out in our menu.