It was really my pleasure

On Easter Island, the best restaurant is a Japanese restaurant called Kotaro.

It’s highly reviewed on TripAdvisor, but so are many not-so-great restaurants, so I always go in with an ounce of skepticism.

I was blown away from the very beginning of the experience as Francisco, the owner, came out and suggested we move seats so as to not be disturbed by other patrons. He then asked us what we were “thinking about” ordering, asked us some other questions about what kind of mood we were in and what types of things we like, and then suggested two meals, articulating to us why our other suggestions (from his menu) were “not exciting enough” for us.

The food, as you would expect, was also tremendous, but the food was just one part of Francisco’s evident passion for the entire experience. He took so much personal pride and ownership over every part of that dining experience — that’s what was truly awesome.

Unfortunately, it’s become rarer and rarer that people take this kind of personal ownership or invest this kind of passion in their work. What’s your Kotaro restaurant? You could be the best at something. Why aren’t you doing that?

As we left, we were thanking him and he said “it was really my pleasure” and I could tell he actually meant it. How rare is that? Awesome.