Church will offer annual Sukiyaki Dinner

For the 58th consecutive year, Highland Park United Methodist Church will serve its sukiyaki dinner next Saturday from noon to 7 p.m.

Part of Spokane’s Japan Week, the dinner will include beef and tofu sukiyaki as well as a sushi bar, bake sale and Japanese crafts sale at the church at 611 S. Garfield St.

Many Japanese moved to the area at the end of the 19th century, most of them single men who worked in construction, and Central Methodist Episcopal Church started Bible classes and English classes for them.

In 1902, the Japanese Methodist Mission was formed. Highland Park United Methodist Church grew from there.

The church, now the spiritual home to many Japanese Americans, also welcomes people from many other cultures.

The dinner raises money for the church’s general fund.

When the first dinner was held in 1950, church members expected only a few hundred people. But more than 2,000 people attended, and they all were fed.

Margie Myoshi, a member of the church for more than 30 years and co-chairwoman of the event, said that although the dinner is a fundraiser, the fellowship with church members and the community is a wonderful byproduct. She said that getting together to visit with friends is her favorite part of the annual dinner.

Some 50 to 75 church members gather at the church to prepare and serve the dinners every year. They also organize the bake sale, crafts sale and sushi bar as well as the dishwashing.

Church members expect to serve around 300 pounds of beef and many more pounds of vegetables.

During the last week of preparations, church members will chop vegetables and measure ingredients. They also sell tickets for the dinner to get a general idea of how many people to expect.

Most of the recipes will be included in a cookbook the church will sell this fall for $20. The book, featuring 555 recipes, will include traditional recipes handed down from generation to generation.

One of those recipes is senbei, a traditional Japanese cracker made from sweet rice flour, white flour, sugar, baking powder and black sesame seeds. It’s a labor-intensive project for which about 30 people gather at the church over two days.

Last year, the church raised more than $10,000 from the event and served about 700 dinners. The dinner often sells out, so early purchase of tickets is recommended.

Myoshi has a hard time deciding what her favorite menu item is. Then she says:

“My favorite is the sukiyaki. The sushi, that’s good, too, and so is the senbei.”