Spoonfed (Raleigh)

All content ©Mark Petko Photography (click here for permission)

Mura @North Hills

4121 Main at North Hills ste. 110

Raleigh, NC 27609

919.781.7887

www.muranorthhills.com (link)

It is amusing to me how a camera tends to divide a room.  As a photographer I’ve noticed that when one enters an environment and unsheathes their equipment there tends to be two common reactions.  The first is from those that immediately feel suspicious.  You can see the fear building in people as their peripheral viewing sends vibrations of unease.  You can sense and almost hear the tracking of thoughts racing through their minds questioning your motives, ‘who, what, where, when, why and how…do I look?’  It is a revealing of a threat of exposure and some will recede into the dark corners, disappear, or give you the ‘don’t even think about it stare’.  In contrast there is the opposite reaction, there are those drawn to the camera like ninjas to a sword shop.  This camera-captive group goes on to separate into three categories: other photographers, photo-gear heads, and ninnies with questions.  It is possible to be totally defined within one single group but also for someone to pull traits out of each group in a combination.  Photo-gear heads and ninnies with questions are separated only by intention.  The gear heads approach with questions but only with the purpose of sizing you up, to compare, to try and trick you into making them feel they are better or know more.  Ninnies with questions are just people who want to learn and are quite harmless and wonderful people, I just call them ninnies because they assume that since one is a photographer, then you must know out of the ka-trillion variations of point and shoot cameras, which one is the best and will suit their specific needs.  Other photographers are my favorite.  They approach with caution, knowing that you may be doing a job.  They may ask about equipment, but not to size you up but to just collect information that may be helpful someday.  They are also providers of an equal exchange of knowledge, opportunities, appreciation and camaraderie.  While I was shooting at Mura I was approached by one of these ‘other photographers’.  Terrence Jones is working as a waiter there to help pay the bills while trying to make his way into the pro-shooter realm.  I appreciate the fact that he wanted to hang around, just to learn, to see how someone else accomplishes a photographic goal.  This is something that I, myself try to do when seeing other photographers unsheathe their equipment.

(back to the matter at hand)

Mura is one of a triad of restaurants created by Eschelon Hospitality and is sibling to it’s downtown counterparts, The Oxford and Sono.  Self described as “a Japanese Fusion restaurant serving world renowned Kobe beef, a variety of steaks, seafood, mixed cuisine and the finest grade sushi.”, Mura boasts the recent awards of “Best Sushi in Raleigh” by Metro Bravo 2009 and “Best Sushi and Best Japanese in Raleigh” by Citysearch 2009.  Located at the foot of the North Hills keystone, The Renaissance Hotel, Mura takes it’s place amidst this ‘Disney-esque Anytown’ shopping district and is primed for visits from any variety of shopping, business, local or traveling family expeditions.  Mura’s sophisticated design multi-tasks by skillfully separating it’s space to include a bar area, a sushi bar, a suave dining room and a couple of  tatami rooms for private functions.

all content ©Mark Petko Photography (click here for permission)

Cucani Roll-Four spears of kani crab surrounding avocado and cream cheese, wrapped in layers of finely sliced cucumber and soaked in Sunomono sauce with smelt roe

Orange Duck-8 oz. Vermont duck breast tenderloin w/orange & sweet chili glaze, pan roasted, served over soba noodles w/ green & red bell pepper, broccoli and yellow onions

Miso Marinated Seabass- 8 oz. Chilean seabass soaked 24 hrs. in miso/sake marinade, pan seared, served with sesame Hikari rice & ginger sauteed asparagus spears

Nippon Spider Roll- Tempura battered soft shell crab stacked with kani crab, wasabi, green onions, cucumber & masago-peppered avocodo. Wrapped in mirin-infused sushi rice and nori, then with thinly peeled daikon radish, topped w/ house-brewed eel sauce

all content ©Mark Petko Photography (click here for permission)