You could say that Bay and Keiko Bigelow are charming, but lots of people are charming. Semiundiscovered on Leland Street, a short detour off U.S. Route 1, the Japanese restaurant has the feel of a good friend's house.
Customers duck under a curtain into the kitchen to wait for takeout orders.
Busy but smiling, Bay and Keiko greet each one by name. The Bigelows decided not to knock out walls last fall when they moved into the former publishing business. Most of the mismatched tables and chairs were borrowed from the couple's South Thomaston home. You can study a series of Japanese prints that belonged to Bay's grandparents, or buy coasters hand-quilted by Keiko's sister. It's kind of like being at their house.