Thursday, May 12, 2005
my first time
I remember my first time. Not the first time I ATE sushi, but the first time it really tasted good. I was with my Uncle Bill, Tio Willy as I call him, a moniker he was christened with after a family trip to Puerto Nuevo Mexico for Lobster Lunch. It was the Christmas after my grandma died... but I digress.
The first time I enjoyed sushi... wait... let me roll it back ... to the 90's... I'd been to sushi bars. I'd tasted a nigiri here, a sashimi there and thought, What's the big deal? tasted just like chicken. Well not really, tasted more like wasabi, but let's just say I was not impressed. Now the tempura shrimp roll, that was another story. That was good. And the rice. Oh the rice. Tasted like my childhood in Hawaii.
Fast forward to 2003. Tio Willy is in town and he and I decided to go out for sushi. We had a "Under New Management Buy One Get One Free" coupon for Del Mar Sushi so off we went. Although neither of us knew much about sushi, Tio Willy knew he liked it, just didn't kow what to order or what to avoid so we relied on the sushi chef. Unfortunately we had a hard time understanding his English and ended up with some mystery sushi roll, and man was it good, even though it was raw.
Fresh, succulent, it was soft and salty, melting on my tongue and tasted like ocean. Made me want to giggle and bounce in my seat.... I finally understood.
I've since expanded my culinary horizons to include toro (fatty tuna), sake (salmon), hamachi (yellowtail), and ahi (tuna), but I draw the line at some of the more exotic fare like uni (sea urchin). And I just don't think I'll ever "get" fugu, blowfish that if not prepared correctly will kill you.
--JeSais
The first time I enjoyed sushi... wait... let me roll it back ... to the 90's... I'd been to sushi bars. I'd tasted a nigiri here, a sashimi there and thought, What's the big deal? tasted just like chicken. Well not really, tasted more like wasabi, but let's just say I was not impressed. Now the tempura shrimp roll, that was another story. That was good. And the rice. Oh the rice. Tasted like my childhood in Hawaii.
Fast forward to 2003. Tio Willy is in town and he and I decided to go out for sushi. We had a "Under New Management Buy One Get One Free" coupon for Del Mar Sushi so off we went. Although neither of us knew much about sushi, Tio Willy knew he liked it, just didn't kow what to order or what to avoid so we relied on the sushi chef. Unfortunately we had a hard time understanding his English and ended up with some mystery sushi roll, and man was it good, even though it was raw.
Fresh, succulent, it was soft and salty, melting on my tongue and tasted like ocean. Made me want to giggle and bounce in my seat.... I finally understood.
I've since expanded my culinary horizons to include toro (fatty tuna), sake (salmon), hamachi (yellowtail), and ahi (tuna), but I draw the line at some of the more exotic fare like uni (sea urchin). And I just don't think I'll ever "get" fugu, blowfish that if not prepared correctly will kill you.
--JeSais
# posted by JeSais @ 12:55 PM 
