Sushi for Newcomers
So Cuz, Roomy#1, and I went out for sushi last night. This was my second sushi experience, but it might as well have been my first try because the official first try was with my boss at the time, and I only did the polite “pick at your food and nod approvingly at appropriate times” thing. (Sorry but today is a run-on sentence day.) Sushi is something that should first be experienced with close friends for the following reasons.
Reason #1 – Share the culture shock factor. I like to think of myself as somewhat literate, educated, and appreciative of high art and culture. However, that whole Dixie thing kicks in at times and I realize that I don’t always have the sensibilities to appreciate things outside of my comfort zone. Fast forward through all the redneck jokes about “we call sushi bait” and jump to the fact that I somehow thought they were joking about that whole raw fish bit. Y’all, it turns out they’re serious.
Reason #2 – I would have been embarrassed if anyone besides the roomies had seen me with the chopsticks. Roomy#1 offered to get me the kids’ chopsticks, at which point I became mortally offended for all of about ten seconds and refused them. This was unfortunate because had I overcome the pride factor and used them, I would have actually been able to eat my food rather than chase it all over the plate the entire meal.
Reason #3 – Help pronouncing Japanese words. Since I am queen of the “if I say it louder, they’ll understand better,” I opted for Roomy#1 to order rather than me scream broken syllables at our defenseless server. I do, however, require the help of a higher power. I asked our server what the restaurant name (Ichi Ban) meant in Japanese. His translation was “number one.” However, I’m suspicious that he just made this up to see if I’d boast to my friends later and then look like a complete idiot if he pranked me on the translation. So do we have any Japanese scholars among the ranks? Anyone know the exact translation of Ichi Ban?
Well the moral of the story is that trying new things is fun, especially when you’re with close friends who know you well enough to laugh at you about it for months to come. So your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find a good sushi restaurant in your neighborhood and treat some special friends. You’ll enjoy it, especially if someone in the group is too proud to use the kiddie chopsticks.
Reason #1 – Share the culture shock factor. I like to think of myself as somewhat literate, educated, and appreciative of high art and culture. However, that whole Dixie thing kicks in at times and I realize that I don’t always have the sensibilities to appreciate things outside of my comfort zone. Fast forward through all the redneck jokes about “we call sushi bait” and jump to the fact that I somehow thought they were joking about that whole raw fish bit. Y’all, it turns out they’re serious.
Reason #2 – I would have been embarrassed if anyone besides the roomies had seen me with the chopsticks. Roomy#1 offered to get me the kids’ chopsticks, at which point I became mortally offended for all of about ten seconds and refused them. This was unfortunate because had I overcome the pride factor and used them, I would have actually been able to eat my food rather than chase it all over the plate the entire meal.
Reason #3 – Help pronouncing Japanese words. Since I am queen of the “if I say it louder, they’ll understand better,” I opted for Roomy#1 to order rather than me scream broken syllables at our defenseless server. I do, however, require the help of a higher power. I asked our server what the restaurant name (Ichi Ban) meant in Japanese. His translation was “number one.” However, I’m suspicious that he just made this up to see if I’d boast to my friends later and then look like a complete idiot if he pranked me on the translation. So do we have any Japanese scholars among the ranks? Anyone know the exact translation of Ichi Ban?
Well the moral of the story is that trying new things is fun, especially when you’re with close friends who know you well enough to laugh at you about it for months to come. So your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find a good sushi restaurant in your neighborhood and treat some special friends. You’ll enjoy it, especially if someone in the group is too proud to use the kiddie chopsticks.
posted by Lee Ann @ 6:22 AM
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