Savoring Sushi

Well - if a certain person reads this blog...I'm going to be in BIG trouble. I've been cheating on sushi friends again. But when the boss wants to go have sushi...you gotta do it, right? And when he wants to go again 3 days later...that's not my fault, right?

Perhaps I'm rationalizing again.

But I must say - IT WAS AWESOME!! There are several places in Lynchburg that you can go get sushi - including Kroger. But if you really crave sushi - it must be John John's creations at Kings Island. And I was lucky enough to eat there twice this week (so far!).

I remember my very first piece of sushi. It was about 10 years ago and I was at lunch with my sister Denise and my buddy Phil Hinkle. Denise and I were there for the awesome lunch buffet but Hink chose to wait for sushi. While we chowed down on the great Chinese food - he patiently awaited the arrival of his lunch. And then when he heard I never tried sushi before - he shared a piece of his Rock and Roll. Eel and cucumber topped with avocado. And the idea that you needed to throw the whole thing in and eat it at once? Seemed too much. Like jumping off a cliff. What the heck was I going to do if it was dreadful? But I jumped - and it was NOT dreadful. And then I had another piece dipped in a sauce of wasabi/soy. And I got that little rush up my nose that only sushi aficionados will understand. By the third piece I was completely hooked.

I have eaten sushi in many cities, many restaurants, many settings. All are good. There was only one time that I didn't eat a piece of sushi that was ordered. Sea urchin. Hmmm....that just didn't smell right. Truth be told - I really now prefer my tuna raw. Even rare is too well done. And even though I KNOW that the whole mixing wasabi with soy sauce is not traditional...so far nobody has threatened to throw me out of the restaurant. I like a balance between the taste of the sushi (which is sublime) and the rush of the wasabi (which is like a roller coaster). I love the whole experience.

It usually starts with the group (my "club" the Royal Order of the Baby Octopus) debating how many and what kinds of sushi to order. We order in a couple of waves so that we can get started faster! Then there is the patient waiting for the artist to do his work. The arrival of the platter is greeted with proper reverence - oooohhs and aaaahhs. Then the decimation begins. Wasabi and soy sauce blend to each eaters preference (mine is a light tan liquid - Carl's is the consistency of wallpaper paste). There is some battling for the soy sauce bottle (I do not share very well). The first piece is chosen. For me it almost always the Spicy Scallop Roll - which is neither very spicy nor does it resemble any scallops I've ever seen. I always kiss my first and last piece. OK - I'm odd. You knew that.

I could have felt guilty today for eating sushi (twice) without my sushi pals. But I decided that guilt was not useful. So instead - I savored the experience. And today - I ate my annual baby octopus. This reconfirms me as the High Empress of the Royal Order.

But will it count if I didn't eat it with the group? As High Empress - I say yes.

Two days till Coke Saturday. Then I can savor THAT!