Well, sleighbells ring, are you listening? Nobody loves christmas like the Japanese--not even Fox News. Osaka is in full Xmas mode--nevermind that it is barely even November--there is even a bloody tree in the lobby of the hotel, and this evening when I was walking through the shopping district after dinner, I couldn't help but notice that the soundtrack to the neon-lit shopping arcade was ba-rum-pa-tum-tum, the little drummer boy. And it is early November. And it is 65 degrees out. And did I mention that it was only a day or two ago that it was October?
Speaking of dinner. Man did I have a dinner. Despite getting totally lost (me!), I found the sushi-ya recommended by the concierge, and had the most amazing sushi dinner. The chef took a keen interest in me, as I was the only gaijin in the place, and one who ordered "omakase" at that. Don't tell dad, but I had sweet shrimp, scallops, sea urchin, and the usual fishy suspects, all raw. The scallops were sweet and delicious, but the otoro and maguro were divine. The sushi-ya itself was gorgeous, and the bartop was a single piece of solid wood, four inches thick and 50 feet long, polished to a satiny glow. My japanese is pretty rusty, but I was able to share my opinion of dinner with the chef/owner of the joint, and he insisted on exchanging business cards. So we had the little japanese formal card exchange, which involves presenting your card with two hands, duly admiring the other guy's card, and lots of bowing. Lots and lots of bowing. Anyway, I pumped $100 into the Osaka fish economy and it was totally worth it. Learned something new too--that fella worked wonders with a beautiful piece of maguro, some soy sauce and three hours time.
No comments:
Post a Comment