What food could you not live without?

[Banned_n_austin]

Ya know, I'm thinking I saw you write once that you live in Austin and speaking of Austin sushi joints, one place I never got to check out was that one next to UT. There might have even been two in that area. It's been a while and I've already forgotten what they called that place. Not 6th Street, but the one with all the record stores, punk rock outfitters, and other stuff that college students love. I remember it was the same street that had a Church of Scientology headquarters on it.

I'll get back to you on that ... I usually go to Mushisimomomo or something ... Kenichi is also a good one ... the sushi chef there is hilarious ...

Ichiban and Momoso? are also good ...

You ain't kidding in the pride they take in making it. I didn't know the type of training sushi chefs had to go through who were serving me in Japan until I started talking to some of their American counterparts. Those fellas go through sushi boot camp. LOL

:laugh2:

I never knew cooking something took so much discipline ...

I once read a book about the history of Saturday Night Live and Rob Schneider (the 'making copies man') was a sushi addict and would order the stuff everyday but he also was known as a quirky guy because he would examine every piece with a magnifying glass before eating it because he claimed that worms were big in that part of the world with sushi. I've eaten thousands of pieces and never picked up anything along with the fish. Maybe I'm lucky, or maybe it's all the Kirin Ichiban I usually chug down with the sushi.

This girl I used to date absolutely loved sushi. She was half Asian. She'd want to go eat it 3 times a week.

People say that all the time about getting sick or what not. But I've never had a problem ... and most likely, that's what sushi boot camp is for ...

 

[Banned_n_austin]

:laugh1:

I have a story about wasabi and the people who love it. My first time to experience wasabi and sushi was in Japan with a group of exchange students for the summer. Now keep in mind that I was with a group of travellers from the Marianas Islands, and the the locals there were very proud of their love for hot and spicy food. Those hot Asian boony peppers that I think I've already seen mentioned twice in this thread were a local favorite in the Marianas Islands. Tobasco was used as liberally there as it is in Louisiana. The locals loved to 'fork' with haolies who came from the States and couldn't handle hot food. I was the only one in the group who looked about as Euro-Anglo, and as bland-tasting food lover, as you can be.

Anyways, I'm in Japan with some of those same folks who take pride in their hot and spicy tolerance, and the local Japanese Rotary Club decides to take everyone out to a local sushi bar. This was the first time I had ever really tried the stuff. I'm not sure if it was because it was authentic dining in Japan, or because the hosts wanted to 'fork' with the foreigners (oh the irony), but that was probably the most wasabi I've ever had on my sushi. All the folks around me who supposedly had high tolerance for spicy food were dropping like flies. They were begging for water, waving their hands to blow air in their mouth as if this would make a difference... they were desperate! Meanwhile, me the Irish haolie/gaijin was sittin' at the table just having a good ol' time! I couldn't get enough of that stuff, and my hosts thought it was terrific how I loved it, and we all finished a ton of sushi and some saki to throw it down, while all the Marianas Island locals who supposedly had a high tolerance for this stuff were sitting it out.

By the way, the moral of the story is if you ever want to gain respect quickly in foreign lands, eat their local food and love it! Seriously, it seems to be a universal test everywhere I've traveled, from nose dives in Mexico, to sushi bars in Japan, if you love their food, especially when it's one of those "tests" where they see what the gringo can handle, they instantly respect you. :

Good read. Thanks for sharing.

 

[silverbear]

HOLY!


:laugh2:

Exactly... it's almost like you were there, LOL...

To the best of my recollection, from that day to the day she died, she never again even thought about tryin' the guacamole, even in a Mexican restaurant...

I've gotta admit, wasabi IS pretty close to the same color as a bowl of guacamole...