Finally, a Sushi Chef Who Understands Me

While I really enjoy going out for sushi, the biggest challenge for me is that the pieces are always way too big and by the time you get a whole piece of a roll in your mouth, you can barely even chew the thing. I avoided having sushi with Special K when we first started dating until I was sure I'd captured his fancy enough that he could overlook my bulging chipmunk-like cheeks when trying to throw down a rainbow roll.

I almost always either have to pick the roll pieces apart and eat them in smaller bites (which makes a mess of the roll) or I have to ask for a knife and fork to cut the roll pieces in half at which point the restaurant staff rolls their eyes and whispers "rookie!" in hushed Japanese. Honestly, I can eat with chopsticks -- I just need smaller portions!

Tonight, I decided to grab some dinner at the highly recommended sushi place across from my hotel (in La Jolla, CA) and I could have just about hugged my sushi chef when he recommended a roll I should try and then gave a knowing little nod and said "And I'll cut the pieces smaller for you if you want." Yay! Honestly, it seems like such a small thing, but it made SUCH a big difference to my dining experience. I have now reserved a permanent spot at the sushi bar in front of Chef Aaron's station.

I also took the opportunity to clarify the whole story about the fish that can be lethal if it's prepared incorrectly. Fact or fiction? Definitely fact. Aaron explained that the dish is called "fugu" which is Japanese for pufferfish or blowfish. You have to be specially certified in Japan to even prepare it and in the US, it's not even legal. Essentially, blowfish contain an element called tetrodotoxin that is toxic if consumed -- it paralyzes the muscles while the victim stays fully conscious and eventually dies from asphyxiation. Non-lethal traces of the chemical can also impact the brain like an hallucinogenic.

The thought that occurred to both of us that a heck of a lot of Japanese must have perished over the centuries through the trial and error of perfecting the preparation of fugu!