The frightening thought of raw fish and scarily, strange ingredients on a piece of rice being served to me by a stern looking, well trained sushi chef, looking at me while I eat. You see as a child I had the annoying habit of choking on things I would find disgusting or pieces of food that are too big to chew, making a big scene of gagging up the food with a red and teary face. That image of myself still in the back of my mind sushi was something I had to train myself in eating back in the Netherlands, preferably with someone.
Also just eating alone was something I had to overcome. Luckily I came across the nicest places to eat during my first few days which relaxed me and made me feel settled with the whole eat-all-by-myseeeeelf (insert that song tune here) thing.
Of course I came across many places where I was in between solitary salarymen(the japanese business men) eating away at their ramen noodles. Other times I was sitting in a populair okonomiyaki place (a japanese styled mix between pizza and pancake being baked on a hot plate infront of you) being surrounded by groups of friends and family. I never minded and enjoyed my surrounding.
Sometimes I came across and ate with other travelers or was invited by local people to eat with them, but never have I eaten sushi once during that month..
But now, during the 4 years inbetween I ate so many sushi I consider myself quite the expert... no not really, but I can see the difference between lean and fatty tuna and being able to taste if I am eating good or cheap sushi.
I can't wait to try kaiten sushi, which is basically sushi going round and round past you on a small conveyor belt, just for fun. And I would love to eat a piece of sushi at Sukiyabashi Jiro, the sushi restaurant of grand master Ono Jiro, but for that you need to place a reservation almost half a year in advance.
His beautiful work and thoughts are captured in the wonderful documentary "Jiro dreams of Sushi", I certainly recommend watching it.
All this writing about sushi has made me mighty hungry.
I think I will now fully embrace a new sushi experience while in Kyoto!
sushi training with my boyfriend
