Yummy Sushi (or whatever the fishless stuff I eat is)

In Japan, I went with 3 of my flying partners for dinner at a local sushi restaurant. It involved a rather precarious hotel bus ride over to the mall in Narita, where the restaurant was in the parking lot. After a 12.5 hour journey and the previously mentioned quarantine experience (which was featured in Monday's Red Eye newspaper, I saw my friends in the Outbreak suits, ah memories), I was starving! The other girls didn't know if I'd actually be able to get "fish-less" sushi but I figured there was a Hard Rock Cafe and a Big Boy within walking distance so I'd find something somewhere. After eating all sorts of breads and junk on the plane ride over, I was just in the mood for some yummy veggies.

I tried to find pictures of what I ate but after googling "japanese vegetables" I got nothing. I had my normal kappa maki, which is your basic cucumber roll. We tried to order an avacado roll but they only had them with the imitation crab. Eh... no thanks, I prefer my crab real, please. Next think I know, Yuko, who was one of the Japanese speakers on the crew just started pulling things off the rotating sushi bar and handing them to me. My favorite was the fermented soy beans roll. It was a longer roll so you had to take it down in 3 bites but it was so good. The girls just kept telling me how healthy everything I was eating was. I also tried a roll that I can't remember the name of now but it had a Japanese veggie in it that looked kind of like a small carrot and had that kind of texture to it but it actually tasted more citrus-y. That roll also had Japanese basil in it, which has a mint flavor. It was all delicious. Slightly out of my comfort zone, but that is always a good thing when you are one of the pickiest eaters in the world.

I've never seen one here in the States but this was the kind of sushi place where you sit at a bar and it rotates around and the sushi chefs are in the middle, constantly putting food out and you grab what you want. The chefs kept chanting "Welcome. To my restaurant." in Japanese. I couldn't understand a word of it but it sounded awesome. Y'all, this sushi was CHEAP! Most of the rolls were around 150 yen, which is a little more than $1.50. The Sapporo I had was so cold and so delicious. Three veggie rolls and a beer was about $9. And in Japan it is an insult to tip. I had forgotten that little gem until we got on the van to the hotel and the pilots asked me why I was fishing for a dollar.

It's raining right now but I hope it clears up. I have about 15 errands to run before the dad and brother arrive (hopefully on time, blasted weather!) tonight. This weekend is my first time in the bleachers at Wrigley Field. I will have lots of pictures and fun to share after the weekend!