Monday, December 27, 2010

A fish tale

An excellent sushi lunch at Okina-Zushi restaurant in Osaka. 
On arrival I was presented with a cup of pleasing Ocha and a warm oshibori which helped me melt into my seat.
Mesmerised by the young sushi chef defly forming my nigiri zushi I was startled to see the master appear over his shoulder, quietly but sternly reprimanding him for his clearly inadequate efforts...  the embarrassed chef plucked all the toppings from my sushi (which looked perfect to me!) and flicked the rice and fish into separate bowls  - presumably for utilising in a non-sushi related dish now they were damaged goods.... 
I watched him form each piece again before I was presented with these very fine specimens... 
Back row L to R: Ika (squid), Maguro (tuna), ooops (?), and shimaaji (striped jack)
Front row L to R: Ebi (prawn), Shime saba (marinated mackeral with chives), Ikura (roe), Yaki anago (grilled conger eel) and a delicious home made gari (pickled ginger) in the little mound at the front

The miso was a very fine aka-miso (red miso)  - deliciously smoky and vaguely salty
Sencha and tiny gingery, bell-shaped okashi (Japanese confectionery)
I think I must have been lingering a little long as they also brought me out this fabulous cup of Matcha. When they rolled up a bunch of gorgeous seasonal paper place mats and handed them to me as a gift I knew it was a definite, but very sweet hint to move on....

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