With Benz being a baby and requiring a lot of attention, we decided the girls too need some alone time with their parents. Until Benz, it was just the four of us for the longest time so Dick and I took the girls out to dinner one Friday night and left Benz home with my parents. What did the girls want to eat? Sushi! And they wanted to go to this one restaurant we took them to long ago that had more “traditional seating”.
It’s been a while since we had been to this restaurant so we thought we would do a “drive-by” first to see what the parking lot looked like. Don’t tell me you’ve never done that.
If on a Friday night and the lot was empty, we were going to another place. It wasn’t empty so we decided to go in.
Inside, most of the customers appear to all be Japanese. A very good sign.And, the place looked different than before and I was impressed at how nicely decorated and zen it was!
And here’s the traditional seating I was speaking of. They girls like the low tables that make it seem like you’re sitting on the floor. This is actually a pit where your feet can still go under the table and you don’t have to sit “indian style” (difficult for those who are less flexible.)
Last time we were here, this seating area was closed off and had a screen door around the room, making it very claustrophobic.
Now, instead of the screens, they put up a decorative wall, making it still very private but not cramped. Lovely.
Initially, we had all climbed inside to sit but then remembered that tradition when sitting at these types of Japanese tables, it is customary to remove your shoes as a sign of respect (and cleanliness).
So, off came the shoes.
Dang, I was not prepared. I was wearing boots over my skinny jeans, and had white socks pulled high over them. Luckily, my feet will go in the pit where no one will see them.
That was one thing I always had to remember in Japan…make sure your feet are nicely pedicured and that your socks don’t have holes in them!
Look, they even have Sauteed Beef Tongue Tang. Oops, someone made a typo.
I know for some of you Beef Tongue may sound disgusting (and it looks disgusting when you see it raw and unsliced) but they way the Japanese prepare it, it’s very tasty!
What else to drink but Hot Green Tea and Sake!
The girls love California rolls and salmon!!
Turns out, I know the Sushi Chef here. Back when I was in college, I worked as a server in a Japanese restaurant and he was the Sushi Chef back then. Funny running into him nearly 15 years later.
Dick saw that they had takoyaki (Pronounced “tah-ko-yah-key”), which are Japanese Octopus balls...not the balls of an Octopus but Octopus that has been grounded and blended with flavor, shaped into a ball and breaded, fried and topped with a tasty mayo and sauce. Really yummy!
I love fried calamari legs, called Geso (Pronounced “gay-s0″) so I had to order some.
This is a tofu dish called Agedashi Dofu (Pronounced “Ag-ah-dah-shee D0-fu”) which is fried tofu and served with a tangy sauce.
Those were just some of the things we had. And at the end, similar to how the Chinese give you a treat with your bill (fortune cookie), we got these Japanese Gums. The Japanese really know how to make yummy candy…these were so good!
It was a super dinner with our lovely girls. They deserved it so much. I have the best daughters ever who are so wonderful with their little brother and love and care for him so much. They are great helpers and I am very thankful to have them.
I just adore my girls!
And they’re growing so fast!
-Jane, Mommy to Lovely Ladies.
