Sept. 23 - The first time I was introduced to sushi was by my host family when I came to Japan as a high school exchange student. At that time, Japanese food was not yet very popular in the United States, so I had never before tasted this dish. I was a bit intimidated by the thought of eating raw fish, so I started out with cucumber rolls, shrimp, conger eel, and egg. Before long, however, my taste for the dish expanded and I grew to love tuna, salmon eggs, mackerel, flounder and more! When my host family asked me what I wanted to eat on my final evening in Japan, I replied without hesitation, "Sushi!"

A few years later, when I returned to Japan as a college student, I still loved sushi. However, this time I was on a limited budget, and not knowing how to estimate the bill, I did not dare enter sushi restaurants. Then a Japanese classmate told me about conveyor belt sushi restaurants. The whole concept sounded fantastic - so rational and efficient. Best of all, with clearly marked prices for each plate, I could be sure to eat within my budget. We agreed to visit a revolving sushi restaurant so he could show me the ropes. I was hooked!

Recently, Ann invited me to dinner at one of these conveyor belt sushi restaurants with her friend, Harriet, who was visiting from Hong Kong. Upon entering, I recalled my first experience at one of these restaurants. I remembered being nervous the first time I poured hot water from the spigot into my tea cup, plucked the pickled ginger from the bowl on the counter with tongs, and selected plates of sushi from the conveyor belt. This time, however, I sat down with anticipation and confidence! Ann, Harriet and I enjoyed a wonderful meal that combined the best in Japanese culinary arts with some know-how borrowed from the factory floor. The sushi was delicious and the service was friendly too.

Until next time,

Jim