Thursday, June 18, 2020

Sushi Day


I am not a fish person. I'll eat fish sticks. I'll eat fish and chips. And that's about it. Sometimes shrimp. So this... this was a tough milestone incentive to promise. But this is me keeping that promise! This is the story of how I finally ate sushi for the first time.


First, Happy International Sushi Day! That's a thing! You should go get some sushi! But remember to social distance and wear a mask! Thank you! Why am I still exclaiming?!

I'll preface that I have actually researched maki, nigiri, and sashimi (do you know the difference?). What isn't available in the state of Mississippi are very many places to casually pop into and check out the product itself. Fortunately for me, I live in a small enough community that one of my work customers works in a local food truck that stays parked. The food truck is called Ninja Hibachi.

I usually stick to getting hibachi steak with fried rice and vegetables, because it's super tasty. (And I'm pretty sure that was the culprit for my high triglycerides last time I had them checked at the doctor's office.) Other people have told me that their sushi rolls are good. I had originally planned to have a sit-down meal the next town over at an actual sushi restaurant, but the pandemic ruined that plan. So, while everything was restricted to take-out only, I asked my customer to tell me about their non-hibachi food options.

He confirmed what I had anticipated needing to start with: a tempura fried roll, so that nothing is raw, and there's that tasty batter to hide the fishiness. I ended up purchasing the King Kong Roll: shrimp, cream cheese and crab rolled with rice and nori, fried in tempura, and topped with spicy mayo and eel sauce. I also bought my usual hibachi steak, just in case I needed a back-up!


Without further explanation, feel free to scroll through my photo journey of first-time sushi!



First, there was the roll. It looks pretty enough, but MAN did that eel sauce SMELL LIKE LOW TIDE. I received complaints from my husband about the stink as soon as I walked in the house. 








I figured I would get a piece from the middle of the roll, for the most balanced bite. Apart from the smell, it actually seemed somewhat appetizing at this point. Forgive the fork -- they were out of chopsticks, which I normally eat with.











The verdict?



Way easier to eat than that spicy chocolate last year! I wasn't in love with it, and I might ask if they can do the same thing only... without the crab and eel sauce. I'm still not a big fish fan.



Next step, of course, is trying sushi with raw fish or more adventurous ingredients, but not any time soon. My mouth is still recovering from the first experience! What should I offer as my foodie stretch goal this year? Tell me in the comments! And a HUGE thank you to everyone who donated last year and made this sushi adventure possible. The kids at Children's National are more grateful than you know!


Want to help me with Extra Life 2020? Click this banner of this year's rewards!





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