First Sushi Experiences

         How would you like to have your story added here?  If so, please write to me at LRampey@panix.com.

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Leslie's Story:

    I took 2 1/2 years of Japanese language courses back when I was in college in the early '70s. That never did take too well. When after two years I couldn't do very much more than ask "How much is the red ashtray?" and "Where's the toilet?" I had to admit that fluency in Japanese was not going to be in my future. I am, however, very glad that I had the experience and that I do still have at least a working knowledge of how the language functions and whatever insight into the culture accompanies that.
    And I got something else out of it, too. Best part of all! Every so often our dear instructor, a very sweet young Japanese woman, would treat us to an evening of Japanese food. A true hamburger kid, I only would nibble enough to be polite -- at first. Then I started gobbling. Well, that happened to be right around the time that sushi bars were making a big splash on the NYC restaurant scene. My dad occasionally would take me into the city for lunch and a show, and nothing would do but that he had to take me to a Japanese restaurant, which, being an indulgent father, he agreed to do -- although somewhat dubiously. So, I chose a place, and we were led to a table with tatami mats, which my dad eyed even more dubiously. He ordered the safe tempura, while I had a combination sushi/sashimi platter. Well, he tasted some of what I had and was just blown away. And to this day, he voluntarily goes to sushi restaurants even when he is by himself. And, needless to say, I myself must have parted from at least several thousands of dollars that same way over the years. 
    Just before we became engaged, I introduced my husband-to-be to the sushi experience. He was a bit more game than my father had been but not without trepidation. Not to worry -- he also loved it! And he's now as big a fan as I am with his own very distinct preferences for specific items. (Prior to that, I did date one guy who took me to a sushi restaurant, but he did not like it. Things just didn't work out. I'm not saying there's an absolute correspondence, but who knows?)
    Going along with this thread, would anyone like to say what his/her biggest mistake has been while eating sushi? I will tell you mine -- either that first time that my dad and I were in the Japanese restaurant or maybe the next time, I very ignorantly mistook the clump of ginger for a piece of fish, and put the whole thing in my mouth! Not a mistake I *ever* made again! 
    So, every time I go to a sushi bar, I'm always wondering about my fellow diners. What brought them there in the first place? Anyone want to say?

Bryan's Story:

 My first dining experience with raw fish was actually not with sushi but with sashimi. It's hard to remember that now because it's been 17 years since then, and also because I only had sashimi that time and maybe once or twice more. After that, we were able to find sushi bars regularly. (It's a good thing because we would be broke by now without the sushi rice to fill us up and keep us from eating more fish than we already do.) My future wife and I had just begun to see each other seriously by the time Valentine's Day 1985 approached. She had been eager to have me taste sushi for some time, and when she heard of a place where at least we could get sashimi, she started planning to go. It took a while to convince me, not because of any squeamishness over raw fish, but because the restaurant was about an hour and forty minutes away. Valentine's Day that year fell on a Thursday, which was impractical for us due to work. We waited until Saturday, and made our way to a strange city to eat what for me would be my first raw fish. Needless to say by now, I liked it. I have since come to like it extremely well, especially after sampling a wider variety of fish than we had that first visit. (Only tuna and one other fish were available. I remember eating the tuna, but can't remember what the other fish was.) Later I developed a taste for yellowtail and mackerel, as well as tuna, salmon, and others. Yellowtail rolls, tuna rolls, salmon skin rolls, and salmon roe rolls have been among my favorites, and I even like a California roll from time to time. Years later I told this story to my students. One bright young lady remarked, "She was testing you." Maybe so.

Bob's Story:

Leslie, my answer to this has the distinction of being related to your "Seven Sushi Lessons." On the advice of a cyber-friend, I read them before I tried my first sushi. Bet you never knew that your writings had such influence! The story starts with a young lady. Gee, have you ever heard a story that started that way before? I had run into her on a Usenet group, having responded to one of her posts. She has asked me not to tell a lot about our correspondence, so I will just say that we discussed a variety of topics, ranging from education to the "LL Bean Spring Sporting" catalog. And some others I won't mention as I don't want her to pout. Anyway, during the course of our correspondence, I learned she liked sushi. I had no interest. But, a couple of years ago, I had a boss who had weekly luncheon meetings with his key staff. He is one of those people who goes for anything trendy, and had seized on sushi as the latest way to show off to us just how sophisticated he was. So, he scheduled one meeting at a sushi place. Not wanting to enter into this totally ignorant, I asked my cyber-friend to educate me quickly about sushi. She responded by sending me your lessons. Actually, I think it was an earlier draft that she sent me - there seem to have been a couple of minor editing changes since then, as in the description of hamachi. Well, the lunch meeting got canceled that week, and then I got promoted unexpectedly and didn't have to have lunch with my pompous former boss any more. But my friend (and you, through your 7 lessons) had piqued my interest. So, after several weeks of getting up my nerve, I got some salmon and tuna nigiri and assorted hosomaki (salmon, tuna, cucumber, and others) from Sushi-Ko here in the Washington, DC, area. I was hooked. I've had some form of sushi at least once every couple of weeks since then. Still like what I first had, but have expanded to include lots of other sorts, including your favored hamachi. So, I owe my new sushi habit to a saucy young lady I met in cyberspace. Am not sure whether you have ever met her - she did not tell me where she got that draft of your 7 lessons - but if you do meet her, tell her that she has excellent taste, even if she is bratty at times... :)

 

Pat's Story:

It probably was about 1985 and I was living in Los Angeles, where there was a sushi bar on every other street corner.  Prior to moving to LA in 1980, I'd never even heard of sushi.  I'm an adventurous eater, and will
try almost anything once (with the possible exception of haggis..don't think I could do that one), but I must admit it took me awhile to get up the courage.  This woman in the office where I worked dined on it weekly and raved about it, so finally I decided to give it a try.  She and I planned to have lunch at the local sushi place one day, but 2 days prior to the big event, she called in sick with a case of food poisoning from some improperly prepared sushi!  That was it for me - it took another year and a half before I got up the nerve, but I finally did and I was hooked from the first taste.  I can't recall exactly what I tried, but I'm thinking it was probably California roll, with maybe a tuna roll thrown in just to illustrate my sense of adventure :-)  It wasn't long before I moved on to sashimi, though, and loved it, but who can afford it, ya know?  I admit to ignorance about the different varieties of sushi/sashimi, and was even inspired to download your 7 sushi lessons to learn more.  Anyway, that's the story, and I've been hooked ever since.  Thank God for the kiosks in Kroger, though, because my unadventuresome friends and family just can't be coaxed into giving it a try.


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