Fugu Fish Fins, Turtle Soup and Raw Scallops
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Last night, Matt and I went out with our friends, the Tanakas and our friend Lisa. The Tanakas are a cute, friendly 66 yr old couple that we befriended in a yakitori bar months ago have quickly become our closest Japanese friends.
The first time they took us to this restaurant we had raw stingray. The second time, they fed us live little fishies dipped in egg yolk and soy sauce. We knew something exciting would happen...but what?
Tanaka started ordering up a storm and plates of potatoes and tuna arrived along with plenty of drinks. Next we had turtle soup, the raw squid pictured on your left, thinly sliced raw scallops over a bed of radish and finally-sake poured over grilled fugu fins.
My First Fugu Experience
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Tanaka san lit the sake on fire and quickly covered it explaining that it now was "free of alcohol" and I wouldn't "be crazy" if I drank too much. For the first time ever after hanging out with the Tanakas, I woke up without being hungover the next morning. Maybe there's some truth to the flame...
The fugu-infused sake was new and delish! It was almost as if I was drinking a recipe of fish broth that called for a whole lotta sake!
We Asked "What Was In the Soup?" -------------------------------------I'm still giggling about the third photo. That's Tanaka sans younger sister who, with her husband, owns this sushi shop. After we enjoyed the turtle soup, Lisa and Matt skeptically noted to each other that there wasn't any turtle meat in the soup-just egg, broth and shitake mushrooms.
So, my friend Lisa then asked the owners "what's in this soup?"
The photo on your left was her answer! We all jumped out of our seats when she pulled the turtle out of the sink.
Point taken lady...don't question the locals.
