after i left okinawa, i had a meeting in tokyo. as soon as i got off the airplane in haneda, i felt like i was culture shock again. from slow life taiwan, to slower life okinawa, to the fastest life tokyo. and the trains are so confusing here! i had a way easier time catching the train in taiwan. after 20 years in japan, i still get lost.
then i got lost on the streets of azabu. i was lost in the taxi and when i saw the meter going up and up after going around and around in circles, i told the taxi driver to let me out. then i was lost walking around in the summer heat. i was sweating and thought i was going to pass out.
then we walk into my favorite restaurant in tokyo. it’s so weird that only a few people in this world get the opportunity to eat here. this is my 5th time and counting. i’m becoming a regular in there. haha. then when i seen the chef bring out the box of grass to burn, i knew i was going to eat the best katsuo tataki in the world again.
ok, in america, this would be illegal. why? because we call this a fire hazard. but in japan, this is not a fire hazard, this is culture. the flames burned the eyelashes off my face. haha.
from the ocean, to the fire, to the plate, to my stomach. the circle of life. you will not find a better katsuo tataki anywhere else in the world. it was so dam good!
yes, this is japanese style. presentation is everything! when ever i come in here, i feel like a samurai! a samurai without a sword. haha.
then you wonder what’s inside? and once you open it and the smell finds your nose, you know you are going to eat the best mushrooms in the world called “matsutake.”
in hawaii, people love hamachi kama. i use to love it too until i ate here. this kama is the winner. the last time i ate here and posted photos, somebody commented on my blog “you loser! eating good food by yourself.” i didn’t waste any time to respond to such a comment like that. but now i will, “hey, i love my life, maybe you should start loving yours!”
after dinner, we headed to a fancy new bar and had fancy good drinks. by this time, my head was spinning with joy. eating good, drinking good, friends are good, and feeling good. thank you Inaida-san for the amazing night in tokyo!
then i wake up the next morning, go outside to the train station, and start sweating like a pig. when everybody told me that tokyo was hot, they weren’t kidding. i’m glad to be back to hawaii feeling these cool tradewinds.
