Todai

Captain's Log, Stardate 04.27.2006

TMI:

Todai:
Todai is a Japanese buffet restaurant that serves sushi and other Asian-y dishes. I hadn't gone in a long time, but a friend suggested we eat there last night.

Now before Robin goes off on how I'm supposed to be writing, I was interviewing my friend for my book. She has worked with female professional video gamers. Yeah, way cool. One of my characters is a professional gamer.

Back to Todai. It's not bad, for the price. The raw fish isn't slimy or smelly. But you are talking to someone who grew up in Hawaii--read: surrounded by water--and who is Japanese American.

I try to visit Hawaii at least once a year partly because of the food. Mom and Dad take me (and my husband, when he can take off work to travel with me) to Kabuki, a Japanese restaurant in Pearl City.

We've been going there since I was in high school. Mom and Dad know the sushi chefs so well that they joke and laugh with them (and give them big tips--remember to tip your sushi chef generously).

The fish is super fresh. Firm, tender, clean-smelling. And as in authentic sushi restaurants, the slice of fish on the nigiri sushi is about the length and width of an iPod Nano or maybe a cell phone, and the thickness of a Sharpie marker. The rice under it is the size of your thumb. I'm not kidding, your thumb from tip to joint. That's it.

Okay, back to Todai. Since it's a buffet, the fish and rice are not the sizes I'm used to. But they are soft and not fishy smelling, so I'm okay with a few pieces.

Then I look at myself. When did I become such a snob? I mean, there are lots other Asian people in this restaurant, so it's obviously passed some kind of Asian test. Is there such a thing as an Asian test? I'm not sure. But it's kind of like how I know a sushi bar is good when I see Japanese businessmen (from Japan) sitting at the bar and drinking.

So I ate my okay-sushi and got great info for my book, and I'm counting the days for when I can go back to Hawaii.

Last day at PT: Well, yesterday was my last day at physical therapy for my knee (for those of you who don't know, I had ACL surgery on November 23rd, 2005). Now I'll need the discipline to exercise on my own. Good thing we bought that exercise bike from Goodwill--best $30 we ever spent.