My Favorite Japanese Restaurant
I was driving down the road and I was feeling very hungry. So hungry, I could hardly think straight. All I wanted to do was gobble down lots of Japanese food. I could taste the Kung Pow Chicken and smell the steaming rice as I drove my truck. To my delight, I spotted my favorite Japanese restaurant and it was calling my name. Unable to resist, I parked in the parking lot and got out of my truck faster than I ever had before. The building was very old and badly in need of a fresh coat of paint. There were also several roof tiles missing. Not exactly a five star restaurant.
The large sign hanging in the front window was slightly tilted to the left because some broken ceiling tiles were coming out of place. It was hard to miss the brightly lit neon blinking sign that read, “Sunami”. From the front windows, I could see the tables inside and it did not appear to be very crowded. At the entrance of the restaurant, there was bronze statute of a pudgy monk sitting crossed legged with his large belly bulging out and a huge smile on his face. As I stepped inside, my ears filled with the sound of booming noises that came from the customers.
It was obvious from the sound of laughter and chatter that everyone was having a good time. I took a seat at my usual booth, the one with the tear in the old red fake leather. I was such a frequent customer that I could order without looking at the menu, “#13 Kung Pow Chicken”. Moments later, I was approached by a waitress who had the sweetest sounding voice I had ever heard. After I placed my order, I sat in the booth waiting for my food, enjoying the sights and sounds. I took a sip of water, with a slice of lemon neatly stabbed on the rim, then took a deep breath and the most wonderful yet familiar aroma filled my nostrils.
I could not place it but it smelled a little like the Japanese dish I usually order, Kung Pow Chicken. I kept taking deep breaths and turning my head to see where this delicious aroma was coming from. Sure enough, there it was, my platter of chicken and rice brought in by the waitress and it was mine to devour. The wonderful sounding waitress laid down the food and reminded me to leave some room for desert. Right then, desert was the last thing on my mind, all I wanted to do was enjoy my Kung Pow Chicken. I put the first morsel of Kung Pow Chicken in my mouth and wow, it tasted GREAT!
The salt was not too much and the seasonings were just right. The rice as well was cooked to perfection and oh so scrumptious. Fifteen minutes later I was finished with the whole plate of food. I was feeling absolutely stuffed, a little like an over inflated balloon ready to burst. Then I was approached by the waitress again, this time trying to convince me to eat some sushi. I had never eaten any sushi before so I agreed to give it a try. So, she brought some out to me on a black plate, it looked like it was something smashed together into a roll.
I took it apart and felt it in my hand. The raw fish felt cold and slimly. The rice felt very coarse, a little like it had not been cooked thoroughly. I had a bite of the sushi and realized that it was not as bad as I thought. The salmon just melted in my mouth and the rice gave the whole thing great texture. If I had eaten any more I certainly would have burst. Resisting the temptation of delicious looking deserts, I gracefully paid the inexpensive check, left a generous tip for the sweet sounding waitress, then left the best restaurant in town.
