Sushi-the "All-American" Food?

Rainbow Roll
Originally uploaded by :shawn:

When I was younger, "hanging-out" with friends always involved food, usually at ungodly hours of the early morning. That's when we would either head over for a pizza at Santarpios in East Boston or for a Beast Sandwich at Kelly's Roast Beach on Revere Beach.

If by chance one of us actually had money that week and was willing to part some to those who needed to leach, we would splurge for chinese and there was only one really good place for that, Kowloon's on RT 1 in Saugus.

But pretty much, Chinese food was about as close to "Asian" as our diet would ever see. I mean, Chinese food is Asian, right?

Well times have changed and so have many American's pallet and in my opinion for the better.

Take for instance my newly developed fetish for sushi. It all started about 2 or 3 years ago. A friend of mine introduced me to California Rolls which for many is the stepping stool to real raw fish. Not that imitation crab stuff. The next step for me was Salmon.

I will never forget the first bite. Now to be honest, I was in no way squeamish, in fact I liked the texture and the chill on the roof of my mouth, until I got to the wasabi which basically took over every sensation in my face.

From salmon I went to Yellow Tail then to eel and on over to octopus. Octopus, now that took a little getting used to, but still, it was delightful.

So, last night I went out for sushi yet again too a new place I found out on RT 64 in Cary, NC. First, I have to say that Rt 64 is in no way like Rt 1 in Saugus, you can actually get back on Rt 64 after eating without worring about running into your next mealtime.

Wasabi is a decent sushi place found in your slightly better than average strip mall. The food was incredible, the atmosphere, well that could use a little work. It was a little to bright and the tables where a lot to close for my liking.

The thing I like most about sushi is the feeling you have after. It's that satisfied, yet not full feeling. There is this "clean" feeling to it, like you did not eat a bunch of "monoglusic watcha ma call it's".

See the Rainbow Maki Roll? It's the one in focus, second from the left. That was my meal. Yup, the whole thing, all eight pieces. Each with a sizable amount of wasabi then dipped in my own Lite soy-sauce and wasabi creation.

And remember, all this for what it would have cost for a large pizza from Bianchi's on Revere Beach.