KimEB's: 1st Weekend in Japan

I had a relaxing weekend trying not to worry about my "to do" list. On Saturday I went with a new friend off base to Yokosuka to get some "real food" since the main attraction near the navy lodge is Chilis. So, we walked until we saw an interesting place and decided to take a chance. I wish I could tell you the name of it, but I am not yet fluent in Japanese symbols. It was interesting to walk in and take off my shoes immediately so that the hostess could place them in a locker for me. Then we went to our booth which was sunken with strips of fabric separating us from the rest of the diners. The menu was in Japanese, so we did a lot of pointing and of course asking if it had pork. We ended up with our first course which was a salad with squid, cabbage and seaweed. It was very good, but I am still a bit squeamish about tentacles. Then we had a dish with chicken, stewed tomatoes, and small mushrooms. It was by far my favorite! It tasted like tomato soup with the richness of the mushroom. We also had a chicken dish that reminded me of Chinese food...a bit gummy with sugar sauce. It was good, but not comparable to the first dish. Next was a platter of sashimi (raw fish and stuff). I enjoyed the taste of most things, but I found the nori (seaweed) to be pretty tough and salty. Included was caviar, which was like little gel balls that burst in your mouth with a fishy taste. It was pretty good too. After a couple different tries, I thought I would play it safe with a shrimp....eeeeewwwww. It was the most disgusting thing on the plate and actually made me gag for real style. It was quite embarrassing! Thank goodness I was washing it down with a Japanese style beer which was also delicious! Then I tried some fish that looked like anchovy and it was delicious! The final masterpiece of the platter was a shrimp head...eye balls and all...which I sucked the goo out of. It was the tastiest thing I had all night. I even got the lady I was with to try some and she doesn't even like fish...she liked it too! So, I am hoping to include some photos...and am hoping that if it doesn't work, Jessi will help me later on. On Sunday I recooperated from the shrimp with a trip back into town to a Japanese bakery. Not surprisingly many of the items reminded me of food that I have eaten in Hawaii. I thoroughly enjoyed Mochi balls, rolls with sweet bean paste and whipping, and a sweet potato muffin...all of which were split among three people, but delicious none the less. Now is when I advocate for skype, the most amazing creation yet. I have had the chance to chat with Mom, Sarah, and Jason and it's amazing that we can see each other and chat too! Now, all of you need to get on and create a name and account (no credit card needed). It just takes a minute or two and is free to talk to me! Who could ask for more?!