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Is it me or does every sushi chef have the following qualities:
1. They are constantly grinning. I’m sure I’d have a smile on my face all the time too if I got to be around sushi day in and out.
2. They are usually short. Not sure of the reasoning of this, but they wear really tall or funny hats to make up for it.
3. They are excellent entertainers. They create tricky little games for their customers to play.
I had the pleasure of participating in one such game created by my sushi chef on Friday night. The rules were simple:
There were two pieces of sushi. One had a huge amount of wasabi in it and one didn’t. (For those of you do not know, wasabi is a green paste that so powerful a pea sized portion could clear out your sinuses.) Each person eats one. One wins. One loses.
I spun the small plate around and offered the choice to my friend first. I took the remaining one. (I do the same with fortune cookies… I think that way it’s really meant to be mine.)
As I chomped down my friend gave an affirming point at me. My tongue detected the texture of the thick paste sandwiched between the layer of fish and rice. I tried to prepare myself for what was about to hit me but there was nothing I could do. A second later my nose burned, my eyes watered and I choked a bit.
There was no need to admit defeat, my tear ducts did it for me. Through my tears I smiled as the funny little sushi chef grinned with delight.
I cannot think of any other situation where a professional actually does better in tips when he inflicts pain on his customers…. all with a devilish smile on his face. Yet somehow it works. Good for you little sushi man! I’ll be back soon for round two.
The Final dish: Play some delicious sushi roulette with your friends at Kooma in West Chester.
About the Author
Mary Bigham, the creator of wcdish, is a self-admitted sushi and travel addict. She has a crush on just about every food but refuses to eat American cheese.
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