(Setup): Heather and her Japanese friend and his parents head to a reputable place for Japanese food. Little did she know what was going to happen.
OKAY, so, he makes reservations for lunch, and in a Japanese sense, it was pretty sumptuous-- it cost a pretty yen. So, they want me to try good, "fresh" sashimi (raw fish, but without rice, unlike sushi), and the staff of this pleasant little country inn soon produced a tray with the sashimi. Of course, the head and tail was still connected, I am used to it at this point, as I am used to people always pushing me to try "just one small bite" of whatever [weird] thing they are fond of eating.
So, I take a white strip of fish, chew it up, manage to swallow the damn thing as everyone watches me in expectation. (Who knows what they want to see--my agreement that it is delicious, the humor in a western "barbarian" like myself not being able to eat their cultured raw fish, or maybe a sad "pearls before swine" feeling towards me mixed with silent satisfaction that their palate as a nation has not been invaded, who knows.)
So, I have swallowed the fish, it is bound for my tummy, when suddenly, the fish on the plate begins to wave his fins and tail, then, begins to shake violently, thereby shaking the cutlets of its own body off the plate and onto the table. The damn thing is still alive!! I can't help it, I start to tear up, partly because I feel sorry for the fish, and also because the whole affair is about to make me puke. I barely made it to the bathroom.
It was so damn embarrassing, especially when his parents felt bad for upsetting me. It was the weekend from hell. I do have one thing to say, however---this whole Japanese concept of westerners being "barbarians" (their word) can just go and [flip] off. At least when we eat meat, we make sure the animal is [freaking] dead before we eat it and beyond that, you can bet that the animal won't be WATCHING itself get eaten. Sheesh!
More news from the live animal cafeteria--- heard about 2 dishes involvong prawn.
First, "screaming" prawn-- they give them to you live, you boil them yourself, but only a bite at a time, tail first. They don't like that very much at all and voice their dissatisfaction. Hence the name.
Next, "dancing" prawn. Cooking instructions read something like this: take live prawn, throw on electric skillet, watch it dance, eat it.
Chipper, eh? Not a good place to be a prawn.
Much thanks to Heather for her bravery!
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