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I kinda lost words for leaving New York City after all these years. I've been a Jazz drummer for just about 30 years, but you don't see my name in music magazine or any others. Even in this situation, I'm very happy to be alive, you know what I mean. It's far out, out of sight ! No, I ain't a space cadet. I'm just trying to be a normal human being, that's all. The funny thing is a computer that I'm also dependent on, changed a hole music scene in the Gotham City. Seems to me, it's getting worse, and I don't hear any great music in these days.
Well, I had to see some of my best friends this week and we went out to dine a couple of great places. One of them was a French lady who taught me French cooking. Then, I showed her how to eat "UNI", Sea Urchin and since then she loves all kinds of sushi. I know a lot of French likes all kinds of fish, but she's been in the sushi mode every time we get together. We went to Blue Ribbon on Sullivan Street tonight, but not the sushi joint, there's the same named sushi place on the same street.
3. Blue Ribbon Brasserie **2 Stars,
97 Sullivan St. NYC 10012 Phone : (212) 274 - 0404
When I took her here for the first time, she fell in love with LITTLE NECK CLAM and BLUE POINT OYSTER. This place is the best for FRESH SHELLFISH in New York City, much better than Grand Central. I'm from Hiroshima City, produces one of the best farmed oyster in Japan. However, I had never liked the farmed oyster that has so much milky slimy taste. I love the Blue Point Oyster because you could feel it's wilderness and crunchiness without any smells at all. Now, that 1 to 2 inch sized CLAM which makes me sing "I'm in Heaven." Actually, I sang the rick quite a few times tonight. Claude, the French lady ask me to get pepper on the clam. It amazed me with a glass of expensive CHABLIS. It wasn't the best one, but cost me $11.00 per glass. Anyway, she was right again for what to do with it. By the way, other dishes are kind of average continental cooking.
4. Miyagi ***3 Stars,
220 W. 13th St. NYC 10011 Phone : (212) 620 - 3830
After those nice appetizer, we decided to go to other sushi place, called MIYAGI, because Blue Ribbon has been changed to noisey crappie yappy place after eight at night. Here we go again ? We started with a bottle of dry sake, then UNI, of course. They had just like the one you'll find in Japan, but from coast of Main. Yes, the uni was so good, not like the one from west coast, the giant uni. The traditional EDO style sushi would not have uni, but this kind of tasty one from North Atlantic will be the best treat for New Yorkers. Unfortunately, other fishes weren't really fresh I would say. I think It's because most of them are flew in from Japan.
I happened to be here a night before with other best friend. She is a total vegetarian. I ordered small vegetarian dishes for her and they were so good, too. Miyagi has very nice stuff from kitchen and I can trust whatever they make. The vegetarian dishes are so trendy in New York City today.
[My Hometown Guide]
Impressions in Japan, March 1, 2004
Last night I went to see my aunt and took a train to her town, about 15 miles west from Hiroshima City. It was a Sunday night train that carries back out towner shoppers before Sunday dinner. I thought I would not expect to see any sleeping person in the train, but there was one lady had gone as she slept in the middle of the two seater. I wondered how she kept her body up, holding her chin on top of her right knuckle with the arm between her knee and chin. It was a sort of the art to me, I must say.
Then, about 60 years old man who got in the train and checked the sleeping lady for about 10 seconds. All this happened right in front of me, sitting directly opposite side of the seat. I thought the man is not going to wake her up and sit on next to her. However, what happen was the old man sneaked in his ass less than a foot wide space and did not say any excuse at all. Weird thing was the lady woke up and figured what happened, then she glare at him sideway. That eyes were so horrible, as if she wanted to say "What a fuck! " After all this happened there was no sound, no nothing. To me it was very interesting and saw the real Japanese people for the first time in years. I don't get any understandings for this type of human behavior. Why the old man decided to sit on right next to her and not to say any excuse? Why she did not say anything to him besides the glare at him. I hope everybody start using polite words to each other. Sure hope so, sure hope so.........
©2004 Tadashi Yasunaga All rights reseved
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