E M Bypass and surprises

I should not bother about common perceptions about food. People told me that sushi was an acquired taste (Hello Varsha!) and that it would take some getting used to. Bollocks! I loved sushi from day one. I did not find it fishy or uncomfortable. If I can eat raw oysters, I can eat sushi. If you love seafood, you will love sushi. Yesterday I didscovered that you get pretty decent Japanese food at the ITC sonar Bangla. It is not expensive either. A set meal consisting of a salad, sushi, miso soup, prawns and fish (red snapper in my case) cooked Teppenyaki style and dessert would cost you INR 900 (approx. $ 20). You could also order a similar set but consisting of pork and chicken and that would cost you INR 800. I was also surprized to see the restaurant almost empty apart from our table, and we were at the Teppenyaki counter. So it was 6 people around the counter and a totally empty restaurant. Weird, but we got excellent service.

The meal started with a salad (I dobted its origins, but it was nice all the same) that consisted of lettuce, button tomatoes, slivers of carrots mixed with a light dressing and toasted sesame seeds sprinkled all over. Then came the sushi and the sashimi. I got salmon with a blob of wasabi and a inarizushi. Then the chef prepared my prawns (or should I call them lobster? It was a huge one) and the smells wafting of the smell of the food was tantalising and when my prawns were finally done I dug into them with a gusto I had not displayed since my meals in Paris. Next came the miso soup which truly speaking was not too great. I had a much better one at Kifune in Paris. By now, I was happy and ideas flowed out of my heads like water. Good food and wine do this to me, I suddenly become a genius. Then the chef prepared the red snapper which was very nice too and then came the rice. Last but by no means the least, came the icecream and the fruit. Now, this is eminently surprising. The fruits at ITC sonar bangla taste like cardboard. There was no taste in the peach, plums or the melon. I've bought tastier, juicier fruits off the streets. I also had wasabi flavoured icecream (very quaint) and a lychee flavoured one and ended the dinner with tea.

Returning home was nice. It had rained while we were having dinner and outside it was pleasanter and seemed lesser humid. When I reached home, I had broadband connectivity. What could be better?