The zen of sushi
For those that know me, they know I love meat. Nothing beats a nicely grilled steak, or some Matsuzaka-gyu done yakiniku style. Hell my the title of the website says it all. However, there are times when even I get tired of meat. When that does occur I sometimes turn to another favorite dish, sushi. I have been sampling various sushi places in the Bay Area, as well as Tokyo, so I'd like to believe that I know what good sushi taste like. In the bay area there are many sushi restaurants around. I don't think I can get on MUNI without seeing at least two or three sushi places regardless of what line I take. Many of these sushi places are sadly, substandard. I some of the places I have been to have trouble with the quality of the fish, or cant get the rice right, or too much wasabi, or not enough. Another disappointing trend in these restaurants is that lack of good selection. Nothing too exotic just safe bets in terms of sushi. Maguro, hamachi, unagi, et cetra, and of course the obligatory California roll. When you compare with sushi in Japan with its American counterpart, American sushi is a pathetic shadow of what sushi should be. It's not like there is no such thing as bad sushi in Japan, believe me there is. However, even the worst sushi in Japan is equivalent to moderate sushi here. This also doesn't imply that all sushi in America is bad, just most of it is. However, there is a ray of light in a seemingly barren wasteland of sushi in America, and it's called Sushi Ran.
The sushi here is on par with sushi one would find in Japan. It is simply the best sushi restaurant in the Bay Area. It also has the distinction of being one of the highest rated restaurants in the Zagat Guide in the Bay Area. Within the same ranks as Masa and The French Laundry, which many consider to be the best restaurant in America. If you can't go to Japan for sushi this is the next best thing. I have been there numerous times and it has always been a great meal. One interesting note is that they have a lot of the fish flown in the world famous Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. If that doesn't show their dedication to obtaining the best fish they can get their hands on I don't know what does.
Sushi Ran also has a staggering array of sushi choices. There are some of the common ones you would find at other restaurants, but its more common to see something one might not have tried before. There are some things that even my Japanese friends have never tried before. They too agree that its some of best sushi here too. Every time that I go I always get surprised at something new on the menu that I have never tried before. This is just the nigiri that I'm talking about. Their maki sushi is also an amazing sight to behold. The last two times that we went there we order an omakase maki. It is simply amazing what these sushi chefs can do. Just when you think they have finished they add another layer, or grill the top. Nothing ceases to amaze me about this place.
Hardcore people wait in line for accessories and games.
Today Target, and Toys-R-Us had Wiis in-stock, and even though I did own a Wii already I braved a 2 hour wait to get a game, Wii Play. To top it off I already own 4 Wiimotes, which for many, is the only reason to buy it. I was looking for the game. I am still surprised at how many people are waiting in line for Wiis. The line was a little longer then the line that I was waiting in for my Wii. This time at target they only had 24 consoles, so a lot of people didn't get Wiis. There is also something else that I noticed while waiting in line both times, there are a lot of tween girls who want Wiis. I of course saw many boys as well, but it shows how well the Wii is penetrating into new markets. I will try to post another part of my Wiitastic post later.