Sushi Jin

I don't know her name. My blog vow is that next time I'll ask her.

"Excuse me. I don't mean to be rude or forward, but we've been coming to this restaurant for three years. We know you. You know us. We don't know each other."

Today, we arrived at Sushi Jin with little time to spare. We had to be in and out by One in order to then drive to the airport for an afternoon flight. Good news: the restaurant was mostly empty. Better news: She Who We Don't Know waited on our table.

"Good to see you again!" Heartfelt, and true. "Have you decided?"

"Yes, we'd both like the special."

"Ah, so, it's very good today! Green tea?"

"Yes."

"And one order of ikura, two pieces?"

"Yes."

The constants in our lunch at Sushi Jin are green tea and ikura, our favorite sushi. Occasionally, we order a sushi platter and indulge in tuna, shrimp, eel, salmon and other delights, but ikura remains our favorite: salmon eggs on rice wrapped in nori (seaweed).

The salty, fishy salmon roe is an explosion of flavor in your mouth, the rice and seaweed wrapper serving as a textural counterpoint.

The green tea is hot and soothing. I have visions of Pei Mei (Kill Bill 2) savoring the vapors, relishing his steamed rice. The "special" is served with miso soup, and a green salad to start. The "special" itself, in this time, consisted of rice, a spicy seaweed salad and onion-fried scallops, tempura style.

As is always the case at Sushi Jin, the food was served with elegance and style, our waitress-friend placing each dish, bowl and plate carefully and precisely on the table to maximise it's impact and symmetry.

I always leave Sushi Jin a better person. I should go there every day.

Sushi Jin. Memorial and Dairy Ashford. Houston, Texas.

Tell ---- that Bill sent you. I promise to find out who ---- is soon.