Sushi fix

Nothing says love like dead fish...

The H. and I were given a recommendation by a Japanese friend of ours for a couple of places for sushi in Chicago this past Valentine's day weekend. Okay, so normally going out on holidays is the WORST. All those twice-a-year people come out of the woodwork. We chose to brave it on the Saturday night before thus redeeming ourselves of the culinary Valentine's Day massacre.

Sushi, which most people associate with raw fish, is actually a title referencing the presence of vinegared rice. I get cravings for Sushi and sashimi quite frequently. Odd to some friends that my worst cravings are when I'm hungover. For me there is something beautiful and restoring about having nosh that hasn't been fussed over too much, of ingredients that are actually better for the body than a lot Western ingredients.

Now, I really know NOTHING about Japanese food, but what I do know is that every time I leave a Japanese restaurant I feel healthier than before I came in.

We were told to tryout Mizu on North, having been a popular choice with our fabulous friend. She and her husband like this place for the extreme freshness of the product coupled with the reasonable prices. However, if you want a real treat, the daily specials are fantastic. The night we were there Toro graced this list, and while we couldn't afford to sample this luxury, knowing they had it available give me confidence in their menu. We had a couple of rolls as well as (my favorite!) the sashimi plate. The Chef selected several cuts of raw fish, supremely fresh. My favorite was actually the flounder, white and light. The server told me they can do the flounder as almost a carpacio plater as well (off menu), which we will be getting next time if they have the fish. One of the roles we got was topped with the best eel I've ever had. Holy moly, batman, that was amazing.

OKAY. Eel and shrimp in sushi is not usually raw in America. So if you're a wuss, chose those. You know who you are. Who am I kidding? You, as the wuss, probably wouldn't even order the eel. And I say, GOOD - more for me.

Mizu also has a wonderful yakitori menu. Yakitori, I found out 3 minutes ago, refers to grilled skewered chicken only. We had chicken (dark meat please) as well as beautiful Japanese peppers and some skewered mushrooms stuffed with chicken. You are served three sauces to dip the grilled items in, and be aware of the mustard. A condiment which I adore nearly floored me as I forgot the Asian spice associated with this stuff. SO GOOD.

Another of my favorite things about Japanese food is sake. Sake is so yummy. I can see why all the Japanese business men drink it. Plus, it's BEAUTIFUL. Girls like pretty things. Mizu brought ours to the table in a blown glass decanter that had a sculpted hole in the bowl where ice could sit and keep the juice nice and cold without watering it down.

SO while you may hear the word "Sushi" and think, "Um, no, that's ridiculous, I'm not eating raw fish. I'd rather die." Be a world citizen. You won't die. In fact you will enjoy yourself... just get over yourself and eat up.