Tea and Sushi

This evening I decided to continue investigation of the restaurants in our neighborhood, in order to ensure that we are fully informed of all the dining possibilities whenever we might be called upon to make a quick decision in the near future. One thing I haven't yet tried since arriving in the area is anything remotely Japanese, so Kama Sushi seemed to be a good choice. From the outside it has a very low profile, and I couldn't even find an associated web site or even any mention anywhere in other dining and review sites. I am new enough here that I'm not sure whether this means it is a well-kept secret closely guarded by the locals, or just that it doesn't rate any mention due to it's low standards of quality.

In any case, I decided to give it a try since it would be a convenient and quick source of food, and a quick browse of the flyer on the outside revealed that they had an Unagi platter which combines eel sushi with eel-and-avocado (or cucumber) roll. Sounds like it was made for me, so I ventured in.

After the standard hot moist towel treatment, one of the wait staff came over to take a drink order, and at that point one of the typical awkward predicaments I frequently seem to find myself in when interacting with service professionals ensued. Luckily my wife was not present, since she always seems pained by my inability to handle these situations better, but I really do try and I'm not sure where it all goes wrong.

Back to the situation: the young woman asked what I would like to drink, and I replied with a question about whether they had iced tea, a standard beverage choice for me. I hadn't had a chance to look at the menu yet to see whether they even offered iced tea as a choice, but it seemed like a safe request.

She nodded and said yes, and headed off to get the drink while I looked over the menu (despite my having already set my sights on the unagi). When she returned, she was carrying a goblet with ice and can of Lipton Sweetened Lemon Flavored Tea.

Before I continue, a brief word of explanation may be in order. I am a dedicated, long-time iced tea drinker; however, I firmly believe that tea coming from bottles, cans, or soda fountains has little in common with the freshly-brewed (or even brewed-within-the-last-week) variety. I really don't think I'm being a tea snob -- I think it's just objective fact that even with all the wonders of technology humankind has produced so far, preserving boiled leaves in a state that is drinkable beyond a couple of hours has eluded us. So much so that as a strict rule I never drink any tea that is not freshly brewed. I often ask when I am suspicious to make sure I don't find myself in this situation.

As if that weren't enough, I also have a strict rule against drinking anything with corn syrup in it. I don't have a lot of strict dietary rules, but without knowing it this waitress inadvertently trampled on two of them.

She of course had no idea about this background as she put the tea down in front of me, and unfortunately my combination of dismay and uncertainty about the best way to politely refuse the tea mometarily left me frozen long enough for her to pop the top on the can. Even worse, the first thing I could come up with to try to stop her was to say "Uhh, is that, umm, sweetened?" when I could obviously see and read the conspicuous label on the can. We then had an awkward exchange that was complicated by the fact that I believe English was not her first language where I at first said I didn't want the tea, but then tried to tell her that I would be happy to pay for it since she had opened it, but I still wanted something else to drink. I wasn't sure what the etiquette is for canceling once the seal has been broken on a canned beverage, but I thought it was worth to stay on the safe side for a restaurant that is so close and where I might want to return later.

I did manage to get across that I would have hot tea instead, but when she returned with that she also brought me a can (she had left the goblet with ice) of Seagram's Seltzer. I tried to think if there was something about the way I had asked for the hot tea or offered payment for the canned that had conveyed that I would like some seltzer in addition. Perhaps they give everyone a can of seltzer? I looked around to see what was on other tables, but I couldn't get a clear view since it wasn't crowded and the only other patrons were seated far away. I could be mistaken, but I don't think anyone else was having seltzer.

Soon after they brought out the miso soup and a small green salad (pale iceberg lettuce with the usual ginger dressing). The miso wasn't bad, and the salad tolerable, but as when she brought out the platter the women motioned and asked if I wanted her to open the seltzer. I said no thanks, the hot tea would be sufficient, and I thought I picked up on some confusion on her part, as if she couldn't understand why I was refusing yet another can I had asked for.

Despite the confusion with the beverage, the unagi was very satisfying. Both the roll and the sushi were well-prepared, with the roll being just the right density and temperature. Definitely worth coming back for. At the end of the meal though, the waitress made one final inquiry to ask if I was sure I didn't want the can of seltzer. I declined for the last time and she reluctantly took it away. She returned with complimentary pineapple cubes and a toothpick, which although canned like the tea were much appreciated, but I was left with an uneasy feeling not knowing whether the difficulty was all in my mind, or whether she really had been troubled and offended by my handling of the drink situation. From the check it appears that I only paid for a single drink, but I couldn't tell what it was.

I guess I will try to return with my family once they get back in town; they probably won't recognize me as part of a group and the platter was worth returning for.