A Taste of Japan and China

I have never really thought of going to China but now that I have met many nice and friendly Asians I think I should add it to the travel bee list!
A sweet friend of mine invited me over for dinner one day and on that day I was so tired, she said she was going to cook for me and that scared me a bit (lol) because apart from noodles and rice I wasn't sure I was ready to taste any other type of Chinese cuisine. I bailed but as "fate" would have it she caught me by the corner of a super market while I was waiting to return a book I had borrowed from a friend earlier that day. She asked me what I was doing there and I so thank God I didn't lie because as I answered the guy I was waiting for emerged and to my surprise they were neighbors! this just made me feel like such a bad friend and to add to my guilt she said "now you're here, lets go get dinner!" of course I had no choice and I'm very glad I did because it was some wonderful adventure!

We went to Wasabi to get something to eat. As we were ordering I quickly asked for prawns and noodles (trying to be safe), she then asked me if I had ever tasted Sushi, I said  (hell no!) no. thinking that was the end she was like "do you want to try? its very nice" and in my head I was thinking "are you kidding??? raw fish!!! naija babe like me eat raw fish ke! when I can barely manage smoked fish!" but instead my lips spluttered "yes!"
To be honest I had thought of eating Sushi so I guess I did a bit of free association there.

Anyway we bought the sushi, I also got the prawn noodles and she got chicken noodles, I thought that was all then she said we should go to her flat for dinner, that she had some food cooked specially for me (guilt poked me further) so I went with her.

We got to the flat and I made myself comfortable because by this time I was getting quite excited to try raw fish and she had gone to the kitchen to get cutlery and stuff. I found my way to the kitchen, settled down and decided to eat my delicious prawns and noodles (I was starving at this point). Honestly I did not know what to say when I opened my pack and saw this liquid thing staring at me! I  complained " Sue, I think there is a problem, I ordered Prawns and noodles!" and she replied "yes, thats prawns and noodles soup!" I wanted to faint! so much for playing safe!

Well, I did have to eat up and at first it was torture but after a while it didn't taste so bad, kind of reminded me of pepperless pepper soup with large and small strings of noodles mixed with huge prawns. After I tried to finish that I was served the Sushi!!!!

This was it! the featured food of the day! a plate of raw fish with some greenish paste was put in front of me. I felt like I was in some fear factor game but I was excited all the same and so I took the first bite.....


Drums rolling.......

Chewing......

NOT BAD AT ALL!!!!!

It was quite nice! didnt exactly taste so bad and it went very well with the sauce which I later found out was Wasabi sauce.

I told her it was good and she clapped her hands and said "yaay! good! now time to try some seaweed!"

It tasted like crayfish or something (not bad either).

By that time my tongue had got used to trying all sorts of new things that I didn't mind being a little more adventrous. Here are a few of the other dishes I tasted.

 She showed and explained to me the differences between types of spaghetti and other very interesting and educative stuff....

Tried using chopsticks but failed woefully!
 I was more than stuffed after all the food but glad that I got to experience a different kind of food culture.
It was a truly wonderful evening!