Nothing Says 'Romance' Quite Like a Deep-Fried Shrimp Head...

This evening I realized that I had missed Whole Foods' "We're In the Mood For Love" Valentine's Day sweets and wine offering (chocolate fountain included), so I decided to splurge on some tasty assorted raw fish (and a Kirin, mmm). I mean, doesn't the thought of sitting alone at a sushi bar requesting whichever fish the chef thinks are the tastiest catches seem pretty romantic? ... Come on ... In the classical sense? No? Well, I think so.

I spent my V-Day dinner cuddled up to the bar at my local sushi place, Osaka. Located in a strip mall within walking distance of my apartment, I first visited the restaurant hesitantly - as a lover of sashimi, a "bad" sushi place is such a let-down. As it turned out, I was surprised at how well the fish was cut and have been back a few times since . (The generous portions in the "sashimi regular" and the delicious green tea ice cream are also selling points.)

I decided to forgo my usual "sashimi regular" for-A-go (teehee!) at the a la carte menu. With my tiny pencil I marked anything I've never tried, and some of my favorites. (Again, this is a small, local, strip-mall place - the choices weren't too vast.)

My menu? Toro (Fatty Tuna), Sake Toro (Fatty Salmon), Saba (Mackerel), Hokkigai (Surf Clam), Scallop Salad with tobiko and scallions (no fresh scallop in stock), Tomago (Egg) and White Tuna.

SIDENOTE: What is being served in sushi bars as 'white tuna' is typically either albacore, or one of tuna's cousins, Escolar. Both are extremely pleasant and silky when cut correctly. They look similar, but Escolar is the whiter, smaller grained (and more expensive) of the two. Albacore can have traces of pink. You'll likely have to ask the chef which one he'll be using. While Escolar is my preference, the two are similar-enough that I don't ask.

... unfortunately, they were out of Uni (Sea Urchin) - which I would have loved to have tried. So, I asked the lead chef what he would have for himself. He thought long, "hmmm ... have you had Ama-ebi?" I had not. It is a sweet, raw shrimp and he serves it with deep-fried whole shrimp heads.

My response? "Bring it on."

They (the shrimp heads) stared at me like the chef warned, but it was also cute how they looked like they were kissing. The couple next to me laughed nervously, commented how they would never try one and offered to take a picture of me eating one, "so my friends would believe me." I [of course] took them up on their offer and handed over my cell phone - thanks technology!



The shrimp heads had the crunch and the bit-of-chewiness of a deep-fried soft-shell crab (which I love). With more exoskeleton to crunch through, however (including some pointy whiskers and black, bubble-like eyes), they tasted more like a well-toasted version of the Asian shrimp chips my grandfather used to buy. An interesting and dramatic choice, but I'd rather pay $5 for some more salmon, here.