A Million Blunders & Two Bottles of Wine

 

Family Sushi Dinner

[Beautifully crafted nigiri ]

Last night we decided it was time for a meal of sushi so we piled in the van and drove to Sakana Isshin, a sushi restaurant in the town of Niseko. Our first blunder was upon arrival when we did not have a reservation. Graciously the waiter seated us anyway. The waiter brought us menus and a stack of small plates along with chopsticks and a wet cloth for wiping our hands.  We poured over the menu with our google translate in hand and finally agreed that Wiley and Norah should just order for the table. Tom and I would be in charge of drinks. 

[ The daily specials ]

[ Somewhat translated ]

[ Wiley contemplating ordering something challenging ]

So we happily discussed what we would order and then waited for the waiter to return. In the mean time, another couple was seated beside us. Within minutes they had drinks and five minutes later a beautiful meal appeared at their table. The waiters were swarming with drinks, water, more plates, and so on. We started thinking that perhaps because we did not have a reservation we had to wait until everyone else in the restaurant was served. This went on for about 30 minutes. The couple beside us finished their meal and left the restaurant. Then, we noticed a regular sound of a chime going off in the background. We looked around and noticed a small oval accessory on our table that I honestly thought held some sort of condiment. We google translated the words on this item and it said "ring the bell when you are ready to order". Blunder #2. 

[ The secret button ]

Now feeling like complete idiots we rang the bell. Instant attentiveness at our table by the wait staff. Wiley and Norah ordered our food like professionals and Tom and I ordered a small order of local Niseko dry sake and two glasses of chablis. Or so we thought. 

[First course - tempura vegetables and edamame ]

Well, the waiter brought the first course of tempura vegetables along with some edamame and a second waiter showed up with a sizable pitcher of sake along with four glasses. It was more than I thought we ordered, but okay - I was excited to try it. Then a third waiter showed up with a BOTTLE of chablis and I was like, okay, didn't realize I ordered a bottle but that's okay. And then another waiter showed up with a SECOND bottle of chablis. Okay, we now had enough alcohol on the table for a party of eight. Blunder #3. At this point Tom and I could not contain ourselves and Norah and Wiley were in full embarassed-by-the-parents mode. 

[ One bottle of chablis EACH ]

The sushi was delicious. There was every variety of fresh fish, including an oyster, shrimp, tuna, salmon, and a variety of white fish that I did not recognize. We got a second chance at sea urchin (still tastes like aquarium ] along with fresh salmon roe. 

[ Norah bravely downing the salmon roe ]

We managed to finish off the sake (delicious ) and one bottle of wine by the end of the meal. We game planned for how to exit the restaurant with the second bottle of wine because we were too stupid to know whether or not this was an allowable action. So, we decided that Wiley would go up and pay the bill while Norah and I assist, and Tom would walk straight out of the restaurant with the bottle of wine. We figured he would be least likely to be stopped. We also decided that Norah and I could not return to this restaurant for about six months to regain our dignity with the wait staff. 

[ We made it to the parking lot ]

We made it to the parking lot unscathed. Norah was the designated driver home, having had only one glass of sake at dinner.