Tonight, we ventured off base for a dinner out on the town. A friend of ours who moved here about two weeks ago acted as our guide and gave us many helpful tips. The restaurant was located about a mile from base (although here they use kilometers) on the upper floor of a shopping complex. The bottom floor consisted of a grocery store and to complete the upper floor was a 100 yen store, similar what we know as a Dollar Tree. As of now, $1.00 is equivalent to 80 yen.
The walk to the restaurant was simple enough, passing many stores, bars, and even a Seven Eleven. The sun sets here around 5 pm and complete darkness follows around 5:30. Luckily, the streets are well lit and were fairly busy. Apparently the area around the base is very safe, Japanese police stand guard outside the base as well as American guards just inside the gate.
When we arrived at the restaurant, we were to request what type of seating we would like and the number in our party. Then our number was called and we were shown to our table. The tables line conveyor belts that run from the kitchen in the back and make a small loop in the dining area. Sushi of all kinds are placed on the conveyor belt, from rolls to sushi-mi, cooked and raw. A menu was placed on each table and, fortunately enough, had the types in English as well. Each plate of sushi had either one or two pieces depending on the kind of fish used and cost 120 yen. As you sit you can watch for your favorite kinds of sushi and grab as much as you want. There were also a few side dish type items such as fries and shrimp cocktail, and dessert items like flan and strawberry shortcake. Also, you could request special items and those items were placed on the conveyor belt on a special plate specifying which table it was for. When we finished, Alan and I had polished off 12 plates together and paid 1395 yen, approximately $17. Not a bad price when its dinner for two!
No comments:
Post a Comment