One time I went into a Japanese restaurant and I had to take off my shoes and eat on the floor. Our waitress was wearing a kimono, which was a silk robe that goes down to her feet. I never knew that the Japanese ate like that until that day. I love to order sushi, which has rice and raw fish wrapped in seaweed. I looked into the sushi column and I ordered a different kind of sushi. I think it was called chef's special sushi, which included three raw thin slices of salmon and mixed vegetables. However, what I did not know at the time was the reason it was called chef's special sushi was because there was wasabi paste already in it. I must have drank three glasses of water after eating the chef's special sushi. The next time I order some thing in a Japanese restaurant, I will definitely make sure what is in the food.
Beef oxtail in peanut sauce.
Kare-Kare
Crispy pataAnother one of my great oriental experiences is the tasting of a cuisine from my native country, the Philippines. It is called Crispy Pata and Kare Kare. A Crispy Pata is a big chunk of pork meat that is marinated with soy sauce and then mixed with many and different types of spices. Then the Crispy Pata is cooked in a big pot with oil. However the Kare Kare is a mix of string beans, eggplant, bok choy, and ox tail. The ox tail is the main ingredient and it has to boil for about three hours to get it tender and juicy. It is then mixed with creamy peanut butter and a packet of Kare Kare mix, which makes it thick and tasty. There is only one Filipino restaurant that serves this cuisine, and it is called Max's Restaurant. There is one located in San Diego and several restaurants in the Philippines. Max's Restaurant has this secret sauce that taste so great. The Crispy Pata is highlighted by the secret sauce, while the shrimp paste, which is sautÃÂéed shrimp mixed with hot sauce, makes the Kare Kare a delightful cuisine.
From the Philippines to the European taste, Olive Garden is a great Italian restaurant, and is one of my favorite restaurants. I love to order "Tour de Italy."ÃÂ It has stuffed chicken parmesana, lasagna, and fettuccine alfredo. The stuffed chicken parmesana has mozzarella cheese inside the chicken. The fettuccine alfredo has a creamy white sauce with bits of chicken in it. Tour de Italy also comes with all you can eat garlic bread sticks and Caesar salad. The first time I tried Tour de Italy was on my eighteenth birthday. The taste and texture of the food was so delicious and different from other cuisines that I have tasted before.
Trying a variety of foods can be a good experience. I like to try many different things. Maybe someday I can go to different countries and taste different cultural cuisine. However now all I can do is go to different restaurants and taste different cuisines. I like to taste the odd looking ones, they tend to be the better tasting foods. Whether going to Japan, Italy or Philippines, each country has at least one cuisine that will attract me to tasting it. Whether it is sweet or tangy.