Just One of Those Father-Daughter Things

      
        My dad and I are seafood fanatics. I take that back, we are seafood maniacs! We live, eat, sleep, breathe, and dream sushi and sashimi. His favorites include hamachi (yellowtail), bluefin tuna, and uni. I'm partial to bluefin tuna, albacore tuna, uni, and most recently discovered, mackerel (which is actually great considering that mackerel is often the cheapest one fish on the menu!). Any opportunity that we get, my father and I are on the hunt for good sashimi and sushi. Our favorite restaurant is called Noshi Sushi and it is located just off of Beverly Blvd in Los Angeles, CA. First off, it is cheap. But don't let the great pricing fool you; they have the best california rolls and spicy tuna rolls you will ever eat. The rolls are HUGE, and not because it is just stuffed with rice. Nonono, Noshi Sushi gives you real deal crab meat and the most unique type of spicy tuna filling that you have never seen/tasted anywhere else. My family and I have been going there ever since we were little for lunch, dinner, pre-USC game meal, post-USC game meal, snack, etc and I know that it will remain in our family's generations for ever. And not that I mind or object, but sometimes I think that my dad will pick me up from USC just so that he has an excuse to get some Noshi to go...haha gotta love him. Another great place to go to is called Yoshida in San Marino, CA but that one is a bit pricier than Noshi Sushi. But Yoshida is where I had my first Uni--LIVE Uni at that! They have the live sea urchins lined up at the Sushi Bar and the chef cuts it open right there so that it is plated before you still moving. It doesn't get any fresher than that!
        My dad and I are huge foodies and always have the best conversations in the kitchen, outside at the bbq, driving to grocery stores, or just while browsing aimlessly at the grocery stores! I love it when we have our random days where we say "Hey, want to go check out this Japanese grocery store?" "Want to see if Sierra Produce has anything good?" It's just one of those father-daughter bonding times that we share, and I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. I love my dad so much! We've made a promise to each other that some day we will go on a trip, just the two of us, to Japan and enjoy all of the top-quality seafood and sashimi that it has to offer=) I can't wait for that day
        In my Mother's day/Food Coma Induction Day post, I briefly mentioned the LA Fish Co. trip that my dad and I tagged along for. Seeing as how it's my dad and I, OF COURSE we ordered an extra pound of the most massive, fresh, bluefin tuna that was sitting so beautifully on the counter. We're talking AT LEAST a few hundred dollars worth; the fish was huge.
        Unfortunately, my dad and I devoured 3/4 of the slab before I even got to take pictures of it. I remember watching my dad delicately handling the raw fish--cradling it like a baby. But that's what this tuna was to us, it was our precious. The coloring was such a beautiful hue of dark red that was translucent when held up to the light. There was absolutely no fishy smell to it and the flesh seemed almost to glow. Luckily my dad had made sure to save a small chunk of it in order to make some Poke, a traditional Hawaiian dish that we saw on an episode of Diners, Drive ins, and Dives. I'll be posting the recipe and pictures of that later. But here is a glimpse of the small slab that was used to make our Poke...just let your imagination run wild when trying to imagine that if this tiny slab looks so beautiful, one can only dream to fathom what the entire fish could have looked like...enjoy=)