Into adulthood, some former children never venture to taste the unknown, fearful of similar experiences of gagging.
Then there is Type 2: Fearless foodies. These folks have triumphed past bad memories and find the discovery of new flavors, cuisines and culture a desirable experience. They have no fear of someone shoving a spoonful of something unwanted into their wide-open, crying mouths. They take every opportunity to find a new adventure on the menu.
You are about to witness the transition from one to the other.
Sandy, who is the personification of Type 1, just ate eel.
And it’s all Connie’s fault. (She’s Type 2, of course.)
Where we ate:
It started with a cute name. Kabuki. And the hottest thing on their menu, The Hot Sex Roll.
Kabuki is a Korean/Japanese restaurant and sushi bar on Route 48 in Centerville. Recommended by readers, and known for their sushi, they cater to those who crave seafood beautifully crafted into little logs of delight. While we typically avoid chain restaurants, there are only two cities where one may find Kabuki, here and in Columbus. So it’s not really a chain, it’s more like a couple of links. We’ll break our own rule and head to Centerville.
Knowing it was sushi, Sandy, the former fearful feeder, trembled. Connie allowed Sandy an entire week for contemplation, courage-gathering and crying before she drove the big chicken to the restaurant.
To get her courage up, Sandy googled “Kabuki” to find out what it means. It’s a traditional Japanese dance-drama. “Kabuki” also comes from “kabuku,” when means “out of the ordinary,” even “bizarre.” This bit of information did nothing to quell Sandy’s fear.
Once at the restaurant, Sandy eyed the menu, which is full of dozens of rolls of sushi to choose from.
The Hot Sex Roll ($13.95) is obviously one of their more provocative choices so Connie ordered it. She just had to have eel.
What we had:
But first, an appetizer. Connie asked for the Monkey Balls ($6.95), which is deep-fried mushrooms stuffed with shrimp and crab.
“Don’t you feel bad eating those shrimp and crab?” Sandy asked.
“Of course not! ” Connie replied. “There are plenty more fish in the sea, plus I love the spicy sauce. It’s subtle so you can still taste the other flavors.”
The Hot Sex Roll came to the table like a work of art, professionally delivered by our amazing server Justin. Drizzled with three kinds of chef sauces, deep fried (thank god), it smelled surprisingly wonderful to Sandy.
Having left tissues at home, Sandy tried to put on a brave front but was taking her time, pretending she didn’t know how to use chopsticks.
“C’mon!” Connie said. “Hurry up and make it snapper!” (Connie has a thing about puns.)
So Sandy dove in. (Her support group would be so proud.) She tried not to look at what was moving toward her lips, and bit down halfway through, chewing quickly, hoping she didn’t dry heave.
There was no dry-heaving. Sandy experienced a wash of flavors untasted, and a feeling that she’d passed another milestone in life. She graduated from fearful feeder to fearless foodie.
Another bite of eel.
“I’m impressed!” Connie said. “When it comes to eating seafood, you’re no longer, um, a fish out of water!”
While Sandy’s tongue likely found the eel (or possibly the red snapper), its texture easy to pick out, it didn’t bother her like she thought it would. It was really good.
Sandy had three large pieces, leaving room for the entree, the Bulgogi, $14.95. It’s risk-free beef eating — thinly sliced marinated beef rib-eye in a sweet soy sauce.
The beef was swimming in the delicious sweet soy sauce, with grilled onions. There was a lot of beef on the plate, not skimpy portions found at other restaurants which fill your plate mostly with vegetables and a few slices of protein. The Bulgogi was tender, delicious and came with rice. It was a calming finish to a slightly nerve-wracking yet lovely first experience with eel. Yes, Sandy’s first experience with Kabuki’s Hot Sex Roll was one to tell mother about.
If you’re looking for amazing and artistic sushi, Kabuki has what you’re looking for.
The place: Kabuki Korean and Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar
The info: 848 S. Main St., Centerville: www.eatatkabuki.com; 937-435-9500. Facebook: Dayton Kabuki.
Hours: Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Online: Watch the video of our experience at Kabuki at MyDaytonDailyNews.com
Final musings: Sandy Collins and Connie Post have joined forces to give you and your peeps lots of ideas of where to eat. Shoot us an email and offer suggestions and your experiences at your favorite Miami Valley Restaurant. life@coxinc.com.
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