dinner Friday night

After sumo we headed to Sushi Zanmai in Tsukiji, a stone's throw from the fish market. A casual place, well-lit and noisy, and huge (three floors), with laminated picture menus in both English and Japanese. The chefs greet you with a loud bellow as you walk in, and the wait staff motions for you to take off your shoes and stow them in a locker. The low tables have space below where you can put your legs so you don't have to kneel.

As it was a Friday night, the joint was packed with salarymen, eating and drinking and smoking. Terry had five kinds of tuna (lean, medium fatty, fatty, broiled and minced), Anita had sea urchin, I had my usual salmon plus a pickled plum-and-cucumber hand roll, and some other stuff.

When we ordered grapefruit sours, they brought glasses of shochu and soda but had us juice our own fruit right there at the table...Terry ordered round two: more bluefin tuna, more salmon, some flounder and mackerel...