Steakhouses, Part II

It was 3 years before my next adventure into a Japanese steakhouse. Long cast from those high stress situations which used to literally ruin my days, and into a healthy relationship with the woman who became my wife, it might've been the concussion or the newfound social comfort that led me to be comfortable to once again set foot into a place that always swallows your cash no matter how much you bring. This became increasingly true after I turned 21 and could enjoy adult beverages as well.

Accompanying Michelle on her team formal was one of the most casual and easy-going stand-ins I ever did. Since she was single without a date, she was looking for a friend to go with that would get along easily with her and not be awkwardified by lack of previous interactions with anyone else at dinner. I can't remember what I did the night before, but I do remember her visiting that day to finalize details and freaking out because I was wearing marker all over. "Nothing a scratchpad couldn't remove", I assured her. Since I also hadn't recently shaved and she wanted it reduced to stubble, we can confidently say that between scraping off marking and clipping off 2 weeks of facial growth, I was sufficiently raw in the face by the end of it.

We carpooled to Ukai Japanese Steakhouse on the West side of Lansing and met up with a huge group. Alcohol always eases people into large groups and this was no exception. After a bottle of red wine, the food was on its way through the tradition of onion volcanoes and egg tricks that leave you convinced the chicken ate so much calcium it must've had kidney stones. And this is where I learned my second lesson. Red wine is not a Japanese steakhouse friendly drink. It's not that it makes you sick, but rather it masks some of the wonderful tastes present at the table. They serve their own cultural wines for a reason; take them up on it rather than imposing your own drink upon a foreign food.

All told, Ukai was a great, busy, happy and loud place where I had the opportunity to watch other people struggle through their utensils and food while enjoying every second of the evening. The noise and atmosphere really made the trip feel like a party and since we alone brought about 30 people there, that was exactly the atmosphere we wanted. Nothing I would consider date material, but it really set the tone for the night. What a great time.