The Lady Dinner

Waterfall Park 53rd Street between 5th and Madison- I like sitting next to it with a coffee on a break these days.

Scheduling and the electronic age. It makes planning dinner between friends (who incidentally only work 15 or so blocks from each other) easier and more complicated all at once. At Keiko's marvelous suggestion we settled on (by 'Neff's request- an inexpensive and delicious place...) Hatsuhana Park. www.hatsuhana.com. Dinner with Keiko, Neff and Yuki is an event and a half- and took many many e-mails to plan but was GORGEOUS. As you will see. We each had the "Lady Dinner" A four course wonder for $15. I forgot to take a photo of the tiny bowl of mung bean sprouts served as an opener in a vinegary dressing. And then there was




Marinated root vegetables, a little bowl of mountain potatoes in a crispy batter sitting in a light broth and something green in a salty tempura batter... neither Yuki nor Keiko knew what they were but we didn't leave them on the plate, either.




Yuki's sushi order was missing the tamago (egg custard BEAUTIFULLY done arrived moments later) The lady dinner included your choice of 4 pieces of excruciatingly fresh sushi and one roll.



MY sushi- Eel, Salmon Roe, Salmon and Yellowtail and a Spicy Tuna Roll



A little cup arrived with a dish nestled in the top. The dish contained scallion, umeboshi (plum), and more mountain potato ground up- this mixture is stirred into the cup of broth underneath it and is used as a dipping sauce for the accompanying bowl of Udon noodles served in ice water to keep them gloriously cold. Amazingly refreshing on a hot night! Trying to eat these with chopsticks.. well lets just say it is best to try this among friends who will not laugh at you TOO much.



Keiko



Dessert- Fruit salad in a red bean syrup with clear cold gelatin cubes and sweet red beans. This reminded Yuki that her mom used to make the same gelatin with milk and suspend orange slices in it. The Japanese version of the jello mold. My grandma was more partial to raisins and bananas in red jello. "Red?" asked Yuki "Is that a flavor?" I explained that in 1965, it was.

I did not get a picture of 'Neff- she was sitting next to me and taking her own snaps- perhaps she will send one of she and I.

'Neff promised that if I came I could become an honorary Asian. It didn't actually happen as I could not become as gracious, beautiful, unique and funny as my three friends in one night. But by their presence- I felt that way- just for being with them.

Domo, ladies, domo. :) X

I just got this from Yuki- I haven't checked it out yet but at dinner she mentioned a restaurant in California which is TOTALLY pitch dark- and the servers are blind... I loved her e-mail the best tho...

It was soooo nice to see you tonight :)
I had a fun.

here's the restaurant that i was telling you about. check it out!!!

http://www.opaque-events.jamic.com/