Midori answered the door with a smile. "Hi, Johnny!" She wore a jade-green jersey dress that clung in all the right places.
"Hi, Midori." Johnny almost didn't recognize her when she answered the door. Her hair, which she always wore neatly braided in class, fell softly about her shoulders. She wore a bit of makeup as well, which enhanced her almond-shaped eyes. But what really surprised him was her petiteness. At five-feet-one, she wasn't a large woman; but the thick fabric of the bulky karate gi made her look much bigger in class. With a bemused smile, he surveyed the elfin figure who could so effortlessly take him down to the mat, his thoughts taking a decidedly non-karate direction. She was beautiful
"What?" she asked a bit uncertainly.
"Uh, nothing. I almost didn't recognize you. You look terrific without your gi." Flushing slightly, he amended, "I mean, with street clothes on."
Eyes sparkling as she laughed, Midori stepped through the doorway and pulled the door closed. "Well, you look different, too. Shall we go?"
After finding out that Johnny had never eaten Japanese food before, Midori chose a traditional Japanese restaurant, complete with tatami rooms. The kimono-clad hostess slid aside the shojito reveal a low lacquered table with cushions in front of it. A tatami mat covered the floor as well as one wall, which also bore a long Japanese hanging scroll or kakejiku in a small alcove. The other two walls were made out of wood and paper. A small bonsai tree sat in one corner, adding serenity to the room. They removed their shoes and sat down, tucking their legs under them Johnny smiled. "I don't think I can kneel like this for the whole meal, Midori. You'd have to carry me out."
Midori laughed. "Well, that would be a problem. I know I can get you down to the mat, but I don't think I can pick you up."
First the server brought them an oshibori, a small heated towel with which to clean their hands and soon returned with some green tea along with the menus. "Let me pour the ocha," said Midori, reaching for the teapot wrapped in bamboo and the fragile teacups. Now we say 'itadakimasu,' which means 'I will receive.'"
"Itadakimasu."
They sipped their tea and looked at the menu. "Hmm, let's see. You said you were a vegetarian. I think this will be good," said Midori.
"Whatever you say. I don't know anything about Japanese food except rice." A slight smile played about his lips as he watched as Midori peruse the menu, more interested in the way that the light framed her hair about her face than in the food they were going to eat.
Midori chose shiitake maki vegetable sushi for an appetizer and for the main meal, miso soup, vegetable tempura, and rice. She selected a sweet umenishiki sake to go along with it.
As they waited for the food to arrive, Johnny told Midori more about his job at Station 51 and Midori told him about growing up in Okinawa and other things Japanese. Watching the myriad of expressions flow over her face as she talked, he listened to her tales, captivated by the sound of her voice.
First the shiitake maki arrived. Cooked shiitake mushrooms sat in the center of seasoned and molded rice, surrounded by a sheet of dried seaweed. There were also small bowls of shoyu and hot mustard sauce. The server set a pair of chopsticks down beside each guest, which Johnny regarded with amused dismay. "Either I have to use my hands or get a fork. If I have to use these, we'll be here until next week sometime."
Midori laughed. "We can get a fork. But, it's okay to use your fingers for sushi. Now, let me show you how to use the hashi. It's really not that hard."
They laughed a great deal, as Johnny was not entirely successful in manipulating the chopsticks.
"I better stop before the food ends up on the floor."
"Think of them as extensions of your fingers," Midori suggested. "Anyway, the most important thing is to never stick the hashi straight up in the rice. We do that only at funerals, where the rice bowl is placed at the head of the deceased so they will have something to eat in their next life. Also, never point at anyone with hashi or wave them around too much."
"Hai," he said with a smile, watching the way her hands moved as she talked.
Next the miso soup arrived in little bowls with lids. Picking up her bowl, Midori said, "We drink the soup like this and use the chopsticks to fish out the other bits. Or, in your case, the fork. Oh, and it's okay to slurp."
"What's this?" Johnny prodded the unidentifiable objects in his soup with his fork.
"That's tofu and seaweed. Miso soup is made from fermented soybeans. Try it."
The soup tasted slightly sour, but the flavor grew on Johnny as he drank it. He laughed.
"What is it?"
"I never thought I would eat seaweed. Twice in the same meal. "
"We eat it all the time. Often we have miso soup at all meals. There are many different ways to prepare it."
"You eat seaweed for breakfast?"
"Yes. Why not?"
"Guess I just never thought of it."
"And instead of using bread to make sandwiches, we use seaweed and can put chicken or egg inside. I know the people in Hawaii like to put Spam inside. They call it musubi."
"Spam!" He laughed. "Never thought of that, either." But he would be glad to eat seaweed sandwiches if he could eat them in the company of Midori.
Next came the tempura, with more little bowls of shoyu and hot mustard sauce. The server also brought the sake in a ceramic flask, accompanied by two very small cups without handles.
"Now, for the sake, we have to fill each other's cups." First she poured some into Johnny's cup and then handed him the flask, her fingers lightly brushing his.
"It's hot!" he remarked as he poured some for Midori.
"Yes. That's the most preferred way to drink it." Midori waited until Johnny had handed her the cup. "Now we say 'kanpai,' and drink up," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Kanpai," said Johnny as he swallowed the contents of the cup and then promptly started coughing. "Don't tell me you actually like this?" he sputtered.
"Yes, I do. But, I won't make you drink any more," she laughed, eyes sparkling. "Would you rather have beer? Asahi is nice."
"No, thanks. I think I'll stick to tea."
Dessert consisted of sweet azuki beans, again served hot, in a little cup.
"We end the meal by saying 'gochiso sama deshita,' which means, 'thank you for the feast.'"
"Gochiso…"
"Gochiso sama deshita."
"Goshito somo… Thank you for the feast." Johnny smiled.