How to gut a fish in four easy steps. Courtesy of APA

Sake, Sashimi and the Beauty of a Saturday Afternoon

By: Joaquin Farinas

Little Tokyo - Sake flowed and kimonos were all the rage as the Japanese Restaurant Association of Southern California held its annual

No. It's not a misprint for the Justice League of America... it's the Japanese Restaurant Association! Courtesy of www.jrasc.com

food festival at the New Otani Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles last Saturday, November 1st. The festival, held to promote Japanese restaurants and food companies in the Southern California area, offered eager supporters a wide assortment of Japanese foods, deserts, beer, and sushi. The event also offered gift bags to the first three hundred guests and raffled off an exclusive grand prize of a round trip ticket for two to Japan.

The doors opened to the ethereal sounds of traditional Japanese music provided by Yoko Awaya and Skauhachi. Held on the second floor of the hotel in the New Otani's ballroom, the line literally wrapped down and around the staircase with hundreds of people impatiently waiting for their sashimi.

The ceremony was officially kicked off with the opening of the sake barrel. Representatives of the JRA in addition to representatives of the Little Tokyo Business Association, the Consulate General of Japan and the Japan America Society all gathered on the center stage dressed in kimonos. Each with a mallet in hand, they simultaneously cracked open the keg of sake that was on the center stage, signaling the start of the festivities.

Taiko Show rock the Otani. Courtesy of APA

Between sampling all the delicacies, (and their were literally dozens upon dozens to sample from) the ceremony not to be missed was the tuna sashimi demonstration. Hundreds gathered as professional sushi chefs demonstrated how to filet a tuna into a delectable feast. As the chefs began their process, a lull fell over the crowd. Brandishing a blade that could easily pass for a small kitana, one of the chefs made a small laceration across the gills while another chef expertly detached the head. On the overhead speaker, a translator interpreted the instructions of the master chef as he dictated the procedure. The process was clearly defined: the backside was filleted after the head, followed by the belly and then the stomach. Underneath the stomach laid the darkest of the tuna's meat. In any restaurant, this section of the fish would cost upwards of thirty dollars a roll. As each section was removed from the fish the chefs began to filet them into sashimi rolls to feed the next wave of hungry patrons that flooded the ballroom of the New Otani. Each piece was expertly cut to the approximate size of the chef's four fingers. The demonstration, which had begun in near silence, ended in a boisterous array of cheers, and oohs and aahs.

A massive fish, weighing nearly 120lbs was the centerpiece of the ballroom as patrons flooded its doors. The tuna was caught two days prior off the coast of Mexico. Priced on an open market, the palatable fish would sell for as high as fifteen hundred dollars. It was generously donated by the International Marin foundation.

The day hit its peak with a pulsating performance by the Taiko Show drum troop. The group, consisting of one male and four women (one as young as thirteen) was originally supposed to perform in the opening ceremony but had their performance delayed until mid-day. Coming right on the heels of the sashimi demonstration, their energetic sounds revived the attention of the stuffed masses that had lost themselves in a gluttonous stupor. For those who had too much fill of food or wine (and in my case, both) the proud, forceful, and vigorous pounding of the Taiko Show reaffirmed our desire to further explore the rest of the festival. It also brought a great satisfaction for making the trek to downtown Los Angeles.

Stuffed patrons relax by the garden's waterfalls. Courtesy of APA

For those who didn't wish to be confined to the walls of the ballroom, the festival offered outdoor seating on the New Otani's mezzanine level Japanese Garden. Surrounded by the glass pillars of downtown's skyscrapers, the garden made an excellent oasis with its breathtaking rock gardens and flowing waterfalls. Soft jazz music accentuated the mood as the smells of tempura and teriyaki from the nearby grills wafted through the air. Combined with the day's clear blue sky and gentle breezes, the festival was a trip worthwhile, not only to lovers of Japanese culture, but to all those searching for a beautiful way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

For more information on the Japanese Restaurant Association, please log onto www.jrasc.com

November 07, 2003