Face to face with Jaws

A couple of years ago I met some delightful housewives who seemed to take a shining to me. The feeling is mutual, so much so that we occasionally go out on the town together.

Last week, they invited me out to a traditional Chinese banquet. When you hear the word ‘traditional’, maybe you’d be forgiven for thinking it would include something along the lines of sweet and sour pork, fried rice, that kind of thing, no?

Imagine my surprise when I was dished up a nice serving of vinegared jellyfish! Eeeek!

Buuut, if it were a dog, I think we could safely say that it’s bark was worse than its bite. In fact, I got quite into it. Or my teeth did, at least; it was the chewiest, weirdest textural food sensation I’ve ever experienced. Oh, apart from that stir-fried pig’s ear I had at an Okinawan restaurant once. (Made a right pig’s ear of the order, it has to be said, teehee.)

So they’re all asking, “Oishii desu ka?” and I’m like, yes, “Oishii desu yo!” Which was kind of true. Which meant I was kind of asking for the next culinary shock.

Shark fin custard!

What the?!

Actually, to anyone familiar with Japanese cuisine, I’m the world’s biggest fan of chawan mushi (yummy morsels, baked in a savoury custard). And it was basically like the Jaws version of that, and scrumptious all the same.

Did make me feel a bit bad for the poor sharks, mind you, what with being de-finned like that. Must’ve been their pride and joy, can you imagine? Kind of akin to a lion being de-maned or a camel being de-humped or something.

Still, at least we’re not onto monkey brains. Be thankful for small mercies, I guess.