Not for Herbivores

One of the most fun things about our time so far on Okinawa is trying new restaurants. Not only do we have to decipher the menu (occasionally with the help of English and often only with pictures and numbered entrees), but sometimes we have to figure out how to eat the food when it gets to the table. Since I am an avid people watcher, I have a pretty good system of watching the tables around us to figure out how to utlitize the numerous plates and condiment containers. Of course, chopsticks are the utensil de rigueur, and since my arrival, I've become pretty good at wielding them properly (though not yet a master by far :) ). Also important to Japanese dining are the cool, damp towel and table buzzer: the towel is for wiping your hands before the meal (perfect for stickiness from the humidity) and the buzzer summons the waitstaff when you are ready to order or need something during the meal.

The other night, we decided to try the all-you-can-eat Korean barbeque restaurant a few minutes from our house. As you can see from the picture above, the protocol was to cook your own food over the open flame in the middle of the table. Matt and I quite enjoy this type of restaurant on occasion (Melting Pot, anyone?) and had a great time cooking soy and miso marinated strips of lamb, tenderloin, chicken and squid and wrapping them in delicious pieces of nan bread (think fluffy pita). At the push of the buzzer, more food would arrive for our enjoyment. We quickly learned that one order of meat included several pieces, whereas a single order of vegetable returned exactly one slice of the chosen food. Our solitary green pepper and leek pieces looked very lonely by themselves on the big white plate.

The meal ended, as all-you-can-eat meals are apt to do, with just enough room for soft serve ice cream from a machine at the front of the restaurant. Since I was ridiculously stuffed and barely mobile (this almost never happens to me, but has twice in the same week!!), Matt was kind enough to bring a small portion back to me and let me know that the directions on the machine were worthy of inclusion in my "amusing translations" collection. See for yourself:

"When you want to take out soft ice cream, please pedal a step. When you want to stop soft ice cream, please avoid means of transportation from a pedal."