| Sushi seems to attract more than its fair share of service gimmicks – there's the train at Yuzuki (I love that the Soo Line coal car delivers rainbow maki to your table) and the boats at Sakana Grill and Sumo. The best of all, though, is the conveyor belt at Daikichi on Stephen Avenue Walk (111 - 8 Ave. S.W., phone 265-1398). Rather than being a substitute waiter, like the train and the boats, the conveyor belt changes the way you think about food.
Daikichi has two bi-level conveyor belts, each about 20 feet long, with hot food like gyoza or heated firm tofu on the top belt under heat lamps, and cold food on the bottom belt. Diners sit in front of the belt like battery chickens and take small plates off either belt.
The prime seats are obviously at the point nearest the kitchen where the plates come out. After we were sitting there for about 20 minutes, it was easy to see what wasn't popular – little forlorn pieces of prawn sushi circling the belt like abandoned luggage aren't entirely appetizing and add a bit of unexpected pathos.
However, the food was surprisingly good and, given that you sit down and begin eating right away, is delivered with frightening efficiency. My companions and I were in and out, stuffed to bursting with decent Japanese fare (it's $15 for all you can eat at lunchtime), in less than half an hour, leaving us somewhat bewildered.
The main advantage of this system is that you can see what the food looks like before you try it. In the course of our lunch, we tried hot appetizers that we wouldn't have otherwise ordered – and they were excellent. Pan-fried tofu is not really my thing, but it was light and came with an intoxicating dipping sauce. The gyoza were fresh and hot, the tempura was light, there were little oblong spring rolls – it reminded me of Japanese dim sum.
The sushi itself wasn't quite the same quality as the hot food (one of the pieces of tuna I had was still slightly frozen) and there wasn't a huge selection, but the sushi was still appealing, and frankly, you can fill your face. There were two types of rolls that came by – a lovely giant roll and a California roll – and the sushi was mostly salmon, tuna and snapper.
I didn't see a scallop, toro, eel or anything more adventurous – these are all on the a la carte menu, but some items are just too expensive for all-you-can-eat.
Overall, I liked Daikichi very much in the sense that it's a sushi automat – the food whizzes by and you grab it. Orwellian, I know, but appealing nonetheless.
CULINARY MUSINGS
The German film Mostly Martha, now out on video, can be added to the pantheon of great food movies in the same league as Big Night or Babette's Feast. It's the story of an uptight chef whose life is opened by her niece, a difficult 10-year-old and her Italian sous-chef. More than anything, it shows that food is a reflection of who we are as people – when Martha eats an Italian picnic on the floor of her otherwise perfect kitchen, the mess is almost more than she can bear, but soon she digs in with gusto.
One of the books I'd take to a desert island is An Omelette and a Glass of Wine by the English writer Elizabeth David. I read an essay in it again last night and marveled at the economy of prose. She was one of Europe's finest 20th century writers, who happened to write about food.
And what is it about London Drugs? Their food section has the weirdest and most wonderful stuff, like Danish Farms jam, which is the best, cheapest, commercial jam, and McVities' Chocolate Digestives. Have a look when you're getting your pictures developed – you'll be surprised. |
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