Hello friends! Kon’nichiwa! That’s Japanese for “hello” 🙂 Angela here. It’s a beautiful, but HOT day here in Houston. The kids have only been out of school for 2 weeks and we have been spending a lot of time in the pool trying to keep cool. If we didn’t have a pool I don’t think we’d spend much time outside at all… Putting in a pool was one of the best investments we’ve made. It’s been a lifesaver in the summer! But, on to what I am here to talk about today.

Do you remember the first time you had sushi? I do. I was out in Los Angeles with a friend. I was 19. Coming from a small-ish town outside of Houston sushi wasn’t on every corner like it is in a big city. I remember trying California rolls, tuna rolls (tekka maki), fresh salmon (sake), and eel (unagi), among other things. While it wasn’t love at first bite, I was definitely hooked ( pun intended ;)) and wanted to try more! Both of my kiddos had their first experience with sushi by the time they were 5! Although they started with california rolls, they have begun to like many other things and are starting to experiment more. Proud mama 🙂

These days, sushi is everywhere: the airport terminal, the strip mall and even your local supermarket. A spicy tuna or salmon roll is as easy to come by as a hot dog or hamburger. But it wasn’t always this way: as ubiquitous as it is now, sushi is a remarkably recent addition to the American diet. Though, sushi in some form has been part of Japanese culture for well over a thousand years. Per Food & Wine magazine, it is a relatively recent arrival in the U.S., making its first small inroads a decade or so after World War II. A sashimi dinner in the 1950s at Miyako in San Diego, if you knew to go there, would run you $1.25. By the mid-1970s the chef at Tokyo Kaikan restaurant in Los Angeles had invented the California roll. And, the number of sushi restaurants in the U.S. quintupled between 1988 and 1998, and has kept on growing.

We have a favorite spot here in our little area of Houston. It’s called Eurasia. They have really amazing rolls and sushi creations along with wonderful, fresh sushi, sashimi, and cooked items. The owners, George & Kay actually live in the area and their kids go to the same school as ours. Not to mention, they are super nice! My family and I love going there! We usually go 2 to 3 times a month. Without fail, we usually run into other families dining there that live in our neighborhood. It’s so nice to support locally owned businesses. It’s a win-win! Check out some of their amazing creations:

One of my favorites at Eurasia: the Lauren appetizer!

Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is. And, my stomach is grumbling too just looking at all this wonderful sushi!

So, this Saturday, June 18th is International Sushi Day! What do you need to do on International Sushi Day you ask? Just go enjoy some sushi at your favorite sushi restaurant! And, if you live here in Houston near the Memorial/Spring Branch area go check out Eurasia Sushi. Tell them Angela from To Be Simply Happy sent you 😉

Sayonara for now!