Exquisite

Two of my Finnish partners in crime (aka. foreign exchange students) are getting ready to head home. Before they leave though, we decided we had to have a goodbye dinner.

We met outside. The afternoon had brought a burst of rain and the sky was still overcast. Without realizing we had dressed in complimentary styles - C was all white with pearls, D and I were wearing black, one in slacks, the other in a skirt. Look out.

We strolled down a well lit marble corridor. The lights from the lamps sparkled on the polished floor. A heavy mahogany door marked our destination. Once inside we hung our coats and walked through white floor length sheers - into a darkened bar. A long counter top ran perpendicular to the entrance. Low tables and couches filled the room. C moved to walk in front. She'd been here before. Moving briskly, she led us down a narrow passage way. On the right a waist high window of warped pinkish-purple glass allowed us to glimpse in the kitchen. And then. There we were.

The passage way opened up into an L-shaped room. Everything was white. The walls. The leather couches lining the wall. The squares tables covered in crisp table clothes. The light fixtures. The chairs. The chopsticks - were silver. English jazz flowed from the speakers. Candles glowed on the tables. The mood was one of controlled minimalism. Ostentatious? No. Cool and collected? Very.

We gave the waiter our names and were promptly seated. Ordering a bottle of white wine, we turned our attention on the menus. Mango. Squid. Cilantro. Zucchini. Shrimp. Grapefruit. Octopus. What a selection. How to choose? I finally settled on Truffel Spargel Maki (Truffle Asparagus Maki). D ordered a Rainbow surprise - surprise in that the menu declared it 'indescribably good'. C went a little more traditional and ordered a sushi set.

The sushi was delicious. The combination of textures and flavours complimented each other beautifully. Set in context with the atmosphere and surroundings of the restaurant, the body of the wine and the music and conversation flowing through the room, the sushi was perfect. Exquisite food and delightful company in a sophisticated location.

What a pity this was a goodbye dinner...