FUGU FISH DINNER @ KANNAI, YOKOHAMA

Fugu is the Japanese name for the blowfish/puffer fish/globefish, an ugly critter with the enviable ability to inflate itself and project protective, highly-poisonous spikes. These spikes contain hefty doses of tetradotoxin, a nerve-shattering compound 1200 times deadlier than cyanide. One blowfish has enough poison to kill 30 people.

Its toxin blocks sodium channels in nerve tissues, ultimately paralyzing muscles. Respiratory arrest is the cause of death. -_-

This is the photo of Fugu in its normal mood. Looks pretty ugly. While looking at the fugu, i was praying hard " I want to eat fugu, but I don't want to die!" :p

This is the name of the restaurant where we had our fugu. It's pronounced as "FUGU" as well. : )

This restaurant is a Fugu specialty restaurant. Serves mainly Fugu dishes. Uncle Ryogen Furusho explained that theoretically, death from fugu consumption should not occur. Chefs of the restaurant undergo a rigorous and lengthy apprenticeship before they can slice and dice this particular sashimi. But, despite these precautions, some deaths still occur. ^0^

Eh hem, that statement would not freak me out from trying the Tora-fugu, which is the most poisonous and delicious fugu! Hehe... it would only add to the frisson... like playing Russian roulette with golden bullets. :p

A very cosy and warm ambience. Can die in peace.... Choi! Choi! Choi! Touch wood! What was i thinking? :p

WOW! The first fugu dish of the night - Fugu-sashi! Those are thinly sliced raw fugu. Served with ponzu dipping sauce ( mixture of citrus juice and soy sauce) . Squeeze the lemon on top of the fugu-sashi, wrap some clover and small raddish, then dip into the ponzu dipping sauce. It was really tasty and fresh! Yummy!

Both plates on the left are dipping sauce for fugu. The one on the right are pickles for us to munch. :)

This is Fugu Kara-age, which is floured and deep fried fugu. It has the delicate chickeny taste, coupled with bits of fresh fishy smell. Love it!

Preparing the pot and konbu dashi soup for Fugu-chiri, Nabe style ( steamboat).

Tada! The famous Tora-fugu ( Tiger Fugu)! Mind you, it wasn't my hands that were shaky, it was the fugu which was still alive and jerking. Not HALAL to see and eat moving creatures, you know. Uncle Ryogen explained that it was the fugu's involuntary spasmodic muscular movement due to reflex action. ( erm, whatever it means. :p )

I have shot a short video on the tora-fugu, with the jerking movement. Hehe.. if you are interested, do drop me a line here and give me your email as well. I'll email over the attachment. ; )

Vegetables, taufu, fugu are simmered in the dashi soup in a "basket pot". Served with ponzu dipping sauce.

Asatsuki (onion) and momijioroshi (mixture of raddish, carrot and chili) were put inyo the ponzu sauce to dip the fugu.

My nabe fugu dipped into the sauce. Believe me, it's really delicious, especially after dipping the sauce. Not sure whether it was my hallucinasion but i did feel a warm tingling and slight numbing on my lips. Thank god i wasn't poisoned.But it was thrilling though. Hehehe...

Ooh! Finally, we were done and finished with the fugus. The soup looks too sweet and tasty to be thrown way, agree?

So, what they did was to cook porridge with the soup base. Added in salt, kicap, onion and egg. Clever Japanese?

Looks good, tastes good!

Scooped some porridge into the rice bowl, ate it with some pickles and seaweed. It's the tastiest porridge ever tasted. :)

The dinner was completed with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream as dessert. Ooh~~~ so satisfying that even the ice cream tasted like heaven.

Wondering about the total costs of the sumptious meal?

*ting ting ting*

Approximately RM200 / persons. Quite pricey, but it's an experience of a life time.

If you haven't been trying Fugu, you haven't been to Japan!