Live lobster – served as sashimi

I have seen god in the eyes of live lobster sashimi on my plate at Sushi Taro.

It really freaked me out. The Handsome Chef of Sushi Taro, Imamoto, greeted me and explained the day’s specials. “Live lobster” was #1. “It is delicious, but very expensive.” I am undaunted. I ordered it for Sarah and I.

Imamoto came and dumped a live lobster on the counter in front of us. The claws, antennas, and eyes were moving. I was duly impressed; the appetizer was live. Sarah and I named him Larry, in honor of the lobster that was almost cooked on Saturday Night Live by Eddie Murphy many years ago.

Imamoto cut up the lobster live, removing the tail and claws. The lobster wasn’t dead yet; he pulled the claws out and chopped up the meat of the tail, resetting it into the tail shell with plum leaves. Imamoto re-assembled the lobster, tail inverted, on the plate with the front end alive and the back end and claws “sashimi-ed” for eating.

The tail was delicious. The claws were an amazing experience. For those used to lobster claws that have been boiled, this is an unusual experience. The claws are gelatinous, and must be sucked to experience.

And it wasn’t over. Imamoto, the appropriately named Handsome Chef of Sushi Taro, had the backline chefs prepare miso soup using the lobster head which he reserved to us half an hour later. The taste was subtle but delicious.

This is a true test of your experiementation: give it a try. Someday you’ll grow old and look back on your life, and this is one of those things you won’t regret having tried.