If You Knew Sushi: Every restaurant needs a gimmick, right? Well, one German restaurant has taken the Hooters concept way beyond the next level.
According to Nation's Restaurant News, an industry trade paper, a sushi restaurant in Hanover, Germany, has come up with a novel way to serve sushi: on the bodies of naked women.
The proprietor calls the meal "sushi à la Jungfrau." The women earn about $500 a night for lying motionless on a table, wearing veils over their faces (to save them embarrassment?) and what's described as a "thin floral decoration" between their legs.
Sushi is arranged over the ladies' bodies, while bodyguards dressed as samurai warriors stand watch, making sure that patrons keep their hands off the "plates."
Predictably, women's groups are outraged. Also predictably, the restaurant is booked solid weeks in advance. The meal costs about $250.
The most popular job at the restaurant? I'd guess "dishwasher."
Goma Treat: While Germans are eating raw fish off naked bodies, the townspeople of Goma, in the Congo, are just recovering from their seasonal feast.
According to Nation's Restaurant News, Gomans rely on the semiannual return of the senene the same way that Capistranans count on the return of the swallows.
Senenes are bright green grasshoppers--they look like shrimp with wings--that drive Gomans into a gastronomic frenzy. The protein-rich creatures are considered a delicacy, and they're treated with the same kind of tenderness and care that a Bordeaux winemaker lavishes on his grapes.
Once the insect swarm arrives, it's matched by the swarm of Gomans who jam the streets trying to scoop up dinner.
The going rate for a bottleful is reported at 250,000 New Zaires--about one dollar.
Heart Smart: The American Heart Association and several of the Valley's top chefs have joined together to show folks how to eat both wisely and well.
Once a month, starting in February, Eddie Matney (Eddie Matney's Epicurean Trio), Charles Wiley (The Boulders), Donna Nordin (Cafe Terra Cotta), Christopher Gross (Christopher & Paola's Fermier Brasserie) and Razz Kamnitzer (Razz's) will be offering classes in healthful dining. First, you'll learn how to cook the meal. Then, you'll get a chance to eat it.
The next class/dinner is scheduled for Tuesday, February 2, headed by Eddie Matney. You'll be preparing and eating stuffed Roma tomatoes with Arizona greens; Moroccan seared pork tenderloin with roasted banana mashed potatoes in an ancho chile and lavender broth; and baked apple with golden raisins and apricot dressing.
All the dishes meet AHA guidelines: Fewer than 30 percent of the calories come from fat.
The events are held at the AHA's Halle Heart Center, at 2929 South 48th Street in Tempe, starting at 6:30 p.m. Dinner for two is $90.
For a complete schedule, reservations and more info, call 414-5353.
--Howard Seftel
Suggestions? Write me at hseftel@newtimes.com or New Times, P.O. Box 2510, Phoenix,
