The Good Weather Project: Sushi, I love you

My second weekend in SoCal and all is well. Honestly, I am a little homesick and I miss my friends dearly but I think I'm adjusting, or at least I am trying.

One of the many reasons why I love California - the food. The weather is one thing, but the food ... oh the food. Just phenomenal.

I've gone through my 18 or so boxes but kept everything as is (no need to unpack, we may be moving sooner than later). Poor Chris, there's barely any room left between the living room and kitchen due to all my stuff. It's frustrating though because I can't seem to find what I need (or anything for that

matter). I should have been more strategic in my packing. Lesson learned.

So in the midst of looking for things to wear to dinner yesterday, I stumbled on a piece of jewelry I purchased back in February when I last visited Chris. Sad that I bought it 2 months ago and completely forgot all about it. I got it at Francesca's in Horton Plaza (downtown San Diego mall). The intricate details of this piece really caught my eye - a great statement necklace. I thought it would be fun to wear it with a simple white tee, skinnies and my favorite oversized sweater (it gets a bit nip in the evenings).

Chris has been dying to take me to this sushi place he and his friends discovered not too long ago. According to them the Love Boat has the best sushi in CA. So being the foodie that I am, I had to try it.

John, our sushi chef aka "the culinary artist" was such a sweetheart. I want to put him in my pocket and carry him every where I go. He was super friendly and quite the jokester.

Chris and his friends befriended him on their last outing so he knows all of them by name.

He started us off with a tuna and salmon salad. This was probably one of the best salads I've eaten. Seriously. It was good. It wasn't your typical Japanese style salad with ginger dressing. I can't determine what the dressing was but the fact that the tuna and salmon was so unbelievably fresh made it all the better.

Next up, Geoduck Clams. It was delicious, even though the clam itself did not look very appetizing post preparation. Google it when you get a chance. It looks like an organ I refuse to name (haha). Nonetheless, it was quite tasty. :)

Salmon niguiri and/or sashimi is a must when having sushi. It was especially delightful at Love Boat. Again, I can't stress enough how fresh the fish were. The salmon was so incredibly buttery and sweet, it literally melted in my mouth.

Since I'm the newbie of the group, the guys welcomed me with a Japanese sake oyster shooter. It was hard to take down in one shot considering everything in it, but your girl did it. Watching John make the drink was pretty awesome too. At the very bottom of the glass you'll find a quail egg (thought of you, Thyna). I typically don't do shots, but that concoction I'd take with no hesitation.

The guy's favorite dish of the evening ... Ama Ebi - also known as Sweet Shrimp sushi. The shrimp's head is lightly battered and fried (while still kicking and alive) served on a beautifully crafted platter with its tail served fresh over rice. Delicious and decadent.