Japanese Food

Minggu lalu ketemu dg teman-teman lama. Makan di sushi bar. Ada satu teman yg belum pernah - or jarang - makan seafood (alergic!). Apalagi japanese food, sushi & sashimi pula! Jadi itu pengalaman pertama yg agak tidak terlupakan...

Anyway, kawanku yg lain sering berurusan dg rekan-rekan dari Jepang.
Menurut dia -- dining is an art in Japan.
Selain rasa, mata dan panca indera yg lainnya harus dimanjakan.

After a short googling... found this (and a bunch of other links):

Before actually eating the food, you must enjoy it with the "eyes" first. Eyes are as large as the stomach. That, is the Japanese way of dining.

In Japan, food and dishes are considered to be a type of art. Although there are no marveling sessions held before the eating, the Japanese people really enjoy the artistic sense and beauty of the displayand arrangement of the food and the choice of receptacles for serving it. Sometimes, even the rooms or the place where the eating is occured are considered as part of the art. More beautiful the food looks, more delicous, it is thought to be.

Quoted from this link.