I had a really nice lunch with my sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and my cousin Tuesday at a great sushi shop in Wilmington called Genki Sushi. It’s my new favorite Japanese restaurant in the state of North Carolina. It’s sort of like a cross between a sushi bar and an izakaya (which is a Japanese pub).
Coming here really does feel like coming to a real Japanese restaurant, and Sugi-san and his wife do an excellent job of making you feel right at home. The menu is full of good stuff, too. From good fresh sushi to those dishes that make you feel a little æ‡ã‹ã—ã„ (natsukashii) for good old Japanese food.
It’s not the stuff you get in the steak houses, and it’s not some fancy fusion stuff. This is good, solid 和食 (washoku), which means traditional Japanese food (like sushi), along with some good 洋食 (youshoku), which is the more “modern” Japanese food (like tonkatsu). It’s all good stuff.
I had some tuna sushi (nigiri, of course), with fried squid legs, and a great tonkatsu plate. And of course, a bowl of Sugi-san’s excellent rice. He makes the best rice I’ve ever had. (And I’ve had some excellent rice.)
Hot Dog!
No trip to Wrightsville Beach is complete without Trolly Stop hot dogs either. I had a couple of Carolina Dogs on Wednesday for lunch. Those are the best hot dogs in the world.
And I’m not biased at all because I was born here.
A Carolina Dog is a hot dog with chili and cole slaw on it, but for some reason, the chili and cole slaw at the Trolly Stop just goes really well together. I love to add a dash of mustard and ketchup. (Not too much.) And the steamed hot dog buns are perfect.
Oh yeah, the beach was wonderful, too.
Hey, it’s the beach. Of course it’s great. The beaches in North Carolina are hard to beat. (Except, of course, when you’re in the middle of a hurricane…)
It’s good being with the whole extended family, but it will be good to get home and take a break from all of the traveling for a few weeks. It’ll also be time to stop eating so much, and get back on a more sane diet.