Aftermath

Ok, so mixing sake with gin (and a little port) wasn't the best idea I've ever had.

But give me some credit, at least I was smart enough to get Sunday off for hangover maintainance.

I loved every moment of the dinner, as my cowardly friends fled the advancing line of raw fish for the tepid embrace of teriyaki chicken, sukiyaki and tempura shrimp and vegetables.
Actually, Bobo's sukiyaki was the most spectacular dish of the evening- with it's own giant stone pedestal and campfire it looked like a roadside shrine from one of the Lone Wolf & Cub movies.

My favorite was the seared pepper albacore tataki....beautiful.

My neice loved the sticky rice, she created ever-changing Rorsach designs on her face and then called for the attention of the table to witness her creation.

And I opted for saki instead of my usual Kirin due to age restrictions- if I drink enough beer to matter these days I invariably wake up at 6am, still miserably tired but entirely unable to sleep. The saki was great (I picked a cold one at random from the middle of the price spread- very tasty, with some nice floral accents), but my decision to chase it with gin gimlets at home was not so well considered.

I'm fully recovered today, thankfully.
Thanks to all my guests for making it a fine celebration of old age.