Tokyo in DeKalb

My son Jake recently returned to the North Country from three years in Japan. Last week, his friend Rina visited our DeKalb farm. I am going to guarantee that the meal she cooked for us was the only 100% authentic Japanese dinner ever enjoyed on the Maple Ridge Road. After serving us, she came back into the kitchen dressed in a traditional kimono. My son put on his kimono, too, for this photo:

Okay, and the menu? It included both meat and vegetarian gyoza (dumplings); an egg custard dotted with mushrooms and bits of seafood called chawamushi, which was served in individual cups; tonkatsu, pork cutlets pounded tender, dredged in Japanese style bread crumbs Rina brought with her; shake or sake, strips of fresh salmon which Rina “cooked” after arranging them on a platter and searing them with a propane torch–yes, a propane torch; vegetarian and meat versions of soba, noodles in a lovely broth with fresh green beans and diced scallion; mugs of miso shiro, the classic soup with–again, brought from Tokyo–Japanese dried seaweed and vegetables; lightly fried blocks of age dofu (tofu); and, of course, come–rice–served in individual bowls. Plus a variety of sauces that ranged from smooth and spicy to a bright green wasabi condiment that was the hit of the evening.

This picture doesn’t do it justice:

What was the most unusual meal served in your home?