Love is Blind, says my Kangmas!

My Kangmas and I believe that our knowledge as "foodies" is not complete until we try every restaurant nearby offering unique dishes from different countries. On the subject of tasty cuisines from different countries, one of our favorite is Japanese food.

Here in Tampa, my Kangmas and I agreed that we have found a great Japanese restaurant to visit when you want some sashimi and sushi. The name is "Sakana", and it is located on East Gandy Boulevard in South Tampa, not far from well-known Bayshore Blvd..

For our romantic dinner one night, the appetizers we ordered were a plate of escargot and mushrooms, and some shrimp dumplings. Unlike the French escargot dish, the "Escargot and Mushroom" offered at "Sakana" is folded into a couple of rice wraps. And although personally I had never thought that rice, escargot and mushrooms would mix well at first, I was amazed that this dish was truly delicious. The shrimp dumplings, or siomay we call them in Indonesia, are also very scrumptious, although their size was rather small. Thus, it was perfect for us to share these two appetizers.

For our main entree, we ordered the Sashimi Platter, and a plate of Volcano sushi rolls. We loved the fish presented to us because it was really fresh, and just wonderfully yummy. Plus, as we had paid well for this gourmet food, we felt that the presentation of these meals ensured that they were worth every penny we paid for them.

Sakana's ambience is designed to make you feel at ease as it features Japanese minimalist modern touches here and there. However, unfortunately for us that night, the restaurant was really busy and there were only two waitresses for about 30 guests. So there was a bit of wait time before the food came our way.

All in all though, my Kangmas and I concluded that "Sakana" deserves 4 stars from us. We both enjoyed our romantic dinner, except for an annoying drunk old man who was so excited about telling his stories to his wife and a couple of friends, that he felt he had to yell all the times. Oh well, maybe he's a bit deaf, he can't hear his own voice. Kasihan dia, I guess.

Total damage with beverages and tips: $60, and well worth it.