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Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Lunch and a Movie
Today, Hubby and went out to lunch and to the movies. We ate at a new sushi place, Sushi Japon (on I-35 just north of 290, if you happen to live in Austin and want to check it out.) You can find a good review here.
When we got there, I was a little worried. There were only two other customers seated when we got there (what's up with that?) We sat at the sushi bar (to watch technique as much as anything else). The sushi chef was very nice, and it was fun to watch him work. Hubby got the sushi special (four pieces of nigiri, three pieces of California roll, and three pieces of their special "Crazy Roll"), and I got a selection of three hand rolls (spicy tuna, California, and salmon skin). Both meals came with miso soup. Then Hubby ordered a Tiger Roll (one of his favorites- smoked salmon, cream cheese and jalepeno (wrapped in nori and fried) then rolled in rice and wrapped in rice paper). I ordered a Volcano Roll (crab, avocado, and cucumber roll with spicy sauce and topped with baked scallops and tempura flakes and more spicy sauce). While we waited for our rolls (which, because of the frying and baking, took a little while to prepare), the sushi chef made a yummy, quick salad of cucumber, shrimp, crabstick, and spicy sauce, which he just made for us, just because. I thought that was a nice touch.
In the end, Hubby and I decided that we will definitely return, and probably bring the boys (yeah, my kids eat sushi. They think it's comfort food). We both really enjoyed our lunch. The spicy sauce is actually better than the sauce at Sushi Sake (one of the best places in Austin to get sushi, IMO). I think we each had one little complaint. Hubby would have liked to have spicy sauce on the Tiger Roll (I told him to ask for it next time). I thought the sushi rice could have used a little more rice wine vinegar. But, hey! If that's the only complaints we had, then that's pretty darn good. (Oh, yeah... one more complaint- we were too full to try the plum wine ice cream... oh, well... maybe next time.)
Then we went over to the Highland 10 Movie Theater to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera. I hadn't been there since they remodeled (we used to have church there every Sunday back in the day, but I hadn't been back since.) Very nice! Stadium seating, comfy chairs. I was impressed (ok, some days I'm easy to impress... oh, well...)
A little background. Phantom is one of my favorite musicals/operas. Hubby and I have seen it several times. We watched the black and white French movie with subtitles; we saw a comedy play based on the story. Then Hubby gave me tickets to the Broadway production about 11 years ago, and then we saw it when it was performed at Bass Concert Hall in Austin. I have the Michael Crawford-as-the-Phantom soundtrack. I can almost sing every word of every song along with the cd. Get the idea?
Well... I loved it. It wasn't perfect, but... it was close.Emmy Rossum was wonderful as Christine, and Patrick Wilson did a darn good job in the part of Raoul. Gerard Butler was a good Phantom, any any weakness in his singing was overcome when he was angry (he does a really good angry Phantom). Mini Driver was a riot as Carlotta, and the rest of the cast was good. Jennifer Ellison, who played Meg, was a stronger singer than most I've seen in that role.
From an artistic perspective, it was simply amazing. The cinematography left me in awe. I was drawn in when the chandelier was raised, and it just got better from there.
Like I said, it wasn't perfect. They changed some of the lyrics to spoken dialogue, and it improved the flow (some things just don't translate well from stage to film). There was one time, however, when they probably should have changed to spoken dialogue. If you don't know the story, I don't think I'm going to be giving any "spoilers" by saying that the final scene in the labrynth (when Raoul is there) should have been spoken. While it makes sense on stage, on the screen it just looked... silly.
But the rose was a nice touch, don't you think?
All in all, it was a great afternoon. Good food, good movie, good company. What more could a girl want?
When we got there, I was a little worried. There were only two other customers seated when we got there (what's up with that?) We sat at the sushi bar (to watch technique as much as anything else). The sushi chef was very nice, and it was fun to watch him work. Hubby got the sushi special (four pieces of nigiri, three pieces of California roll, and three pieces of their special "Crazy Roll"), and I got a selection of three hand rolls (spicy tuna, California, and salmon skin). Both meals came with miso soup. Then Hubby ordered a Tiger Roll (one of his favorites- smoked salmon, cream cheese and jalepeno (wrapped in nori and fried) then rolled in rice and wrapped in rice paper). I ordered a Volcano Roll (crab, avocado, and cucumber roll with spicy sauce and topped with baked scallops and tempura flakes and more spicy sauce). While we waited for our rolls (which, because of the frying and baking, took a little while to prepare), the sushi chef made a yummy, quick salad of cucumber, shrimp, crabstick, and spicy sauce, which he just made for us, just because. I thought that was a nice touch.
In the end, Hubby and I decided that we will definitely return, and probably bring the boys (yeah, my kids eat sushi. They think it's comfort food). We both really enjoyed our lunch. The spicy sauce is actually better than the sauce at Sushi Sake (one of the best places in Austin to get sushi, IMO). I think we each had one little complaint. Hubby would have liked to have spicy sauce on the Tiger Roll (I told him to ask for it next time). I thought the sushi rice could have used a little more rice wine vinegar. But, hey! If that's the only complaints we had, then that's pretty darn good. (Oh, yeah... one more complaint- we were too full to try the plum wine ice cream... oh, well... maybe next time.)
Then we went over to the Highland 10 Movie Theater to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera. I hadn't been there since they remodeled (we used to have church there every Sunday back in the day, but I hadn't been back since.) Very nice! Stadium seating, comfy chairs. I was impressed (ok, some days I'm easy to impress... oh, well...)
A little background. Phantom is one of my favorite musicals/operas. Hubby and I have seen it several times. We watched the black and white French movie with subtitles; we saw a comedy play based on the story. Then Hubby gave me tickets to the Broadway production about 11 years ago, and then we saw it when it was performed at Bass Concert Hall in Austin. I have the Michael Crawford-as-the-Phantom soundtrack. I can almost sing every word of every song along with the cd. Get the idea?
Well... I loved it. It wasn't perfect, but... it was close.Emmy Rossum was wonderful as Christine, and Patrick Wilson did a darn good job in the part of Raoul. Gerard Butler was a good Phantom, any any weakness in his singing was overcome when he was angry (he does a really good angry Phantom). Mini Driver was a riot as Carlotta, and the rest of the cast was good. Jennifer Ellison, who played Meg, was a stronger singer than most I've seen in that role.
From an artistic perspective, it was simply amazing. The cinematography left me in awe. I was drawn in when the chandelier was raised, and it just got better from there.
Like I said, it wasn't perfect. They changed some of the lyrics to spoken dialogue, and it improved the flow (some things just don't translate well from stage to film). There was one time, however, when they probably should have changed to spoken dialogue. If you don't know the story, I don't think I'm going to be giving any "spoilers" by saying that the final scene in the labrynth (when Raoul is there) should have been spoken. While it makes sense on stage, on the screen it just looked... silly.
But the rose was a nice touch, don't you think?
All in all, it was a great afternoon. Good food, good movie, good company. What more could a girl want?
