In Japan, giant multi-level department stores (or even small ones) will usually have a grocery store in the basement, and assorted dining establishments on the top floor. (It takes some getting used to, but it's standard.) The fancier the department store, the better the restaurants on top.

Taz, one of my co-trainees, wanted to try some authentic Japanese sushi, so we took the train to Shiki (she'll be starting work there on Saturday) and headed for Oi Oi, the Japanese equivalent of... I dunno, Nordstrom's.

My kindergarten-level Japanese was enough to convey "Give us sushi" to the sushi chef, and we heartily enjoyed the following:

Red tuna, shad, salt-water eel, salmon, two kinds of mackerel, red snapper, smoked octopus, scallops, a vegetable roll, tofu skin and some sort of chewy white thing that I think the chef said was "hamo," pike conger. I asked if they had any dessert (which was about as classy as asking for fortune cookies, but I really wanted something sweet to end the meal with) and was presented with the most succulent honeydew melon I have ever tasted.

Grand total for two: 5019 Yen, or about 40 bucks. And remember, there's no tipping in Japan.

Taz (short for Mumtaz, if memory serves) is really quite attractive, and under different circumstances, I might have sprung for the meal, but she's engaged to some guy who lives in Pacific Heights... which led to my favorite comment of the evening: "Here ya go. 2500 yen. Wow, I'm not used to paying for my own dinner."

It was the best sushi I ever had.