Ahi Aha!

I took my dad out to lunch for Father's Day. He chose The Cheesecake Factory, because when I took my mom out to lunch for Mother's Day (I try to be equal, not that they'd notice) she chose Cheesecake Factory and raved about the eggs benedict.

Dad could be a better foodie if he focused more on chewing rather than inhaling- although he likes talking about food and planning what he's going to eat next, he really doesn't focus much on portion control. And there are certain things he just refuses to touch- he likes a big plate and can be kind of wierdly macho....like tapas would be considered "too girly".

So I was surprised when he asked if I'd like to share the Ahi Carpaccio appetizer. "You know that means it's raw, right? Raw tuna?" I asked the question because not long ago, anything sushi fell into that gray girlie area. He reminded me, with a sadly endearing prideful attitude that he enjoys tuna a great deal, thank you very much. I totally take credit for this, because I often try to expose him & my mother to new things and made them eat some of my seared tuna from the Wegmans sushi area a while ago. Maybe one day, if they are not dead in 10 years, my parents will be ready to go to a...gasp! Asian restaurant. They went for the seared; I didn't know if he could handle raw.

Well, this was one of the most amazing things I've eaten in the past couple of weeks. Amazing tuna, accompanied by a "wasabi pesto". I don't like wasabi, really, so I was pleasantly surprised by this condiment creation that had only a hint of wasabi. It was mostly creamy. There was also a cucumber slaw/garnish. I didn't directly eat it, but enjoyed the bits of carpaccio that had been infused with the cucumber. A highlight was the toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on top, which really blended well with the wasabi sauce and brought out the best of the amazing tuna. A ramikin of a presumably soy based sauce was also provided, although neither of us touched it as we were so enthralled with the other elements.

So, I was surprised that my parent could still surprise me. He even offered me the last bite, which I emphatically turned down ....because it was a pretty small and girlie plate.