Obama ate only half the sushi course:

[yuiyoshida]

Tokyo_

U.S. Barack Obama may have enthused publicly about the sushi he was served at an exclusive Michelin-starred restaurant, but he stopped eating half way through the meal, reports said Thursday.

Pictures showed the U.S. president being served sake by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the counter of the tiny Tokyo eatery, as part of a meal billed as a chance for bonding, at which neither wore a tie.

But a report Thursday said instead of making small talk and savoring Japanese delicacies at Sukiyabashi Jiro—dubbed the world’s best sushi restaurant and the subject of the 2011 documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”—Obama jumped straight into discussions about trade.

The owner of a yakitori (grilled chicken) restaurant that sits in the same basement as the exclusive diner told Tokyo Broadcasting System that Obama had put his chopsticks down at the halfway point.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/obama-ate-only-half-the-sushi-course-media

and: http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001232570

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140424p2a00m0na003000c.html

[Prophet 451]

1. And?

Sorry, I think there are legitimate reasons to criticize Obama but not eating all his dinner isn't one of them.

[yuiyoshida]

4. He must be having a blast over there...

I know I would be.

[pa28]

75. This is definitely going to make my daughter cry.

She's 13 and can eat an astonishing amount of sushi in one sitting.

[yuiyoshida]

76. My pay day falls on the First of the Month...

You know what I will be eating.... Chirashi (fish over rice)

[Nay]

10. Really! Why do people even notice that shit? Has anybody ever noticed the

guy is skinny and, unlike most Americans, probably doesn't stuff his face constantly? And he probably stops when he is no longer hungry?

Also, he just may not like sushi....

[MADem]

20. If you're out on one of those "businessman" benders, they tend to overserve.

Too much sushi, too much Suntory!

He was right to stop if he wasn't hungry.

[Tarheel_Dem]

55. Remember, he gave half his Reuben to Valerie Jarrett, and wanted it back, but it was too late, so...

he ate her pickle. Seriously, I think this President & First Lady are keenly aware of their food intake. They don't overstuff themselves, like me, and most Americans. With all the official luncheons & dinners they have to attend, it's a wonder they're not 600 lbs. each.

I wish I could find that clip of him at Michigan State, talking about that huge sandwich.

[RoverSuswade]

2. "Shameful! How disrespectful to the Japanese!

Another Obama gaff - not wearing a tie! Reagan always wore a tie in public! Plus he insulted Japanese cooking by eating only half of what was served. Obama just sunk a rung lower on the world approval ladder"
(SEAN HANNITY ON FOX NEWS...April 31, 2014)

[eShirl]

6. plus, he didn't throw up like HW

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush_vomiting_incident

[Bluenorthwest]

8. Great Moments In American History

nt

[Rex]

19. The Upchucker and Chief!

Nothing like a Bush to embarrass the US.

[Rhiannon12866]

105. Good one! LOL! How could any president possibly insult the Japanese anymore than that?!

[eShirl]

3. maybe he was full

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. Remember when Bush threw up on the prime minister??

Obama did good no
Bushu-suru




http://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/09/world/bush-in-japan-bush-collapses-at-state-dinner-with-the-japanese.html

[eShirl]

7. that's it!

[UncleYoder]

9. Around here,

we call that bait.

[yuiyoshida]

32. THere are always posts like this

when ever someone mentions SUSHI. The most embarrassing thing for me ever was once going with a girl friend to a Benihana Restaurant in JAPANTOWN here in San Francisco. Benihana always takes groups of people and put them at the same dining table. Now it just so happened there was a family from South Carolina visiting Japantown and stopped in to try some of that fancy smanchy "Jap-OH-Neese" food. These people were very forward with everyone, and you would have thought We had sat down to their home dining table for dinner. The father checked out the chopped sticks and said..." No~ no~ No!! these won't do" (Meanwhile his 12 year old son had removed the chopsticks from the paper wrapper and were wearing them a-la walrus like up his nose...asking everyone to look at him. The Father refused to have chopsticks and demanded the wait staff bring him a knife, fork and spoon, because "WE"RE IN AMERICA and we eat the American way!!"

Since I was at their table, they kept asking me questions all through the meal about what every little thing was, and what it was. Fortunately my friend can read kanji so she was stuck with the task of explaining what soy sauce was, and how wasabi was similar to
Horse raddish. The mother wanted me to teach her kids how to use the chop sticks which was totally a useless gesture and I hardly got the chance to eat my own food because Mia and I were stuck explaining every exhausting aspect about Japanese culture and how it was different from Chinese culture. (What no Fortune cookies? Where are the dayam fortune cookies??.)

And of course I had to sit and listen to the father Joke about how sushi was called bait where they came from, and they were not "touching the shit" (Yes, this was said in a public restaurant.) It was the most humiliating experience in my life, and I swore I would never go back to Benihana's if they paid me. The food there was good... ITS JUST I got tired of the daughter pulling her eyes back and going "Look mamna, I am JAPO-KNEES"... AND having to explain why the beer wasn't Budweiser.

[seveneyes]

11. He did better than I would have done

I would have asked the cook to throw it on the grill for a few minutes.

[newfie11]

12. That's more than I could have eaten

Yuck

[yuiyoshida]

14. SAVE IT FOR ME DAMNIT.....

I live for the day when its payday and I can order a huge platter of sushi.

[newfie11]

16. Lol

Will do

[Dirty Socialist]

46. OK

Maybe I would raise an eyebrow if he passed on the Amberjack. That's the best.

[badtoworse]

48. Seriously? Better than Bluefin Toro?

I always though amberjack was on a par with bluefish

[Dirty Socialist]

49. It's Better than Bluefish

It is quite lean, too!

There might be more than one kind of amberjack. Mine was from Hawaii.

[badtoworse]

50. Better than bluefish isn't a particularly high standard.

I always thought amberjack is bloody and oily, but apparently, I'm wrong about that. Next time I'm fishing in the Keys, I'll given them a try.

BTW, bluefish are OK if they're iced down as soon as caught and then grilled, broiled or smoked the same day. Even then, there are many fish in the northeast that are better eating.

[Dirty Socialist]

53. I read about amberjack and

The opinions are all over the place. I bet there is more than one type of it. The Hawaiian amberjack might be better. Also, the younger amberjacks taste better than the adults.

[LordGlenconner]

47. I can almost see the mercury eminating from that plate

[MADem]

59. Maybe the geiger counter went off...? nt

[yuiyoshida]

61. Fine!

Don't eat it...ALL MINE!!!

[yuiyoshida]

98. I am looking forward to a bowl of

Chrashi come payday.

[2naSalit]

78. Unfortunately

that's what I was thinking too, among other unpleasant stuff in the sea these days. I grew up eating seafood, never ate it raw though. And I wouldn't touch the stuff now, of course, I don't live anywhere near the ocean now so seafood is out of the question for that reason alone.

Perhaps he stopped at the point where he realized that there might be whale meat on his plate?

I don't mean to be disrespectful to anyone who eats that kind of food, just seems like it's too dangerous anymore... as bad as pork, beef or chicken anymore.

[grasswire]

82. to say nothing of the flukes......shiver. nt

[2naSalit]

84. That's what I meant

by "unpleasant"... trying to not be too callous sounding given the sub-thread topic.

It's a touchy thing, some cultures have different values that may be unhealthy given recent history.

[roody]

13. That's why he is not fat.

[Rex]

15. Maybe he doesn't like sushi but was being a good guest and eating some of it.

I know I would have totally passed on the sushi...since sake was being handed out, probably wouldn't last to talk about trade.

[yuiyoshida]

17. SAKE doesn't go down well on an empty stomach

Believe me, I know. That rice with the fish, will save him a hangover later.

[Rex]

18. It seems to like my stomach very well.

With or without food. Scotch, sake, soju, baijiu - they all seem to love my gut. Then again I am not POTUS material.

[yuiyoshida]

22. A good sake will get you wasted in a hurry...

especially heated. Sake o tabette imasu sora kara Sake o nomimasu!

Sake = the alcoholic beverage (Kampaii!)
SaKe= smoked or fresh salmon (Itakimasu!)

[Rex]

24. Good. It is rush hour and I need this to keep me going til 5 o'clock.

The boss will be here around 2 and I want to be sloshed before then!

[snooper2]

60. Good sake will have you saying, SAKE! back and forth to each other all night

[yuiyoshida]

77. my favorite is the milky sake

over the clear... There is such a wonderful flavor there!

[Art_from_Ark]

89. You might want to change "norimasu"

to "nomimasu"-- otherwise, it'll sound like you are going to ride a salmon

[yuiyoshida]

93. wow! thanks...

Didn't even realize I did that...will change it now.

[mainer]

21. Twenty pieces of sushi is a lot of sushi

No wonder he got full halfway through.

I would love to dine at that restaurant!

[yuiyoshida]

23. Absoulutely, that is where

The movie...Jiro dreams of Sushi was made..

[mainer]

34. So hard to get reservations at Jiro's! Here's my fave sushi place in the US

Boston's a lot closer to me than Tokyo.

http://www.oyarestaurantboston.com/menu.html

[badtoworse]

25. I was under the impression that not eating all the sushi is considered insulting to the sushi chef

[yuiyoshida]

26. It should be shared...

One, would never want to waste it, considering how much money sushi is.. of course if you are rich, I suppose you could do it and get away with it. Most people don't realize that the average Japanese family may only have sushi once or twice a month! Its too expensive to eat it all the time, although One time I tried to... after awhile your pay check tends to dwindle. Now I roll my own maki rolls. Its just easier to buy the Nori, make the sushi rice, buy soy sauce, wasabi and sliced ginger, and either use cucumber or Salmon.

But I prefer to do as most normal Japanese families do...live on Soba and Udon... and sometimes Ramen.

[Sanity Claws]

27. I would definitely share mine

with my cats.

[yuiyoshida]

30. omg...I absoutely can not bring shrimp home...

I never get to eat it any more. My cat has declared : "ALL SHIRMPS ARE MINE!!"

[TexasProgresive]

37. WHAT!

You should not eat shrimp out- bring it home to the little god. And the cat will know.

[Niceguy1]

28. I think it has to do

With the price tag, something like $300?

[yuiyoshida]

31. For that price I would ask

for a carry home bag. They probably don't do that in Japan. I would ask for it though...

[badtoworse]

33. I'll bet there was Bluefin Toro involved.

[yuiyoshida]

35. I bet he avoided the Fugu

[badtoworse]

36. I love sushi, but I'm not sure I'd eat the Fugu either, even if the chef ate it with me.

Is it really that good that it's worth the risk or is it more of a proving you have the balls to do it thing?

[blogslut]

29. “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” was a wonderful documentary.

I am quite sure the proprietor was duly honored.

[3catwoman3]

38. He should have taken along my 24 year old son.

He has a favorite all-you-can-eat sushi place, and his record is 52 pieces. Very authentic and delicious stuff there. He would have been happy to help out President Obama.

He grew up eating sushi because my husband and I love it and introduced it to both our boys pretty early on. We met at Yokota AFB outside Tokyo when we were next door neighbors in the BOQ (bachelor officers' quarters for you non-military types) and regularly went out for sushi at a charming tiny restaurant within walking distance from the base. I was never brave enough to try the puffer fish variety.

[bigwillq]

39. Thank goodness I am not the Prez

I would have puked on camera if I had to eat sushi.

[Freddie]

54. I'm with you

My daughter, who was one of those kids who only ate mac-n-cheese and chicken nuggets for a few years, is now 27 and loves sushi.

[Katashi_itto]

40. Ok so since Master Jiro serves 20 pieces per dish, halfway means 10 pieces and Sake to boot.

That is a lot of Sushi

[hootinholler]

62. I doubt I could do much more than 10 pieces of sushi

Well, maybe if it's the white tuna I could do 11

[Katashi_itto]

85. :)

[yuiyoshida]

63. DEPENDING on the kind...

I would have helped him! Eating 5 pieces is nothing! My favorite is Hamachi but I love to eat Ikura and Tobiko Oiiishiii ne!!!

[3catwoman3]

80. Hamachi and yellowtail...

...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

The only kind I have tried that was really awful was sea urchin eggs - they were furry.

[jwirr]

41. I have never eaten sushi and don't think I would like it. I do have a question. Where do the fish

come from. I am careful to watch what I eat from the Gulf since the BP spill. What effect does the nuke problems over there have on the fish markets?

[yuiyoshida]

67. Much of the fish come from around

Taiwan and they also fish around the southern regions near Indonesia or the northern waters near South Korea.. Some of the Deepest waters are off the coast of Japan, around the Mariana Trench,

[jwirr]

73. Thank you.

[yuiyoshida]

74. dou itashimashite!

You're welcome.

[Xyzse]

42. I'm so jealous...

I'd probably eat my share and all of that too.

I still remember demolishing a 50 piece sushi tray with a friend or two.

[stevenleser]

43. I would not have that problem.

True story, I literally had an account at the sushi restaurant at the Westin Bonaventure hotel in downtown LA when I lived there. I paid my bill once a month and they discounted it. I think I ate there 5 meals a week.

I L-O-V-E Sushi! And the amounts I can put away, let's just say it's a lot!

[yuiyoshida]

68. You and Me both, Steve...

I maybe small and wiry, but I can pack away a lot of fish!!

[DanTex]

44. Boooo! Give the rest to me!

Seriously, Obama, WTF.

[Dirty Socialist]

45. IMPEACH HIM NOW!!!!!

And I won't vote for Hillary, either! Have you seen her hold a glass of beer? LEFT HANDED!!! She's obviously a Communist!

[freshwest]

111. And that 'It takes a village to raise a child' thing? Godless Communist, Feminist, Anti-Colonialist!

OMG, Rush will finally have to leave America!

.

..

...

Please, please, please!

[bravenak]

51. It was too much food.

I can't eat that much at once either.

[FSogol]

52. Daryl Issa to investigate in 10...9...8...7...

[Tarheel_Dem]

58. +1

[pinboy3niner]

88. It's not only unpresidential, it's half-bassed!1!! nt

[zappaman]

56. This is an impeachable offense.

IMPEACH!

[LibertyLover]

109. I think you mean im-perch-able

[merrily]

57. I saw Jiro Does Sushi a couple of years ago. As soon as I heard

Obama would be going to a sushi place, I hoped that would be the place.

So, he put down his chopsticks and got down to business halfway through? So what?

At least he didn't pull a Poppy Bush!

[JI7]

64. are california rolls considered to be sushi ?

i think the only sushi i have liked so far are the ones called california roll with the imitation crab and usually bought at some trader joes or similar level food place.

i haven't been to the highly rated sushi restaurants and there are a lot of them in this area.

[yuiyoshida]

70. In California they are however,

I have heard that using avacado in sushi rolls have become popular also to a few in Japan. I prefer sashimi over sushi, because there is obviously more fish than rice, but still, Japanese rice there is heavenly! Big, sticky grains of sweetness!

[JI7]

65. he should try a Ramen Burger during his Asia Trip

[BlindTiresias]

66. Sgt Subway over here

King Burgerking

[undeterred]

69. He was saving the rest for Bo and Sunny

[BlindTiresias]

71. Disgraceful

I bet President Major McDonalds likes maki rolls over proper sashimi too.

[yuiyoshida]

72. Maki rolls

can be celery or tuna depending on which you choose. I love both... but hey I grew up around it..and while my mother chopped tuna up for making them.. I would always steal a few especially if they looked like this..

[BlindTiresias]

92. They are good

But they aren't real sushi imo.

[yuiyoshida]

96. technically the term sushi

Refers to the vinegar rice. People often make the mistake of thinking sushi has to do with the fish. If you want just the fish, you can get Sashimi. I prefer Chirashi, as its fish over a bed of rice, along with the added ingredients of wasabi and Gari Shoga (Sliced ginger).

[Peacetrain]

79. Sushi is rice right? not fish

I am an Iowan and we really do not get to access to sushi in the western part of the state.. and I maybe mistaken.. but I was under the impression that sushi was rice and the fish if you had it was another dish.. sushemi or sashemi not sure how it is spelled..

EDIT to add.. he might be watching his carbs if it is rice..

[yuiyoshida]

99. You are basically correct...

Sashimi is the fish. The vinegar rice (with some sugar added) is Sushi. If you want the fish (Sarkana) over a bed of rice, in a bowl, that is called Chirashi.

[boston bean]

81. maybe he was weary of radiation...

[yuiyoshida]

102. I can just imagine to the horror

of the Japanese press, and the prime minister, the President's handlers pulling out a Geiger counter and checking the rad count or what ever it is...TALK about in bad taste...and insulting the owner of the Restaurant. No one would ever do that even as a joke. Do you really think the Japanese government would be so damn stupid as to serve the President of the United States or anyone else for that matter radio active FISH? Really???

[Skittles]

83. maybe he does not like sushi?

[former9thward]

86. Maybe he should have his schedulers not place him in a sushi restaurant then?

I would think the 'world's most powerful man' could make that happen. Especially when they charge $370 a plate for the crap.

[Skittles]

91. OK what if he does like sushi

and that sushi sucked?

[former9thward]

106. Since it was touted as the 'World's Finest Sushi Restaurant'

then we know all sushi sucks. Something I already knew.

[miyazaki]

87. Could have just gone to Sushi Ro

100 yen sushi, plus french fries! Many Tokyo locations, no reservations.

[Jesus Malverde]

90. This is awesome.

If anyone read the article, the TPP talks appear to be at a standstill.

[yuiyoshida]

100. Just incase anyone notices, my favorite sushi hang out is called

Kushi Tsuru


One of the best Japanese Restaurants in Japantown in San Francisco. If you come to the city, you have to go visit there!!

[Jamaal510]

101. I myself don't think he did too bad, but...

he cod do better next time!

[JVS]

104. Not a problem. At least he didn't barf on anyone like GHWB

[MissMillie]

107. Not everyone has to be a member of the clean plate club

Maybe eating only 1/2 an entrée is how he stays slim.

[Sunlei]

108. President Obama said, "his meal at Sukiyabashi Jiro was the most delicious he had ever had."

"After the dinner, the prime minister told the assembled press that Obama said he had eaten a lot of sushi before, but that his meal at Sukiyabashi Jiro was the most delicious he had ever had."

[yuiyoshida]

110. All I can say is...

so lucky...I can't wait for next Thursday...I will probably go for the Sushi platter myself. What I dun eat in one sitting will be consumed a few hours later...I can't wait!