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Ushiwakamaru - Abalone and Mantis Shrimp

Abalone - Awabe 鮑, Shako - Mantis Shrimp 蝦蛄

 

Both were absolutely astounding! Abalone was extremely tender and not at all chewy; I tasted brine, but not even a trace of any aftertaste - it was nothing short of a savory treat.

 

I rarely get to eat mantis shrimp - even cooked, let alone raw, is a hard find in my corners. Also, more often than not anyway, raw shako is a challenging taste for most American palates. I must admit, I ordered shako fully expecting not to like it - it was the best I had, bar none. Ushiwakamaru shako was very sweet, somewhat similar to crayfish, but it tasted clean and pure. There was not even a hint of muddy, sandy texture for which shako is notorious. Such a pleasant surprise.

NB: mantis shrimp is also known as "pissing shrimp" - I am just saying.

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Uploaded on October 12, 2012
Taken on October 10, 2012