«All right, gourmet. Let’s go to have some super sushi for decent money,» — says my friend Yury Basin. He’s recently become the director of Cheremushkinsky Market, which is under reconstruction.

We jumped into his car, squabbling at every opportunity without rhyme and reason. Just like good old friends. So we headed there.

The car slid off the freshness of Tverskoy Boulevard, rushed through Kalinisky cloaca and having flown by City highway, jumped out to the country.

«Where are we going?!” — I asked in shock, imagining local lake sushi by a car wash at a construction market, — “I’m not eating there!”

«You will!» — Yury grinned at me and winked.

Well, okay …

We stopped at Petrovsky market.

«I know you from time to time go to Seiji or to Mega. Now we will go to the same place but without an extra zero in the price.

Nickel and glass surfaces shone at the end of the mall. Extremely beautiful staff, under the leadership of the chief Artur, did everything as if it was the Tokyo market, — the Japanese robotics in flesh!!!

Sashimi on ice, with fragrant leaves of the Japanese nettle, were on such a high level, that it was breathtaking. The prices were equally half that quality.

Sushi rolls with seared ocean perch, with real Japanese eel, otoro, chutoro, akami, madai, shimesaba, kinmedai…  The Tokyo market surrounded us in a ring, carried far away from Novaya Riga with its settlements full of people who can’t yet recognize their happiness. Happiness, which starts the moment otoro touches your palate. When the real soy sauce is mixed with Sake and freshly grated wasabi stings your tongue.

At that moment the price question ceases to exist and it doesn’t matter any longer where you are

because you close your eyes and depart to Japan, to Tsukijishijō.

For the whole dinner.

Up to the last drop of Daiginjō-shu.