A canine deficiency is remedied by Kulu Kulu Sushi

Look deep into my ebi tempura temaki!

But before you look deep into my tempura prawn hand roll, I'll rewind slightly.  The day before, in the lead-up to my birthday (nope, we still haven't quite got there yet), I met up with E who sadly couldn't make lunch on the day itself.

Lovely woman, she very generously treated me to lunch at Frederick's.  I had a classic vodka martini with a twist - very good, well-made, with Wyborowa (Polish) vodka as an aperitif, and followed that with a glass of really very delicious Côtes du Ventoux.  I'd plumped for the chicken liver parfait with foie gras, but alas and alack [sorry about that, but I'm listening to 18thC music], the parfait hadn't set.  So, it was the gazpacho with guacamole and Dorset crab (white meat) arranged in three sizeable quenelles with a soup which tasted of summer.  We were sitting outside and it seemed only fitting that E had the classic prawn cocktail, with nice big juicy tiger prawns - I know, because she kindly donated one to me.  Then it was the steak, medium rare (and, I could see and later got to taste, perfectly cooked), with good chips, spinach, green beans with crunch.  I had one of the specials, a whole baked sea bass - again perfectly cooked.  Then it was La Fromagerie cheeseboard for me.  It might not sound like it, but this was a preventative measure.  That is, it prevents me from stopping off at La Fromagerie (it's a brisk 25 minute walk from home to the Highbury branch) and buying a very large amount of cheese, not to mention a good-sized (that's a generous 150g to you) container of their rilletes d'oie.  This wouldn't be a problem if I could exercise portion control, but I find it very difficult.  I have managed sometimes to save some of the cheese to eat the next day, but it's tough.  E had what looked like a gorgeous banana split.  But alas, having fitted in the gym and then bathed, scented, dressed, trotted down to Finsbury Park, and thence bussed to the Angel, I'd forgotten my camera.  We'll have to do it again, I said to E, and indeed I hope we will.

Anyway, back to my canine deficiency.  It was the next day and still pre-birthday when I had a date to meet up for drinks with my friend, Mike - it's always a pleasure.  I had a bit of business to do at the Angel so, I thought I'd complete that, stroll down Old Street, make my way to Big Apple Hot Dogs and have a munch before meeting up with Mike.

But woe, there was not a dog, hot or otherwise, to be seen!  Thankfully, I'd eaten some chicken and fruit post-gym, otherwise I would have been woozy as a result of the two large and very delicious Appleton rums and diet coke imbibed with lots of ice and a slice.  This is another one where I blame Skinny Bib myself.  No, not because the cart wasn't there, but because of reawakening my sausage thing.  They have to be meaty (which BAHD's are - 90% in fact), and plump, and juicy.  It's not everything beginning with 's': sashimi, sushi, sausages.  After all, cheese doesn't begin with an 's'.  But I am a long-time sausage lover and proud of it.  However, I do have to watch myself, otherwise I'm apt to over-indulge.  The ever-gorgeous Scarlett has offered to dog it down to Old Street with me, having tweeted Abiye the owner, to make sure he's there (she tweets and I'm a non-tweeter).  This could be a good idea for more than one reason because as with Martinis, Scarlett could ensure that I didn't allow my sausage obsession to get out of control.  Just had a thought, I could take some kind of wrapping facility with me so that if I were to (over)indulge, I could secrete any surplus sausage and eat it later - followed by a trail of animals all the way back to Stroud Green no doubt but it could be worth it.  Mind you, if we went for cocktails afterwards in Hoxton/Shoreditch, then she might object to lingering sausages.  I know, an airtight container.  That's what I'll do.

Having concluded our drink at the Water Poet, Mike headed off back to the wilds of East Anglia and the three beautiful females he lives with and I...?

To be honest, I was still feeling distressed by my lack of dog (I'd been planning on having a double dog and had even done that bit extra in the gym as pre-compensation for the sausages I intended to eat).  So, I decided to sublimate my sausage (lack of) with sushi - because sushi always works - well, it does so far anyway.  Liverpool Street just happened to have a No.23 bus waiting for me, which was heading in the general Kulu Kulu Shelton Street direction.

Unagi (grilled eel) sushi

This is not Sushi of Shiori and it really would be unfair to compare them.  Both Kulu Kulu and Sushi of Shiori are very good at what they do, in their own way.  As Sushi of Shiori is very much like small restaurants one finds in Japan, so Kulu Kulu is very much like a good standard kaiten-sushi restaurant (and in fact, I preferred it or, at least, found Kulu Kulu to be just as good as the kaiten-sushi place I visited in Tokyo).

Sake toro (fatty salmon) sushi

The fish is fresh, good quality, well-prepared, and delivered.  The sizes may not necessarily be even, however, they are generous, as you can see from this luscious piece of salmon belly.  As delicious in its salmon way as the o-toro of tuna, the sake toro is based on the same principle, the cut from the belly of the salmon, it is ribboned with healthy omega-3 oils, which has been cited to have positive health benefits in relation to cancer, cardiovascular health, the immune system, conditions such as arthritis and even depression.

Aji (horse mackerel) sushi

You will have noticed that the plates have different patterns.  The plate pattern (or colour) denotes the cost of the plate.  As with tapas, the number (and in kaiten-sushi establishments, the colour) of the plates determine what you will pay.  Incidentally, Kulu Kulu Sushi in Shelton Street operate a 10% discount on the total amount payable!

Sake (salmon) sashimi servied with daikon and cucumber

The only sashimi they serve as a matter of course is salmon sashimi (and very nice it is too).  However, on request, I have seen tuna (maguro) and other types of fish served sashimi style.  Incidentally, Kulu Kulu sushi is not the place to go for more unusual/high-end sushi such as o-toro (fatty tuna), although they do very nice scallop sushi and also, amaebi (sweet prawn) sushi as well as more familiar types of sushi - salmon (sake), mackerel (saba) etc.

Inside-out salmon, avocado and crabstick with tobikko

Their rolls are very good.  Both the inside out with tobikko (flying fish eggs) and with sesame seeds...

Inside-out roll with salmon, avocado and sesame seeds

are sizeable.  I can fit a whole one in my mouth, but it is definitely not an elegant sight and, always a giveaway this, I wouldn't do it if I were in company (although strangely, other customers don't count).  The rice is nice, and the components well put-together.  If the rolls aren't all exactly the same size, really, once it's in my tummy - do I care? [you know the answer to this already, I think].

Ebi tempura temaki with avocado and sake

That goes double for the prawn tempura hand roll with avocado and salmon - best when they are just made so that the prawn is still warn.  Speaking of which one can occasionally get a little shock when eating miso aubergine...

Nasu no Miso Dengaku (grilled aubergine with miso)

if you get it when it's just come out of the kitchen and are not expecting it to be, not piping hot exactly, but still a lot warmer than the sushi dishes!  Utterly delicious.  Love me, love my aubergine.

Actually, love me, love my ice cream.  I've written about it, but this time I had my camera on me - yes, Abiye, for that double dog I didn't get to eat.  All is forgiven, I suspect it will be double so once I get down with the dogs on Old Street.  Besides, as Scarlett so correctly pointed out, it's an artisan product, I just can't expect it to be there when I want it.  And there's a lot to be said for that old-fashioned notion of delayed gratification. My sausage will be all the juicier and meatier I'm sure when I eventually get my teeth sunk into it.  Whatever.  I'll keep you posted.  And I suppose in the meantime, as I don't tweet, I'll just have to follow BAHD on Facebook then, hmmph!

Nil desperandum (that's a gerund for you), I had the camera so it was the perfect opportunity to finally photograph the Scoop gelato.  This was of course, my sole reason, for purchasing...

Cioccolata Extra Fondente and Nocciola

otherwise I would never have entertained such an idea.  Yeah, as if!  Did I mention that their chocolate is grand cru, single origin?  And their hazlenuts come from Piedmont (their cinnamon comes from Sicily), the provenance of their ingredients and the way they are prepared are impeccable.  The ice cream pictured is, incidentally, the small cup, costing £3.  Yes, I will repeat that.  This is the small cup, costing £3.  What can I say?  It's owned by Italians, run and staffed by Italians.  They love and are proud (justly so on both counts) of the food they produce and think that it should be served in generous (but not excessive) portions so that it can be enjoyed by those who are the lucky recipients of their care and hard work.  If only we could spread this sentiment around - perhaps get Scoop ice cream and cover the UK in it liberally - we would be a lot happier people, a kinder and more generous society, although without increasing exercise, we might be a little bit fatter.  Although I doubt it somehow because if you're eating food of this quality, you don't want to gorge on it.  It's the difference between being a gourmet and a gourmand.  And it's the difference between respecting the bounty that this planet has to offer us and the dedication and hard work of people who provide for and care for others: striving to be the best humans we can be, often failing, sometimes succeeding and serving with a generous heart and spirit.  It's not only about food, it's about life - and a parabolic ice cream.

The ice cream which tells a story