Fune Ya Toy Boat Dessert Cafe
Before deciding to go to Kiji last week I unsuccessfully looked for another sushi boat restaurant to visit. I remembered afterward that Vida’s friend G’s dad had mentioned one out on Clement Street. I called them up to see if they would join us. M offered to drive and picked us up at 5:30. Vida was a good sport and let G’s mom sit in the back seat with them. During the ride over it was clear that G wasn’t in the best of moods. I’ve tried hard to keep Vida in touch with G. She was her first friend after all and it seems important to maintain the connection. But it has become difficult, their differences seem to be getting more pronounced. Without the daily contact they had in preschool the relationship seems to fraying at the edges. I see it as “Bratz” vs. “Hello Kitty”. G tends toward everything teenage princess while Vida loves Hello Kitty and dogs. The petty arguments seem more significant when they don’t see each other very often. I am constantly compelling Vida to give in to G’s demands in the effort to teach her consideration but since there is little to no reciprocity it just seems unjust. But to be fair I have to consider that they are both exhausted by that point in the day . . .that would be my explanation if Vida acted up.
Our destination turned out to be Fune Ya on 5th and Clement. The restaurant was a brightly lit white and gold affair with an immense sushi boat in the middle and a few tables around the outside. Even though it wasn’t yet 6 o’clock the place was already full. We waited about 10 minutes for spaces at the sushi bar. M pointed out that the price of the rolls started out at a dollar and $1.50. You could order more expensive rolls but most of the items floating down the sushi “canal” were under $3.50. Most of the rolls were immense concoctions of “krab” and mayonnaise. The “krab” rolls were covered or stuffed with various concoctions including unagi, salmon, octopus salad, wakame salad—the ususal suspects. We also ordered a decent tempura, a questionable spider roll and of course a few avocado rolls for Vida. G was into everything salmon. The quality of the food was marginal but it was fun to indulge in the guilty pleasure of “krab” and mayonnaise. The place was packed with kids and their families enjoying an inexpensive and fun but inauthentic sushi experience.
After dinner we walked across the street to the Toy Boat Dessert Café for ice cream. Although it was quite crowded we were able to grab a booth in the corner. Our presence at the counter barely disturbed the teenage workers busily talking and eating scoops of various things from all the various containers. We let them finish eating while we went to admire a toy case in the corner featuring “chairy” from Pee Wee’s playhouse. Vida then went into a verbatim rendition of the conversation between Pee Wee and Frances from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure: Frances: “Its my birthday Pee Wee and my dad said I could have anything I want and I want your bike” Pee Wee: “My bikes not for sale, Frances” etc. Back at the counter Vida settled immediately on mango ice cream as per usual and then zeroed in on the all the Pez for sale on the counter. After all those one dollar sushi rolls I was feeling generous so Vida picked out a Hello Kitty Pez while G chose a Bratz one.
On the drive home G’s mom again sat in the back with the kids and when Vida realized the inequity of it—the moms were supposed to be taking turns she burst into tears. I should have insisted that it was MY TURN.
Restaurant Total 201
