I ordered a chirashi don at Teriyaki Boy the other night. It's rice topped with various types of sashimi--basically mixed sushi in a bowl. Yummy.

The waitress didn't seem to approve of my choice though. She said, "Puro hilaw po yun. Okey lang?" ("It's all raw. Is that okay?")

I'm not sure why, but every time I see the Teriyaki Boy mascot, I imagine him cussing and yelling at me.

I was confused. Why wouldn't I be okay with sashimi being raw? Wouldn't that be like complaining about soup being wet? Wouldn't customers be more likely to throw a fit if their sashimi came cooked to a crisp? Oh wait, maybe by all raw she meant that the rice would be raw too. Now that wouldn't be okay at all. Hmm. Help?

I didn't know what to say, so I just nodded.

As she sauntered away, I turned to Lizz and muttered, "That was the dumbest question I've ever heard in a Japanese restaurant," possibly before she was out of earshot.

I hope she didn't spit in my food.