Happy 2014!

That looks like something from a chain email.

But I hope your New Year was filled with color, bubbly drinks, and lots of smiles! My family and I kept our celebrations pretty low key, but I loved it. After going to Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, we decided on a whim to go to our favorite Japanese restaurant for dinner. I thought it would be a good meal to take you through for this first WIAW of 2014!

Mosey on over to Jenn’s blog to see more drool-worthy eats!

It’s all iPhone pictures this week since I didn’t want to lug the big camera along to a dark restaurant anyway!

Bro-derrrr

Lemme tell ya— spontaneity is a beautiful thing because this dinner was THE BOMB. Everything we put in our mouths just melted in the best way possible. Ichiro uses the freshest fish and meat, and the best flavors to compliment them. They also had a $65 prix fixe menu with some awesome selections. The prix fixe came with four small starters, an entree, and a dessert. My parents decided to go with it since it was a New Year’s special and they figured the food would be extra special.

And boy, was it extra special.

I’ll just show you some of their dishes that I tasted:

Angel shrimp. I thought the crust tasted cheesy, but everyone else said it was just buttery. I still think it was cheese.

A bite of my dad’s lobster bisque. It was like Sea World in there— they don’t scrimp on the lobster meat!

Four Seasons Salad. The combo of mango, crabmeat, and greens was refreshing!

One of my favorites of the night: Miso Black Cod. This REALLY melted in your mouth. And the filet was hefty for an appetizer!

Everyone else’s favorite: Wagyu beef. My mom went to heaven and back when she took a bite.

And after sampling ALL that, my real entree came!

Eel cucumber roll and “Mango Hawaii Roll” (salmon, avocado, mango, and wasabi caviar). Also incredibly melt-a-licious. 

There were only two dessert choices for the prix fixe, so my parents got one of each. Cheesecake and tiramisu!

My mom is an official food Instagrammer. Check out that angle and depth of field! (And she literally just told me, “I think I’m becoming more professional now.”) 😉

Ben and I had no problem cleaning off this plate.

Whenever I eat a really great meal, especially with my family, I can’t stop smiling afterwards. This was one of those meals. It’s kinda weird, and I fear that people may think I snuck something into my beverage, but it just goes to show how much I appreciate eating delicious food with people I love!

I was so full that I didn’t even have room for Martinelli’s sparkling apple cider once the clock struck 12, but maybe I’ll have some for a late celebration (of a possible snow day tomorrow?!). Wishful thinking.

My family and I are in agreement that we’re excited to get back into a routine though. It has been quite the indulgent break, but we do not regret a single second of it! It will just be nice to return to “cleaner” foods.

In case you want to catch up on some posts from the past couple weeks, here’s what’s been happening:

• A Scary Detour
• Spill It Sundays #4: Holiday Traditions
• Am I Smarter Than a 5-Year-Old?
• Behind the Scenes #4: Christmas in NYC, Food Tour, and Game Night
• Fascinating Friday Links #17
• I Miss These Kinds of Posts + My New Favorite Salad Dressing
• Saturday Morning Defensive Driving Course
• Spill It Sunday #5: Best of 2013
• Burger Noshing and Room Organizing {MIMM #17}
• TRX Arms and Core Workout 
• My One Word for 2014: Now

Holy moly I’ve done a lot of blogging. I love free time.

So tell me:

How did you celebrate the New Year?

What is the best thing you’ve eaten for dinner lately?

What is one food that you love that melts in your mouth?