The Kurniawan family had heard tales of this thing called sushi: fish so raw it could practically swim off your plate, delicate little rolls of rice, and mysterious green paste that supposedly tasted like "fire." Now, most people in their Bogor neighborhood had stuck to good old fried tempeh and sambal, but Pak Kurniawan was feeling adventurous. After all, his colleague Pak Agus at the office had raved about the sophistication of sushi. "It's like eating art," he'd said. And Pak Kurniawan was sold.
So one Saturday evening, he gathered the family: his wife, Bu Sri, his teenage son, Bayu, who never passed up an opportunity to laugh at his dad's choices, and his daughter, Dinda, whose curiosity knew no bounds.
They arrived at "Sushi Samurai," the town's newest and trendiest Japanese restaurant. As they walked in, they were greeted by the tantalizing smell of something completely foreign yet mouthwatering. Bu Sri glanced at her husband, eyebrows raised. "You're sure about this?"
"Absolutely," Pak Kurniawan replied, full of confidence he didn't quite feel. "We're a cultured family now."
The first challenge wasn't the food. It was the chopsticks. The family sat at a low table, staring down at two wooden sticks each. Bayu was the first to grab his pair, attempting a delicate balance like he'd seen on TV, only to watch one chopstick shoot across the table like a pencil in the hands of a beginner magician.
"See, it's easy!" he exclaimed, trying to save face as his parents stared, unimpressed.
Pak Kurniawan, after several failed attempts and a close encounter with his own eye, decided to give up on the utensils. "I'll use my hands," he declared, adopting the air of a man too practical for traditions. But Bu Sri shook her head, determined to succeed. After all, if the social media influencers she followed could do it, so could she!
The waitress brought a platter of sushi to the table. There were tiny rolls of rice with pieces of fish on top, and some rolls filled with colorful ingredients. But there, nestled in the corner, was a green blob.
"What's that?" asked Dinda, her curiosity piqued.
"Must be some sort of paste. Maybe it's for decoration?" Pak Kurniawan suggested, eyeing it suspiciously. To impress his family, he decided to taste it first. "I'll show you it's no big deal," he said, scooping up a large chunk with his fingers and popping it into his mouth.
The effect was instant. His face turned a shade of red previously unknown to mankind. His eyes bulged, his mouth opened, and he began gasping like a man stranded in the desert.
"Dad! Are you okay?" Bayu asked, unable to contain a laugh.
"WASABI!" the waitress exclaimed, rushing over. "It's very strong! Only a small bit!" She handed him a glass of water, which Pak Kurniawan drained in one gulp. The family sat in stunned silence, while he blinked rapidly, his mouth feeling like it had taken a vacation to the sun.
Bu Sri picked up a piece of sushi delicately, eyeing it like she'd caught a live fish on a hook. She took a bite and chewed cautiously. Her face shifted from surprise to mild horror as the texture settled in. "It's... cold?" she said, almost accusingly. "And... soft?"
"Well, that's the style," Pak Kurniawan said, although he was secretly rethinking his whole idea.
Meanwhile, Bayu had taken a piece of tuna nigiri and was examining it from all angles, holding it up to the light as though expecting it to offer him answers. Finally, he took a hesitant bite - and immediately gagged.
"Fish should be fried!" he whispered in horror.
Dinda, unfazed, picked up a salmon roll and chomped it down like it was a burger. She paused, then shrugged. "It's not bad," she said with a small smile. "Kind of like... sea-flavored rice."
Encouraged by his daughter's bravery, Pak Kurniawan went for a roll with something white and squishy inside. He hoped it was chicken. It was not chicken. After one bite, he felt betrayed by his own taste buds.
"Squid," Dinda informed him, reading from the menu.
"Delicious," he said through gritted teeth, though his eyes seemed to say otherwise.
As the family was winding down, Bayu spotted something spectacular on the menu: the "Fire Roll." It came with a warning: *Only for the brave! Extra spicy!*
"Dad, you have to try this," Bayu challenged, raising his eyebrows.
Never one to back down, especially in front of his children, Pak Kurniawan ordered it with a bold nod. When it arrived, they all leaned in. It was indeed fiery-looking, with a bright red sauce draped over the top.
Taking a deep breath, Pak Kurniawan popped it in his mouth, bracing for the spice.
But the moment he bit down, his eyes widened with horror. The heat hit his tongue like a thousand tiny bonfires, each one burning hotter than the last. His face contorted as he waved frantically for water, ice, or anything to cool the volcanic eruption in his mouth.
Bayu burst into laughter, nearly falling off his seat, while Bu Sri patted her husband's back, muttering, "I warned you about this food trend."
As the family left the restaurant, Pak Kurniawan had only one thing to say: "Next time, we're going to a warung!"
The Kurniawan family laughed all the way home, recounting their sushi misadventures. Despite their discomfort, they had experienced something new and lived to tell the tale. Later that night, as they sat together in their cozy home, full of fried bananas and warm tea (because they'd stopped at a warung on the way back), they agreed that, while sushi might not be their favorite, they'd had a night to remember.
And who knows? Maybe, someday, they'd even try it again - armed with a little more knowledge and a lot more caution.
