egghead

I still order tamago whenever I go out for sushi. It was the first sushi I ever learned to love, and it reminds me of my dad, who once lived in Japan and who always eats everything, including the leftovers, the shreds that remain on the bone, even the eyeballs. (Funny how my dad is one of the most adventurous eaters I know, yet tamago is one of the most bland sushis out there.) I always order tamago, and I always eat it last. And I rarely ever share. Not because I'm selfish, but because 90 percent of the people I've met don't like tamago. (It really is sushi for 5-year-olds.)

You can tell a lot about people from their food choices.

People who like tamago and order it regularly are usually (a) Asian, (b) small children or (c) people who hate it but know I like it so they end up giving me their share which makes me really happy.

People who try it are usually (a) vegetarians who don't eat fish or seafood but will eat animal products like eggs, (b) really curious about why an omelette is wearing a rice backpack and a seaweed belt or (c) short on cash and interested in the nigiri sushi that only costs $2.50, which is pretty much what tamago is.

People who dislike it are usually (a) most people I have met or (b) not Shaya.

Anyway, some of the best tamago I have had in San Francisco was at Kabuto Sushi. And if you aren't a 5-year-old Asian kid with a penchant for cold egg custard over sticky rice, there are other good things on the menu, too. (I'm a fan of the aji.)