Rubbery Tuna

I am a foodie through and through. I have indulged at some of the finest (and some of the not-so finest) restaurants this world has to offer. Regardless of the caliber of restaurant, I enjoy when owners, waiters/waitresses, and someliers exhibit their passion for the dishes in their restaurant. An interesting role in a Japanese restaurant in the role of the sushi chef. They are the embodiment of all that is good in that restaurant. In my head, if a sushi chef doesn't tell me what type of fish I should be trying that evening, educate me on all that's fresh behind the sushi bar, and give me a little taste of something he just created, he isn't worth my time or effort.
There is a restaurant a block away from where I live. Every time I go there, I want it so badly to be good! However, every single time I visit, I leave terribly disappointed. Last Saturday I went on a date with a guy who had done some research on a restaurant to take me to that was in close proximity to where I lived. I was pleased at his effort in researching, so I put a smile on my face and agreed to go (albeit with some reticence). When we sat down, I ordered my typical starter: hamachi, sake, and blue fin sashimi. The combination of these three will typically give you a great look into how fresh the fish is.
Have you ever tasted a piece of rubbery yellowtail? I haven't...and that was the first taste I had that night. It was so off-putting that we couldn't eat any more! Worse still, there were four sushi chef's behind the bar, and a total of 5 customers. The sushi chef assigned to us paid little to no attention to how thinly he cut the fish, gave us no suggestions, and did not take an active interest in our enjoyment (which is what makes the sushi bar experience so worth it). There is nothing like a bad piece of tuna to destroy your appetite. Maybe the moral of the story is to seek out restaurants like this for a great start to your New Year's Resolution to eat small portions?