When I called to make my reservation at Urasawa, the tiny and ultra-exclusive Rodeo Drive Japanese kaiseki restaurant of Hiroyuki Urasawa during my recent visit to Los Angeles, I was asked if I had any allergies or if there was anything I wouldn't eat. I sighed and responded, “bluefin tuna.” Bluefin tuna is one of the most delicious foods on the planet and Urasawa has a reputation of getting some of the best and doing it extreme justice. The problem is that bluefin has been simply too delicious for its own good and by most credible accounts appears to be close to extinction due to overfishing from extreme demand and extreme value and slow reproduction. I sighed because bluefin is, or had been, one of my favorite things to eat. Because of its precarious state and a perhaps overly optimistic hope that by not eating what is left of it, the stock may rebound enough that my children and grandchildren may someday be able to enjoy it in good conscience, I choose to not eat it. Ordinarily, I would simply avoid a restaurant that serves it, but I was curious to experience Urasawa and to see whether it would still be a great experience even without this ultimate delicacy. The response on the other end of the phone showed a touch of surprise, but no condescension. I would hope not, because even though I would be forgoing the costliest items of the meal, the price I would be paying would not be any less.
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