I have a very distinct memory of when I had my first experience with what I thought was fancy cuisine. My family and I were checked into the Nikko Narita Hotel in Japan (I believe today it is renamed the Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba) on our stop over on our way to the Philippines for a summer vacation. I must have been about six or eight or something. The hotel offered us complimentary tickets for dinner at any of the restaurants (mind you, this was the 80's...before they started charging for every single thing). I just remember my dad and I going to the top floor (4th?)--I think it was the Rainbow Restaurant...or I'm just making that up...Anyway, it was fancy, which meant servers in tuxedos and soup in a shallow bowl and being extremely careful when drinking the soup. They had nice linen napkins--not those paper dispenser kind. The soup was cream of...I think I went twice--as far as I can remember because once, I think the soup was green and another time, orange. (peas and carrots Jenny?) Also, the servers poured the soup from a gravy boat into your bowl to serve you and after the pouring, would come the plopping of little tiny perfectly shaped cubes of croutons. I always asked for a few more. Duh! Anyway, this soup--it was just the beginning!
