It was a slow Monday night, and the world’s most garrulous sushi chef was bored.

If you believe everything he tells you, he’s been a member of Air Force Special Ops, done consulting work for the Scottsdale, Arizona police department, been through a cordon bleu cooking school, and is writing a cookbook. Between delicious bites of aji and bonito and escolar, we compared notes on cooking technique, armed services, Japanese food stores, knives, and the joys of Costco. We got a long explanation of why o-toro is superior to chu-toro and toro, why you should learn to cut and freeze your own meat, and the care and feeding of a good sushi knife.

The food is great, the storytelling is wonderful, and the atmosphere ain’t bad either.

Bored? Got a little money to spend? Drop by the Lake Union I Love Sushi on a quiet Monday or Tuesday night. Belly up to their sushi bar. Tip lavishly, and whatever you do, don’t be dull. No California rolls, Seattle rolls, spider rolls, or spicy tuna rolls.