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Trading Cash for Experience: Mt. Fuji Restaurant

Preface: I’m not a fan of money, spending money, or obtaining material possessions. In my life, I practice minimalism whenever possible.

My opinions about money & possessions are largely shaped by my financial history (which you can read more about in previous posts). Despite the facts that I am frugal & that money is not my favourite thing, there is one thing that I am willing to spend my money on and that is: experience.

I absolutely love to experience new places & things—exotic locations, adventures, art, culture, delicious foods: YES PLEASE! The reality about these things is that (in most cases) they cost money. But I’m okay with that. I’m happy to trade my hard-earned dollars for beautiful experiences.

This series—Trading Cash for Experience—features a few of the occasions where I decide to trade my $ for experience. Enjoy!

June 20th was my boyfriend’s twenty-seventh birthday. I knew that I wanted to do something special, but the two of us are very similar in our distaste for material possessions. He already has everything that he needs. I knew that I would have to think outside of the box. So… I decided to go for an experience over a material gift.

Hibachi! I’ve been wanting to take Matthew to hibachi forever because he has never been. It just so happens that one of the greatest hibachi restaurants on the East Coast is only 20 minutes away from our house—Mt. Fuji!

Mt. Fuji Japanese Steakhouse is located on the side of a mountain in Hillburn, NY. The views from the restaurant’s sprawling window walls are phenomenal. The food is world-class and the hibachi chefs are amazing! I can not say enough good things about this place. (And no, this is not a paid endorsement of any sort, it’s plain & simply my opinion!)

Join me on a short photographic tour of our Mt. Fuji Birthday Celebration.

We started the night with delicious, chilled Ginjō Sake (Japanese rice wine). Typically, we opt for warm sake when we’re out for Japanese, but I wanted to try something different. The rice wine was somewhat bitter, but an excellent compliment to our dinner. Although it is served chilled, it goes down the throat with a warm swish.

When you go for hibachi at Mt. Fuji, the tables are set for eight. If you do not have a party of eight, you are seated with other guests. You can see a few of our table mates in the photographs. Our hibachi chef was called Johnny 5. He was a riot!

Our first course was hot onion & seaweed soup. This steaming soup is spectacular, a full-on party for the taste buds.

Our next course was sushi. I went with the Alaskan Roll—Salmon & Avocado Rolled with Seasoned Rice & Topped with Tobiko (Flying Fish Roe). Matthew opted for the Spicy Crunch Roll—Salmon with Tempura Crunch, Spicy Sauce & Tobiko. (We stay away from tuna since watching The Cove.) Of course we shared the rolls & both were excellent.

After sushi, the real fun began! Our chef, Johnny 5, started whipping up the side dishes, which all of the table mates get to share—veggie fried rice, lo mein, & grilled shrimp. While preparing the food, he did all sorts of amazing tricks like flipping shrimp tails into his hat, tossing an egg around on a fry flipper, and creating a flame-erupting miniature Mt. Fuji out of an onion!

After each of us was served our side dishes, Johnny 5 got to work on the main courses. Matthew had the Hibachi Filet Mignon with Scallops and I had the Hibachi Shrimp. (I can never get enough shrimp!)

By the time the main course got to my plate I was already full! But after sampling a few scrumptious bites, I couldn’t stop indulging. Everything on my plate was beyond delicious. Of course, I sampled Matthew’s plate too & found even more delight there!

When dinner was finally over we had to turn down the offer for dessert. I really thought I was going to have to be rolled out of the restaurant because I was that full! Our check came to $114.92 (including tip) which is our grocery budget for one and a half weeks(!)… but I was more than happy to pay it for the incredible experience & the delicious food. It was worth every penny.

We explored the outside of the restaurant—Japanese inspired statues, gardens, & koi ponds—for a few minutes. I snapped a few more photographs before we headed home & melted into food comas for the evening. (Note: I do not overindulge like this often, nor do I recommend the habit. However, birthdays only come around once a year & life is short!) 😉

I highly recommend Mt. Fuji if you are ever in the area. Check out their website & full menu at: http://www.mtfujirestaurants.com/.

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    Are You Oblivious, Aware, or Getting It?

    This is a guest post from my friend, Andy Feld.

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    As I travel and meet new people all over our country, it seems most everyone falls into one of the three areas mentioned in this month’s title. What am I talking about? It’s the societal evolutionary change which is now in progress, although admittedly sometimes imperceptible. It is easy to see that violence rarely leads to anything but more violence. Overt materialism, absent integrity, brings happiness and abundance to very few. Additionally, centuries of male dominated insensitive energy added to a populace unwilling to take responsibility has us at a precarious tipping point.

    So, do you sense what I say is true? Are you oblivious to these changes in the air, or are you ahead of the curve and already taking the steps necessary to not only survive, but thrive in the years to come? Frankly, I am often greeted by individuals with long faces who tell me they will be happy again when things get back to ‘normal’. Normal for many means simply getting back to a life dominated by financial gain and the purchase of new things, but those days may be long gone. Banks are not lending money, our population is increasingly unemployed or aging and dependent, houses are not selling, there seems to be an oversupply of everything and worldwide competition is greater than ever. What if today is the way things will be for the next 20-30 years or longer? What are you going to do to be happy, prosperous, and emotionally abundant?

    Make no mistake, everything is changing and just about everyone is affected. Personally, my income does not approach what I once earned as a corporate CEO, my car is not as new and shiny as it once may have been, and I visit fewer restaurants, but my life has never been more pleasant. Would you agree that now is the time to not only re-evaluate, but also re-create our lives? If so, you are GETTING IT loud and clear, but if not, let’s look into what we can do about it.

    1. We are all One, connected with a common thread of spirit. When I say WE, I mean ALL humans, animals, plant life, earth, and stars. We all are of the same source energy, and understanding and respecting this Oneness is a key to thriving in our new age. Allowing all else to be, with love and respect, and without judgment of unique individual differences will open our portals to Universal Light. One cannot mistreat another human, the earth, our vegetation, and the animals without also mistreating oneself. We are all connected and what we put forth to others is what will always come back to us.

    2. Listen to our heart, our Inner Radar as I call it in my books, without the fear of judgment from others. We are all unique and different, and learning to reach within and hear that guidance we all individually brought forth to this lifetime allows us to grow and prosper in alignment with our life’s purpose. There is no better way to accomplish this than a regular practice of meditation and contemplation.

    3. Understanding the process for manifesting our life’s dreams. It takes quite a bit of practice and self-discipline, and you may be getting tired of hearing me speak about it, but we are the product of our thoughts, emotions, words, and actions. Very little we desire will manifest without the alignment of these four elements. Believe in this, practice and have faith and you will embrace your life like never before.

    4. Learn to appreciate all that you have. From hot running water, to clothes in your closet, and food in the refrigerator, most of us have so much to be thankful for yet rarely acknowledge. The beauty of nature, our relationships, our health and the list should go on and on. Write it down and truly rejoice in how many ways you are blessed.

    5. Diligently work on balancing your male and female attributes. We are all a combination of both masculine and feminine, and the more we keep these two in balance the more we vibrate with the earth.

    Yes, everything is changing. First, become aware and then jump on board, but it will always be the choice of the individual. No one, other than you is responsible for your rescue.

    Whether it is a business, an organization, or individual, the time for changing the status quo in right now. How to go about it in this new environment is what I speak about and teach. I would love the opportunity to work with you or your group.

    With much love and appreciation,
    Andy

    ———-

    Andy lives in Morrison, Colorado outside Denver. He travels the country as a frequent speaker on life inspiration and business sales. He is also a regular guest on radio programs across the United States and on local TV.

    You can read more about Andy at his website, Simple Happy, and you can find his books on Amazon at the following links.

14 Comments

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  5. I love to cook for myself and my girlfriend so much, but honestly, a great eating out experience is worth every penny if it’s really good. Hard to replace that. Happy Birthday to your boyfriend and nice job on the experience gift!

    1. @James – Thank you so much for stopping by. I absolutely love cooking, too! We have been in the middle of an entire home-renovation for over a year now (he’s a carpenter). But sometime within the next couple of weeks, my new kitchen will be finished! I can not wait.

      It really was an awesome time & I am glad I shelled out the ducats. 😉 Have a great weekend.

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