How to Travel Overseas Without a Passport?

Is it possible? Yes, it is!

Imagine planning an overseas trip without having to incur the expenses of either purchasing a plane ticket, making a hotel reservation or even having to lobby your boss for vacation time approval.

Well, it can be done by visiting one of your favorite local ethnic restaurants; capable of providing an enhanced “augmented reality,” experience of one of your favorite prior international trips!

That is exactly what happens to me each time I visit Natsumi, one of my favorite New York City local Japanese sushi restaurants, in midtown Manhattan. This dining oasis offers many of the traditional dishes that I have sampled during my multiple visits to Japan. Entrees like chicken and shrimp dumplings, fresh sashimi tuna that dissolves in your mouth, and various tempura combinations are my top recommendations.

Although this unique experience was a bit challenging as fears of Covid-19 contagion inundated our city, the recent reopening of our New York City local restaurants in New York, with limited indoor dining has enabled me to relive some of my favorite international dining adventures. Sure, takeout and outside dining were always a prior option at this restaurant --- but the massive distraction from the loud noises of daily traffic made my goal of mentally transporting myself to Japan an insurmountable endeavor!

Sitting down at a corner table at Natsumi with my iPad catching up on my work while slowly enjoying a multiple course meal carefully selected by the Chef along with a glass of my favorite Japanese beer is something that will always have a perennial place in my never-ending “to do,” bucket list of adventures.

To be sure, Natsumi will always be one of my favorite local restaurant choices not only because it reminds me of my prior trips to Japan but also because it is able to recreate the truly special relationship that many patrons in Japan enjoy with their sushi chef. I vividly recall observing that once a sushi chef in Japan understands how much respect a diner has for his profession, the service one receives is quite remarkable.

For this reason, slowly enjoying every piece of sushi and treating it as a special creation by the chef, is an experience that few will ever enjoy unless they go to a restaurant like Natsumi. And eating the meal slowly in multiple courses, not only can a person enjoy the meal more thoroughly, but medical experts like Dr. Leslie Hienburg, a Psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic also believes that consuming a meal without rushing tends to reduce the risk of obesity.

This medical insight was obvious during my visits to Japan and is highlighted by the fact that only 3.6% of the Japanese population suffers from obesity compared to 32% of the U.S. population. It is no wonder that in a country like Japan where food presentation is of the utmost importance, that individuals usually take their time to eat and enjoy their dining experience.

This is why each time, I visit Natsumi; I feel as though I am being entering one of my favorite sushi restaurants in Japan. And by embracing the atmosphere of this restaurant, I am able to feel that I am also receiving the health benefits of consuming my meal more slowly.

So, the next time you have the desire to visit any of your favorite international destinations, take the time to peruse the restaurant reviews in your market for signs that a local restaurant in your city is capable of mimicking the experiences of your favorite international destination. It will be time well spent and allow you to travel to your favorite international oasis without getting on an airplane or even having to pack a suitcase!