THE GUY:
PAT
AGE: 26
JOB: Financial retail specialist
HOBBIES: Reading, writing, movies, playing guitar
THE GIRL:
ALEX
AGE: 22
JOB: Graduate student and bartender/waitress
HOBBIES: Long walks on the beach
Locations:
The Dragon Gym
267 S. Whitford Rd
Exton
Aoki
126 Woodcutter St.
Exton
610-280-0777
THE DATE:
PAT: All I knew beforehand was that we were going to do an activity before we went to a sushi restaurant because it was supposed to be a surprise, but once I saw the addresses, I kind of figured it out. We were going to the Dragon Gym for some martial arts training and then to Aoki for dinner. I was actually pretty excited.
ALEX: Everything was a surprise to me, but it was martial arts and then sushi for dinner. I was a little thrown off by the martial arts aspect!!!
FIRST IMPRESSIONS?
PAT: We were both dressed for a workout, but Alex looked cute and she seemed very friendly. She definitely seemed like my type.
ALEX: My first impression was he was cute. Casually dressed, for what the date required.
DRAGON GYM:
PAT: We definitely got a workout. The trainers were very friendly and ran us through a few drills that showcased what they were all about. I thought I was in shape, but I was sweating and out of breath when it was over. Alex was in the same boat.
ALEX: We did normal introductions, for having our first conversation be on a stationary bike for three minutes! To be honest, we got a workout, not my ideal first date. I am not a very athletic person, so that was completely out of my comfort zone. We both seemed to be uncomfortable with the situation at hand, and laughed about it the entire time. We worked out on a stationary bike, played a “dice game” consisting of planks, pushups and burpees, learned some kick boxing, and threw around a medicine ball. Definitely unique, but not my cup of tea. I did enjoy the view of our instructors though!
THE RESTAURANT:
PAT: I knew of Aoki, but I never actually had dinner there. It was funny, because when we walked in, we quickly realized that we were the only two customers in the restaurant. We ordered appetizers from the menu, but everything else was picked by the chef, who was extremely informative about the food.
ALEX: I have never been to Aoki, but it was awesome! We were the only people there but it was no big deal. The sushi was excellent. The chef waited on us the entire time and that made the experience.
THE SERVICE:
PAT: The service was great, and the chef came out and asked us what kind of sushi we liked, and he prepared the everything based on our input. Everyone was so nice.
ALEX: As I said, the chef waited on us and it was superb! He explained absolutely everything to us and it was a wonderful experience. I will definitely be going back there again.
DRINKS:
PAT: They had a bottle, Black Walnut Winery Mischief Pinot Gris, that perfectly complemented the food. It was a nice touch.
ALEX: I believe it was BYOB there, so there was a bottle of Pinot Gris for us from Black Walnut Winery, and it was delicious.
THE FOOD:
PAT: We both had dumpling soup and a sushi appetizer that was absolutely delicious. Then the chef brought out a plate of sushi that looked like a work of art. There were three types of sushi rolls, all prepared based on what we told the chef we liked earlier. One was called the Lion King Roll, another was called the Drunken Salmon Roll and there was another roll that was meant as a mild complement to the other, spicier rolls. Everything was delicious. The Lion King Roll was garnished with a thin slice of lemon that went perfectly with the spicy tuna inside the roll. Even the wasabi was sculpted into a leaf. It was all very artistic. The chef also explained to us that the soy sauce they used was house made, with less sodium, which I thought was interesting because I’d never heard of a sushi restaurant doing that before. For dessert, we had tempura ice cream, which we both devoured despite being full for the entrees. One of the best sushi experiences I’ve ever had!
ALEX: The food was amazing! We started off with soup and an appetizer, which were awesome. The chef asked us what type of sushi we liked and we both agreed upon similar types, spicy tuna. He brought out an array of different rolls and they were amazing. It was so much food and we could not finish it all, but we did have room for dessert! We ordered tempura ice cream, which I have never had before, and that was amazing as well. Everything at Aoki was great and I would recommend it to everyone!
CONVERSATION AND CHEMISTRY:
PAT: It did not feel awkward at all. Maybe it was all the exercise we got before dinner, but it really didn’t feel like a blind date. The conversation was never lacking and we talked about a variety of things; where we worked, school, hobbies, etc. I definitely thought there was some chemistry.
ALEX: The conversation was really good. There were never any awkward moments. I genuinely had a great time. I do not think there was much chemistry, though, I did not feel any sparks. He was a great guy, just not my type.
DID YOU EXCHANGE NUMBERS?
PAT: Yes
ALEX: Yes, he did ask for my number.
WAS IT A MATCH?
PAT: I thought it was a match. Alex seemed like someone I would like to get to know better.
ALEX: I think he was a great guy, just not a match for me.
WAS THERE A KISS?
PAT: We hugged goodbye.
ALEX: No kiss, a little hug.
WILL THERE BE A SECOND DATE?
PAT: Can’t say for sure. I would like there to be a second date.
ALEX: No.
HOW DID YOU LEAVE IT?
PAT: I left the date feeling really good. I had been a little nervous beforehand, but Alex was very friendly and we seemed to get along pretty well. I had a really fun time!
ALEX: I gave him my number and assumed he felt the same way as I did, and had no expectations to hear from him.
