First, a buffet!

"...okay, so I think the best place to start is to try a place where you can try out multiple dishes. A buffet seems like the best bet for that," Issei finally decided, looking up a nice one on his phone.

"A buffet?" Xenovia questioned. "Is that like a restaurant?"

"Sort of," Issei nodded, taking her hand and leading her to the bus stop. "It's basically a restaurant, but instead of waiters, there are counters where there are prepared dishes you put on your plate or in your bowl, and take back to your table. An all you can eat buffet is one where you pay to get in, and from there, you basically eat whatever you can put away for your time there. This way, you can sample multiple options."

"Oh, I see," she nodded as they got on the bus. He looked over the menu of the chosen buffet as they rode.

"Oh, good, it mainly features Japanese dishes, but it also has a few non Japanese desserts. Hope that includes cheesecake, that's my favorite," he grinned.

.....

Thirty minutes later, they were at the buffet in question, Xenovia looking over the Japanese cultural dishes. "... I've had ramen before," she mused, looking at the serving pan full of it. "It wasn't anything special though. Not like what I'm seeing."

"You're probably thinking of just the noodles in a package with a flavor packet. The cheap stuff most people eat on a budget. This, this is professionally prepared and fresh," Issei told her, and she got some of that, along with some Gyudon, and was even brave enough to try Sashimi, despite her skepticism about the raw fish.

"...how do people not get food poisoning, or other sicknesses from eating raw fish?" she inquired as she put some in her plate, curious for the explanation despite her daring.

"Sushi is made with saltwater fish. They have far fewer parasites that are harmful to humans, though even then, sushi and other raw fish dishes are often flash frozen to kill any parasites they do have," Issei explained. Though, technically, he and Xenovia weren't human anymore, and he wondered how many of the same rules applied. Questions to ask Rias later, though he was sure she would have told him if there was any particular food to avoid. "Freshwater fish on the other hand? Yeah, big no-no to try raw."

"Got it," she nodded as they took a seat, and they began digging into the meals. To Issei's delight, Xenovia's expression brightened at the first bite. To one who had been raised on bland foods meant only to sustain life, and not for enjoyment, this was a sudden introduction to Nirvana. Issei watched with amusement as she proceeded to start eating quickly, and when she was done, she almost looked like a kicked puppy.

"Heh, we'll make a foodie out of you yet," he joked, taking her to try some more. Aside from some mishaps, like him warning her too late about wasabi, and her accidentally **** because she had eaten a bit too fast, and him needing to give her the Heimlich Maneuver, things went quite well at that restaurant. He even found cheesecake, and finished his own meal with that.

"...wow," Xenovia sighed in contentment, patting her stomach as they walked out. "That was... Better than I thought," she admitted, and he chuckled.

"So, where do you want to go now?" he inquired.