My Wife and I frequent a fantastic sushi restaurant nearly weekly. The
place has a very high ratio of Japanese clientele and I have noticed
that there seem to be quite a few non-sushi dishes that are being
ordered by the Japanese folks that doesn't seem to be on the menu.
Usually small dishes or bowls with interesting veggies and such. How
would one possibly know what can be ordered? Yesterday a young trio of
Japanese 20 somethings ordered 'Sea Snails'. Little marble sized snails
that were pried out of their shells with a toothpick. Definitely not on
the menu.

So, for those in the know, what can be ordered that's usually not on the menu??

--

thepixelfreak

thepixelfreak wrote:
>
> My Wife and I frequent a fantastic sushi restaurant nearly weekly. The
> place has a very high ratio of Japanese clientele and I have noticed
> that there seem to be quite a few non-sushi dishes that are being
> ordered by the Japanese folks that doesn't seem to be on the menu.
> Usually small dishes or bowls with interesting veggies and such. How
> would one possibly know what can be ordered? Yesterday a young trio of
> Japanese 20 somethings ordered 'Sea Snails'. Little marble sized snails
> that were pried out of their shells with a toothpick. Definitely not on
> the menu.
>
> So, for those in the know, what can be ordered that's usually not on the
> menu??

Some chefs will often hold special items aside for special customers.
If the sushi bar doesn't have a specials board listing these items, ask
the chef if he has anything special. I've done this in a few places and
was rewarded with some goodies.

--
Dan

"thepixelfreak" > wrote in message
news:2009051809030316807-not@dotcom...
>
> My Wife and I frequent a fantastic sushi restaurant nearly weekly. The
> place has a very high ratio of Japanese clientele and I have noticed that
> there seem to be quite a few non-sushi dishes that are being ordered by
> the Japanese folks that doesn't seem to be on the menu. Usually small
> dishes or bowls with interesting veggies and such. How would one possibly
> know what can be ordered? Yesterday a young trio of Japanese 20 somethings
> ordered 'Sea Snails'. Little marble sized snails that were pried out of
> their shells with a toothpick. Definitely not on the menu.
>
> So, for those in the know, what can be ordered that's usually not on the
> menu??
>
> --
>
> thepixelfreak
>

No such dish as "sea snails" as you described in mainstream Japanese
cusinine.
Sazae (whelks) are served cooked n their shell but they are hardly the size
of
marbles.

Musashi

On 2009-05-18 11:21:12 -0700, "Musashi" > said:

>
> "thepixelfreak" > wrote in message
> news:2009051809030316807-not@dotcom...
>>
>> My Wife and I frequent a fantastic sushi restaurant nearly weekly. The
>> place has a very high ratio of Japanese clientele and I have noticed that
>> there seem to be quite a few non-sushi dishes that are being ordered by
>> the Japanese folks that doesn't seem to be on the menu. Usually small
>> dishes or bowls with interesting veggies and such. How would one possibly
>> know what can be ordered? Yesterday a young trio of Japanese 20 somethings
>> ordered 'Sea Snails'. Little marble sized snails that were pried out of
>> their shells with a toothpick. Definitely not on the menu.
>>
>> So, for those in the know, what can be ordered that's usually not on the
>> menu??
>>
>> --
>>
>> thepixelfreak
>>
>
> No such dish as "sea snails" as you described in mainstream Japanese
> cusinine.
> Sazae (whelks) are served cooked n their shell but they are hardly the size
> of
> marbles.
>
> Musashi

That may be the case, but these snails were very small. About the size
of a marble. Totally black. When asked the chef said sea snails.

Searching the web I find.

http://www.japanitup.com/mmmm-sea-snails/

but these look different than the ones our chef served.

--

thepixelfreak

"thepixelfreak" > wrote in message
news:2009051811350075249-not@dotcom...
> On 2009-05-18 11:21:12 -0700, "Musashi" > said:
>
>>
>> "thepixelfreak" > wrote in message
>> news:2009051809030316807-not@dotcom...
>>>
>>> My Wife and I frequent a fantastic sushi restaurant nearly weekly. The
>>> place has a very high ratio of Japanese clientele and I have noticed
>>> that
>>> there seem to be quite a few non-sushi dishes that are being ordered by
>>> the Japanese folks that doesn't seem to be on the menu. Usually small
>>> dishes or bowls with interesting veggies and such. How would one
>>> possibly
>>> know what can be ordered? Yesterday a young trio of Japanese 20
>>> somethings
>>> ordered 'Sea Snails'. Little marble sized snails that were pried out of
>>> their shells with a toothpick. Definitely not on the menu.
>>>
>>> So, for those in the know, what can be ordered that's usually not on the
>>> menu??
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> thepixelfreak
>>>
>>
>> No such dish as "sea snails" as you described in mainstream Japanese
>> cusinine.
>> Sazae (whelks) are served cooked n their shell but they are hardly the
>> size
>> of
>> marbles.
>>
>> Musashi
>
> That may be the case, but these snails were very small. About the size of
> a marble. Totally black. When asked the chef said sea snails.
>
> Searching the web I find.
>
> http://www.japanitup.com/mmmm-sea-snails/
>
> but these look different than the ones our chef served.
>
> --
>
> thepixelfreak


Yes, those are pictures of whelks. The only time I've ever seen "sea snails"
of the size and type you described is in a Chinese restaurant (forgot which
one)
in New York's Chinatown. Small sea snails , called Tanishi in Japan are
probably eaten locally in the fishing villages and may have a small market
domestically
but they are so far removed from mainstream Japanese cuisine that I
seriously doubt
you'd ever see them in a "Japanese" restaurant outside of Japan.

Musashi

Whelks, BTW, are what Italians call scungilli.

Musashi

On Mon, 18 May 2009 15:22:11 -0400, "Musashi"
> wrote:

> Whelks, BTW, are what Italians call scungilli.

You (almost) took the words of out my mouth. I was about to post much
the same thing. But note that "scungilli" is something you are likely
to find in American-Italian restaurants, rather than real Italian
ones. I've never seen them in Italy, and as far as I know, aren't
eaten there.

--
Ken Blake
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

On 2009-05-18 11:21:12 -0700, "Musashi" > said:

> No such dish as "sea snails" as you described in mainstream Japanese
> cusinine. Sazae (whelks) are served cooked n their shell but they are
> hardly the size
> of marbles.

I've had them out here (SoCal) on a few occasions. Sometimes they are
called "sea slugs", That's just their size, and they are only edible
with a toothpick. They have this funny little disc, a sort of seal on
the outside the had to be knocked off to get to the tiny snail. I don't
know what they are called.

To get to this kind of stuff I began ordering "omakase" from the chef.
I have so few limits on my tastes that for my wife and I it was always
great surprises. On one occasion they brought the snails described
upstream. This is perhaps the only thing my wife has drawn the line
on. But we also want to encourage and be enthusiastic with the chefs
for fear they will start bringing us spicy tuna hand rolls and such.

I've never been more proud of her as when she smiled pleasantly and
dutifully ate 3 or 4. That's enough, she said. What a gal!

Anyway getting to these kinds of things is pretty easy with sushi
chefs. If you like you can simplly say jockingly that you want whatever
"that table" is ordering. Or ask for anything special, particularly if
it is not on the printed menu. Hell, I haven't looked at a menu in
years. The most interesting and freshest stuff is rarely on there
anyway.
--
Dogmatism kills jazz. Iconoclasm kills rock. Rock dulls scissors.

On 2009-05-18 12:20:21 -0700, "Musashi" > said:

> Yes, those are pictures of whelks. The only time I've ever seen "sea snails"
> of the size and type you described is in a Chinese restaurant (forgot which
> one) in New York's Chinatown. Small sea snails , called Tanishi in Japan are
> probably eaten locally in the fishing villages and may have a small market
> domestically but they are so far removed from mainstream Japanese
> cuisine that I
> seriously doubt you'd ever see them in a "Japanese" restaurant outside
> of Japan.

For the record, the places I've had these are totaly uniquivocally Japanese.
--
Dogmatism kills jazz. Iconoclasm kills rock. Rock dulls scissors.

Wilson wrote:

> Take a look at periwinkles - we harvest them here in Maine and they run
> as big as a quarter and I used to occasionally find one the size of a
> half-dollar. Steamed, there is a small shell piece that is discarded
> (acts as a 'door' to close the snail in, then once skewered on the
> toothpick, one dips it in whatever. Locals here stick to butter and/or
> vinegar and they are very tasty and easily located on the sides of rocks
> exposed by the tide.
>
> This time, Wikipedia has as good a picture as any I found. Don't know if
> this is what you saw, but it sounds like it.

As far as I know, the ones you get in Chinatown are periwinkles.

On 2009-05-18 13:03:48 -0700, Gerry > said:

> I've had them out here (SoCal) on a few occasions. Sometimes they are
> called "sea slugs", That's just their size, and they are only edible
> with a toothpick. They have this funny little disc, a sort of seal on
> the outside the had to be knocked off to get to the tiny snail. I don't
> know what they are called.

Were they raw? My impression is that they were.

>
> To get to this kind of stuff I began ordering "omakase" from the chef.
> I have so few limits on my tastes that for my wife and I it was always
> great surprises. On one occasion they brought the snails described
> upstream. This is perhaps the only thing my wife has drawn the line
> on. But we also want to encourage and be enthusiastic with the chefs
> for fear they will start bringing us spicy tuna hand rolls and such.
>
> I've never been more proud of her as when she smiled pleasantly and
> dutifully ate 3 or 4. That's enough, she said. What a gal!
>
> Anyway getting to these kinds of things is pretty easy with sushi
> chefs. If you like you can simplly say jockingly that you want whatever
> "that table" is ordering. Or ask for anything special, particularly if
> it is not on the printed menu. Hell, I haven't looked at a m

So it's not just my imagination. Anyway, we don't use the menu either
as we both have our staple favorites and the chef usually knows what we
like and don't. It was clear though, over the course of the past 3
years we've been going to this place that there is a LOT that is
available that isn't on the menu. No major dishes, just lots of
interesting little appetizer sized dishes and such.

In fact, that same trio I mentioned had a little salad of sort with
seaweed and some other unrecognizable veggies topped by a very small
sprig of some sort of dried herb that the chef smashed with his palm
before putting it on top of the salad.



--

thepixelfreak

On 2009-05-18 13:07:54 -0700, Wilson > said:

> sometime in the recent past thepixelfreak posted this:
>> On 2009-05-18 11:21:12 -0700, "Musashi" > said:
>>
>>>
>>> "thepixelfreak" > wrote in message
>>> news:2009051809030316807-not@dotcom...
>>>>
>>>> My Wife and I frequent a fantastic sushi restaurant nearly weekly. The
>>>> place has a very high ratio of Japanese clientele and I have noticed that
>>>> there seem to be quite a few non-sushi dishes that are being ordered by
>>>> the Japanese folks that doesn't seem to be on the menu. Usually small
>>>> dishes or bowls with interesting veggies and such. How would one possibly
>>>> know what can be ordered? Yesterday a young trio of Japanese 20 somethings
>>>> ordered 'Sea Snails'. Little marble sized snails that were pried out of
>>>> their shells with a toothpick. Definitely not on the menu.
>>>>
>>>> So, for those in the know, what can be ordered that's usually not on the
>>>> menu??
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>> thepixelfreak
>>>>
>>>
>>> No such dish as "sea snails" as you described in mainstream Japanese
>>> cusinine.
>>> Sazae (whelks) are served cooked n their shell but they are hardly the size
>>> of
>>> marbles.
>>>
>>> Musashi
>>
>> That may be the case, but these snails were very small. About the size
>> of a marble. Totally black. When asked the chef said sea snails.
>>
>> Searching the web I find.
>>
>> http://www.japanitup.com/mmmm-sea-snails/
>>
>> but these look different than the ones our chef served.
>>
> Take a look at periwinkles - we harvest them here in Maine and they run
> as big as a quarter and I used to occasionally find one the size of a
> half-dollar. Steamed, there is a small shell piece that is discarded
> (acts as a 'door' to close the snail in, then once skewered on the
> toothpick, one dips it in whatever. Locals here stick to butter and/or
> vinegar and they are very tasty and easily located on the sides of
> rocks exposed by the tide.
>
> This time, Wikipedia has as good a picture as any I found. Don't know
> if this is what you saw, but it sounds like it.

These might very well fit the bill. They were darker than what
wikipedia shows but the were wet. The size is right..
--

thepixelfreak

"Musashi" > wrote:
> Whelks, BTW, are what Italians call scungilli.

Italian-American for the Italian word sconciglio.

http://almostitalian.com/scungilli/

--
Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their
families: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Thank a Veteran!
Support Our Troops: http://anymarine.com/ You are not forgotten.
Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~ USMC 1365061

Ken Blake > wrote:
> On Mon, 18 May 2009 15:22:11 -0400, "Musashi"
> > wrote:
>
> > Whelks, BTW, are what Italians call scungilli.
>
> You (almost) took the words of out my mouth. I was about to post much
> the same thing. But note that "scungilli" is something you are likely
> to find in American-Italian restaurants, rather than real Italian
> ones. I've never seen them in Italy, and as far as I know, aren't
> eaten there.

Napoli. Facha sconciglio! ;-D

--
Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their
families: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Thank a Veteran!
Support Our Troops: http://anymarine.com/ You are not forgotten.
Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~ USMC 1365061

Wilson > wrote:
> sometime in the recent past thepixelfreak posted this:
> > "Musashi" > said:
> >> "thepixelfreak" > wrote in message

> >>> My Wife and I frequent a fantastic sushi restaurant nearly weekly.
> >>> The place has a very high ratio of Japanese clientele and I have
> >>> noticed that
> >>> there seem to be quite a few non-sushi dishes that are being ordered
> >>> by the Japanese folks that doesn't seem to be on the menu. Usually
> >>> small dishes or bowls with interesting veggies and such. How would
> >>> one possibly
> >>> know what can be ordered? Yesterday a young trio of Japanese 20
> >>> somethings
> >>> ordered 'Sea Snails'. Little marble sized snails that were pried out
> >>> of their shells with a toothpick. Definitely not on the menu.
> >>>
> >>> So, for those in the know, what can be ordered that's usually not on
> >>> the menu??

> >> No such dish as "sea snails" as you described in mainstream Japanese
> >> cusinine.
> >> Sazae (whelks) are served cooked n their shell but they are hardly the
> >> size of marbles.

> > That may be the case, but these snails were very small. About the size
> > of a marble. Totally black. When asked the chef said sea snails.
> >
> > Searching the web I find.
> >
> > http://www.japanitup.com/mmmm-sea-snails/
> >
> > but these look different than the ones our chef served.
> >
> Take a look at periwinkles - we harvest them here in Maine and they run
> as big as a quarter and I used to occasionally find one the size of a
> half-dollar. Steamed, there is a small shell piece that is discarded
> (acts as a 'door' to close the snail in, then once skewered on the
> toothpick, one dips it in whatever. Locals here stick to butter and/or
> vinegar and they are very tasty and easily located on the sides of rocks
> exposed by the tide.
>
> This time, Wikipedia has as good a picture as any I found. Don't know if
> this is what you saw, but it sounds like it.

When we used to go to my Grandfather's island off Owl's Head, my Father's
Padrazz', Patsy Gulota, used to pick them off the rocks and bake them on
the rocks surrounding the fire we were using to steam lobsters and clams.
He dipped them in a garlic butter. Shees. 60 years ago!

--
Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their
families: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Thank a Veteran!
Support Our Troops: http://anymarine.com/ You are not forgotten.
Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~ USMC 1365061

> So, for those in the know, what can be ordered that's usually not on the menu??

I guess many restaurants have 'specialities' for friends and regulars.

As far as sushi goes - if you don't know what to ask you are not worthy. ;-)

Jukka

"Gerry" > wrote in message
news:2009051813045450073-somewhere@sunnycalif...
> On 2009-05-18 12:20:21 -0700, "Musashi" > said:
>
>> Yes, those are pictures of whelks. The only time I've ever seen "sea
>> snails"
>> of the size and type you described is in a Chinese restaurant (forgot
>> which
>> one) in New York's Chinatown. Small sea snails , called Tanishi in Japan
>> are
>> probably eaten locally in the fishing villages and may have a small
>> market
>> domestically but they are so far removed from mainstream Japanese cuisine
>> that I
>> seriously doubt you'd ever see them in a "Japanese" restaurant outside of
>> Japan.
>
> For the record, the places I've had these are totaly uniquivocally
> Japanese.

That is very interesting. Would you happen to recall what they were called
in Japanese?
Thanks

Musashi

Armadillo wrote:
>>So, for those in the know, what can be ordered that's usually not on the menu??
>
>
> I guess many restaurants have 'specialities' for friends and regulars.
>
> As far as sushi goes - if you don't know what to ask you are not worthy. ;-)

Just ask "do you have any special not on the menu?" Works for me.

--
Dan

On 2009-05-19 02:26:34 -0700, "Musashi" > said:

>> For the record, the places I've had these are totaly uniquivocally
>> Japanese.
>
> That is very interesting. Would you happen to recall what they were called
> in Japanese?

Well heck, if I'd known that I would have said it immediately. I just
asked the wife and she didn't know but she asked, "Aren't those
periwinkles". I looked up periwinkle and they look exactly like this:

http://sn.im/ice8e

It may not be eaten in Japan, but I've had them served to me,
unrequested at at least 3 Japanese restaurants. All three are Japanese
places with predominantly Japanese clientele.
--
Dogmatism kills jazz. Iconoclasm kills rock. Rock dulls scissors.

On 2009-05-18 13:16:03 -0700, thepixelfreak > said:

> On 2009-05-18 13:03:48 -0700, Gerry > said:
>
>> I've had them out here (SoCal) on a few occasions. Sometimes they are
>> called "sea slugs", That's just their size, and they are only edible
>> with a toothpick. They have this funny little disc, a sort of seal on
>> the outside the had to be knocked off to get to the tiny snail. I don't
>> know what they are called.
>
> Were they raw? My impression is that they were.

No, they were broiled.
--
Dogmatism kills jazz. Iconoclasm kills rock. Rock dulls scissors.

On 2009-05-18 13:16:03 -0700, thepixelfreak > said:

> On 2009-05-18 13:03:48 -0700, Gerry > said:
>
>> I've had them out here (SoCal) on a few occasions. Sometimes they are
>> called "sea slugs", That's just their size, and they are only edible
>> with a toothpick. They have this funny little disc, a sort of seal on
>> the outside the had to be knocked off to get to the tiny snail. I don't
>> know what they are called.
>
> Were they raw? My impression is that they were.

Oops. The wife differs in her memories. She seems to remember them
steamed initially but served cold. Now I'm totally confused.
--
Dogmatism kills jazz. Iconoclasm kills rock. Rock dulls scissors.

Nick wrote on 18 May 2009 23:42:26 GMT:

> Ken Blake > wrote:
>> On Mon, 18 May 2009 15:22:11 -0400, "Musashi"
>> > wrote:
>>
> >> Whelks, BTW, are what Italians call scungilli.
>>
>> You (almost) took the words of out my mouth. I was about to
>> post much the same thing. But note that "scungilli" is
>> something you are likely to find in American-Italian
>> restaurants, rather than real Italian ones. I've never seen
>> them in Italy, and as far as I know, aren't eaten there.

> Napoli. Facha sconciglio! ;-D

A lot of British people eat them too as "periwinkles", "winkles" or
"whelks". The taste for them is so common that there is a verb to
"winkle out" referring once to the seafood but now to many sorts of
extractions! Malt vinegar is commonly sprinkled on cooked winkles.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Or ask the sushi chef (pronounced Taisho?) what he enjoys. He might break out the good stuff just for you and him.

"Gerry" > wrote in message
news:2009051907574016807-somewhere@sunnycalif...
> On 2009-05-19 02:26:34 -0700, "Musashi" > said:
>
>>> For the record, the places I've had these are totaly uniquivocally
>>> Japanese.
>>
>> That is very interesting. Would you happen to recall what they were
>> called
>> in Japanese?
>
> Well heck, if I'd known that I would have said it immediately. I just
> asked the wife and she didn't know but she asked, "Aren't those
> periwinkles". I looked up periwinkle and they look exactly like this:
>
> http://sn.im/ice8e
>
> It may not be eaten in Japan, but I've had them served to me, unrequested
> at at least 3 Japanese restaurants. All three are Japanese places with
> predominantly Japanese clientele.
> --
> Dogmatism kills jazz. Iconoclasm kills rock. Rock dulls scissors.
>

It appears that some Japanese restaurants are serving what are called
periwinkles.
They are not found in mainstream Japanese cuisine, in fact the only ones
I've
ever eaten were ones I picked off the rocks along the shoreline as a kid.
That said, softshelled crabs fried tempura style aren't found in mainstream
Japanese cuisine either, although it's quite common in J-restaurants in the
US.
Both seem to be examples of locally available seafood used and prepared
in a Japanese style. Sazae and Tsubugai are both whelks that are larger and
seen in Japan but may not be available here, and apart from size/appearance
no reason not to substitute with periwinkles.

On 2009-05-19 08:00:36 -0700, Gerry > said:

> On 2009-05-18 13:16:03 -0700, thepixelfreak > said:
>
>> On 2009-05-18 13:03:48 -0700, Gerry > said:
>>
>>> I've had them out here (SoCal) on a few occasions. Sometimes they are
>>> called "sea slugs", That's just their size, and they are only edible
>>> with a toothpick. They have this funny little disc, a sort of seal on
>>> the outside the had to be knocked off to get to the tiny snail. I don't
>>> know what they are called.
>>
>> Were they raw? My impression is that they were.
>
> Oops. The wife differs in her memories. She seems to remember them
> steamed initially but served cold. Now I'm totally confused.

Yes, these came out of the fridge. I guess they were cooked though as
someone pointed out that they might be some issues with getting them
out alive.

--

thepixelfreak

thepixelfreak wrote on Tue, 19 May 2009 13:31:14 -0700:

>> On 2009-05-18 13:16:03 -0700, thepixelfreak > said:
>>
>>> On 2009-05-18 13:03:48 -0700, Gerry > said:
>>>
>>>> I've had them out here (SoCal) on a few occasions. Sometimes they
>>>> are called "sea slugs", That's just their
>>>> size, and they are only edible with a toothpick. They have
>>>> this funny little disc, a sort of seal on the outside the
>>>> had to be knocked off to get to the tiny snail. I don't
>>>> know what they are called.
>>>
>>> Were they raw? My impression is that they were.
>>
>> Oops. The wife differs in her memories. She seems to
>> remember them steamed initially but served cold. Now I'm
>> totally confused.

> Yes, these came out of the fridge. I guess they were cooked
> though as someone pointed out that they might be some issues
> with getting them out alive.

Let me add something that just occurred to me about sea snails or
winkles. The popular pointed-toe shoes of British teenagers of the
Beatle vintage were called "winkle pickers".

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

kookieomi wrote:

> 'Dan Logcher[_1_ Wrote:
>
>>;1319588']Armadillo wrote:--
>>So, for those in the know, what can be ordered that's usually not on
>>the menu??-
>>
>>
>>I guess many restaurants have 'specialities' for friends and regulars.
>>
>>As far as sushi goes - if you don't know what to ask you are not
>>worthy. ;-)-
>>
>>Just ask "do you have any special not on the menu?" Works for me.
>>
>>--
>>Dan
>
>
> Or ask the sushi chef (pronounced Taisho?) what he enjoys. He might
> break out the good stuff just for you and him.

Taisho always have a secret personal history. You should never ask about this.

--
Dan

On May 19, 6:33*pm, Dan Logcher > wrote:
> kookieomi wrote:
> > 'Dan Logcher[_1_ Wrote:
>
> >>;1319588']Armadillo wrote:--
> >>So, for those in the know, what can be ordered that's usually not on
> >>the menu??-
>
> >>I guess many restaurants have 'specialities' for friends and regulars.
>
> >>As far as sushi goes - if you don't know what to ask you are not
> >>worthy. ;-)-
>
> >>Just ask "do you have any special not on the menu?" *Works for me.
>
> >>--
> >>Dan
>

> Taisho always have a secret personal history...
> Dan


Yeah I guess. The last one I was talking too started telling me about
his drunk driving arrests in various states.

>
> I've had them out here (SoCal) on a few occasions. *Sometimes they are
> called "sea slugs"...
>...


Sea slugs are also known as sea cucumber, beche de mer, trepang, etc.
but it's an entirely different creature than your sea slug snail.
It's eaten in China and other parts of Asia. I used to like it, but I
haven't it for a long time.