It was love at first bite—this sticky rice was unlike any I have tasted. Dinner at Yuki’s house may not have been traditionally Japanese (we sat at tables, not on floor pillows; they made Italian; and we spoke in English), but I take what I can get. I met her in middle school, around the same time my brother introduced me to Japanese anime. It may sound silly, but I was really excited to see what a Japanese-American...