Sushi Otaku

Of course it had to happen. After last week’s ‘sushi pet peeves’ post I was at my favourite sushi-ya last night and there they were. I was sitting at the bar (the drink bar, not the sushi bar) waiting for my second take out order to be filled (long story) and staring hard at the bottle of Geikkeikan Black and Gold sake (my current favourite). As usual, I was eavesdropping on just about everyone’s conversation as I like to hear what other people have to say about the restaurant and the food. A group of three sat next to me and started talking about all sorts of stuff. Up came the question ‘do you like this place?” And his response… “I’ve never been here before. I don’t like fish so I don’t eat sushi.”
That was a real head scratcher for me. He’s come to a not inexpensive sushi-ya with a serious reputation for its high quality sushi. But I guess he figures he’s going to eat chicken teriyaki? OK, I’m not one to judge, but that’s one expensive place to come for chicken, which, in my opinion is the one food I’ll never order out. After all, it’s chicken and frankly no one can prepare it any better than you can at home. Obviously he was there with friends, who probably all ate sushi and were in for a good time. But it’s always funny to hear something like that in a sushi-ya. But when they were aeated I realized that he’s wasting a perfectly good seat at the sushi bar, where I should have been sitting, snacking, while waiting for my take out.

Warren
The sushi guy.

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I’ve been eating sushi for years and have always spoken to everyone I know on the topic ad naseum. Just for the heck of it I’ve created a list of sushi pet peeves that I’ve collected from what other folks say about their sushi experience as well as my own. These are not particular to any sushi-ya or region, but just general annoyances that one may experience when going out for sushi (of course many can be applied to any restaurant, but so what

So… Sushi pet peeves for potential perusal:

• A diner asking in a loud and braying voice what everything is, pointing and gesturing at the bar, at other people’s plates, etc…..
• People talking on their cell phones, especially at the close quarters of the sushi bar.
• Demanding attitudes or other disrespect of the itamae.
• Boorish manners (you can still be generally polite even if you don’t know everything about sushi etiquette).
• Loud TVs in the restaurant (sometimes a problem where they have regular bars in a restaurant).
• Loud, inappropriate music in the restaurant.
• Rolls that are sliced too large (mega-monster rolls). Once you’ve bitten into many of them, they fall apart.
• That one stray tobiko on my kappa maki (for those vegetarians).
• Maki that was made a while ago where the nori is now too chewy.
• Too much sugar in the sushi rice.
• When they don’t clean the rolling mats well and rolls end up covered with tobiko or masago (some folks don’t like them).
• People who go to a cheap sushi place and then complain about the quality or size of the sushi.
• People who go to places known for their sushi and get tempura or terakiyi or worse who complain when they only serve sushi and not other Japanese food.
• Sushi served at the wrong temp (when the rice is still warm it’s nasty).
• Sushi served late, I don’t like it sitting around. I would rather have things come when they are ready than when the order for the whole table is ready.
• People who complain that their favorite rolls aren’t at a particular Japanese place. If you really must have the rock n’roll or avocodo, spicy tuna and mayo bar-b-cue roll then ask nice and they may make it for you.
• People who think eating sushi is a great reason to do way too many sake bombs
• When someone at the next table points to your natto/uni etc and yells GROSS! Or really any other unnecessary comment.
• Friends who claim they like sushi, and then when you take them to a killer sushi place, they order teriyaki bento and tonkatsu.
• Restaurants that charge you extra money for the shrimp heads.
• Places that don’t serve the heads when you order ama ebi, even after specifically enquiring about it when placing the order.
• Ordering anything tempura and getting served something rolled in pako breadcrumbs and told it’s tempura
• Getting an unagi spine/bone stuck in my throat eating unagi
• When people don’t use proper etiquette for using ohashi…stabbing food, sticking it up in the rice…and especially using them as drumsticks.
• No *real* wasabi
• Sushi-ya that insist that you order through a waitress while seated at the bar.

Any other annoyances? Feel free to add your two cents!

Meshi Agare!
Warren
The sushi guy.

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When your sushi (or sashimi) is served it never arrives alone. Two obvious counterparts accompany your meal which are both complimentary in presentation as well as in taste. Ginger (gari) and Wasabi. Both are intended for consumption in moderation, however they are both capable of enhancing the subtle flavour of the fish while dining. This is no simple feat, but a marriage of flavours that serves to further develop an already incredible dish.

Ginger
Traditionally, ginger is served with sushi as it will cleanse the palate when eaten between different types of sushi. Taken with your fish it can easily overpower the delicate nature of the food, however in small doses in between pieces it can essentially ‘recharge’ your palate as you reach for the next item. I’ve certainly seen some people eat ginger with the sushi. While not the original intent of the item, it’s really all about personal preference, so feel free (IMHO). Ginger also has minor anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties and it is thought that eating it with raw food can assist in the prevention of sickness if there is any minor contamination of the product.

Wasabi
Wasabi, often called “Japanese Horseradish.” The actual rhizome is not related to American Horseradish except by name, and is somewhat difficult to find outside Asia. The ‘wasabi’ most often served in North America is not real wasabi, but powdered and reconstituted American Horseradish (and or mustard) with food colouring added to resemble real wasabi. Real wasabi is sometimes available upon request (and worth it, even with a surcharge, in my opinion). The real deal looks obviously like a grated root, and not a putty so should be easy to discern. Real wasabi also has a hotness that does not linger, and compliments and enhances the flavour of sushi rather well. Many people don’t realize that the sushi chef (itamae) already places some wasabi on each piece of nigiri sushi before he serves it. He knows. Wasabi also exibits anti-microbial properties and for this reason has been used medicinally since the 10th century.

Wasabi and Ginger are not merely sushi addendums. While measurably different beasts, both wasabi and ginger share a complex spicy/fruitiness that pairs exceptionally well with sushi. They are more than just companions, they bring out sushi’s hidden qualities and strive to tell you more. Integral components both, they are not served by chance. Not everyone loves wasabi or ginger, and a little can go a long way. If you like them, then I don’t need to convince you of anything. If not, I suggest give them another chance. While not a prerequisite for enjoying your sushi, they nevertheless can enhance your experience and highlight the nuances of each piece of sushi. When I was young I was told that if I didn’t like a particular food, try it three times before writing it off. It worked for me with olives. If you are not a fan of these items, try it. Perhaps it will work for you.

Warren
The sushi guy.

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Don’t eat sushi on Sunday. I’ve heard that one for a long time, and in a way it does make sense to me. But really, mostly not. I’m a fanatic about my sushi. I’m not going to be told when I can and can not eat it, but I understand the logic behind the premise, even if its use is, often enough, faulty.

The premise is that the fish in the restaurant is no longer fresh on Sunday so it’s best avoided. It makes sense when one thinks about the procurement of the fish. In theory (and in all *good* restaurants) the itamae or owner (or both) head to the fish market every morning to bid on the day’s catch. They select the best quality fish and rush it off to the restaurant where we benefit from their expertise. These fish markets are not open on the weekends and therefore, the fish served on Saturday and Sunday is from Friday’s jaunt. I get it. This makes sense, but there are other issues at hand that many seem to overlook when taunting me after hearing that this ‘fanatic’ will still eat sushi on Sunday.

Consider that fish markets tend to operate in the coastal regions, which, on an island like Japan, is never really that far from anywhere (compared to North America and the other large continents). But that means that in cities like, say, Omaha, Nebraska, or Calgary, Alberta, there is no market to go to. Or the fish available is already not fresh anymore. Well, that just isn’t true. And it’s not like you can’t get sushi there.

Modern technologies have made the transport of foods fast, safe, and efficient. Getting a tuna from New York to Omaha is no longer the big a deal it was 25 plus years ago. Fresh sushi-grade fish is available world-wide, with little or no sacrifice to quality over the fish available at the Fulton Fish Market in New York City. In fact, some fish, such as Yellowtail (hamachi) pretty much always arrives at the sushi-ya frozen, to be thawed for later use. Health and safety issues have created regulations for restaurants to ensure the quality of their food. Sushi restaurants especially know the dangers that their offerings could pose if not stored and handled correctly. Some are obviously more attentive than others, but that is an issue for another blog entry so I won’t get into that now. Essentially, one or two days of storage no longer relegates a raw food product to the cat food industry.

All of this means that if a fish arrives on Friday, it can still be good to eat on Sunday. If it arrives frozen, which many do (since all fish has been frozen along the way anyway) then it doesn’t matter when you bought it (to a degree) and you can thaw items as needed, even on the weekends. There are actually plenty of sushi-ya where I would never eat the food on a Sunday. But I wouldn’t eat there on a Wednesday either. If you trust a restaurant and its itamae, then you can bet that they will serve high quality food any day of the week. If you have to worry about it, you should go out for fish and chips.

Warren
The sushi guy.

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