Sushi Otaku

Making sushi at home is fun, easy, and actually less expensive than going out to a restaurant. Aside from the intimidation factor, the big issue that many people seem to have, and ask me all the time, is where do you get sushi grade fish to make sushi at home… While I have a few links up on SushiFAQ, I though to write a short piece about what to look for and how to find it for those of you who want to take the plunge and start making your own sushi.

What is Sushi Grade Fish?
Firstly, you should keep in mind that there really is no such food grade as sushi grade fish. For a detailed treatise on what really makes a piece of fish sushi grade, I recommend reading the section of SushiFAQ which answers this question, What is sushi grade fish? However, what this term really means is that the fish is fresh and handled properly enough that one can be reasonably sure that it is clean and parasite free. In most cases it has been frozen to a low enough temperature for long enough that any parasites that the fish may have had have been destroyed. Most fish that you will find in any grocery store or fish market is not sushi grade fish, so ask questions and know what you are buying if you intend to eat any seafood raw.

Sourcing your fish
When choosing your fish, make sure it looks clean, not slimy, and smells subtly of the ocean, and not overly fishy. If it looks or smells funny, avoid it (but some fish, such as tuna, may have a slight rainbow hue on the surface of the flesh which is normal and natural, not a sign of poor quality or processing). Remember, the nose knows. There are a few places that one might find fish of high enough quality that it can safely be made into sushi at home:

Japanese Markets – If you are fortunate enough to have a Japanese market near you, they may very well sell fish that is considered sushi grade. If you are in or near a city, chances are, you may find a Japanese grocery store somewhere local. While you will generally find a variety of fish there, you can ask or look for the area where they will probably sell fish that has already been cleaned and cut into pieces that are ready for sushi. Often, they are cut into a rectangle, ready to be sliced against the grain for perfect sushi neta. Just make sure that the fish you but is specifically meant to be eaten raw, as it may not be in the same area as the fish sold which is intended to be cooked. I buy a lot of fish from my local Japanese grocer.

Grocery Store/Fishmonger – Don’t even think about it. While it couldn’t hurt to ask you local fishmonger if they do in fact sell sushi grade fish, most do not, and never assume that a fish you buy from a grocery store or fishmonger is safe to eat raw.

Online – In my experience, the best online purveyor of sushi grade fish is Catalina Offshore Products (Bias Alert! In the interest of full disclosure, this is an affiliate link, but everything I say here is true, and in my opinion, this quality of COP seafood is unparalleled). They have an incredible assortment of different seafood, a great deal of which is sushi grade and sold for making sushi at home. They even have items that can be hard to find, such as abalone and multiple grades of uni (sea urchin), and even have one of my all time favorite seasonal items, ankimo (monkfish liver), which can be very difficult to find. Most items are shipped frozen, so you can defrost and use at your leisure, and, if you are totally new to making sushi at home, they even sell sushi kits and all the ingredients you will need to get started. There are a few other places online that I have used, but they all seem to come and go, and I am now at a point where I personally only buy online from Catalina.

The Ocean – Yes, believe it or not, you can eat salt water fish you catch yourself as sushi. I mention this with big red blinking words of caution, however, as most people cannot necessarily be certain a fish a fish is parasite free and clean enough to eat raw without proper training, but if you know what to look for, you can tell a good fish from a bad one. I have eaten tuna right out of the water and can say that is a vastly different food than tuna that has been frozen, thawed, and shipped around the world for a few days. It is truly an amazing food.

There you have it. Thanks to the internet and the globalization of culinary interests, one can probably expect to be able to get high quality fish for sushi without too much effort. The Internet has opened up that option for a lot of folks, and with more and more people eating sushi, whether for the perceived health benefits, or simply because it’s just so darned good, our ability to find great ingredients increases. I have introduced a lot of friends to making sushi at home, and when they see how easy it can be, they often continue the practice. You don’t need a book, just the desire, and the right fish can make your evening sushiful and fun. Perfect sushi rice isn’t hard to make and sushi kits are easily acquired, so once you have what you need, get down to business. And if you want to let me know how your sushi making went, please comment below, I’d love to hear.

Meshi agare!
Warren
The sushi guy

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I eat at two different types of sushi restaurant, the “quick fix” kind and the higher quality places where I linger and enjoy my sushi meal to its utmost. I am somewhat of a sushi snob, which I’ll freely admit, and the “quick fix” places I go to are still decent restaurants, but there is a series of methods I use to determine which stand above the rest. To some, this may be a waste of time because a good sushi restaurant is a good sushi restaurant, but to me, the distinction is important. When I find a new place, there are three basic things that I try which tell me if this new place is a sit down or a take out. And this determination is not made right away. I’ll share my methodology and you decide if it is worth it to you. A great deal of the quality of a particular restaurant is determined by the skills of the Itamae (sushi chef), so what this really means is that my criteria focuses on him (or her). This also requires at least three visits to the restaurant. This is how I test a new restaurant:

Try the sushi. This may sound pretty dumb, but I mean exactly what I say. I try sushi, maki, temaki, and anything non-sashimi. This gives me a feeling for the way that the Itamae makes the most basic kinds of sushi. It is actually not easy to make the perfect bed of rice for your sushi. Or to roll a perfect maki or temaki. The balance of ingredients is key, as well as presentation and selection. The ability to craft a perfect piece of sushi is an easy way to determine the basic skills of the Itamae.

Try the sashimi. This is my second test. I order all sashimi or chirashi. Again, this may sound silly, but this will highlight something very special about the Itamae. Cutting the fish and presenting the sashimi properly displays the Itamae’s understanding of the fish. For sashimi, the fish must be cut the right size, the right way to be eaten easily (across the grain at the proper angle), and presented in an appealing fashion. The Itamae must be aware what part of the fish he is serving, which will determine how he cuts it, as well as how to plate it. Proper understanding of the type of fish and the part he cuts is what separates the so-so Itamae from the great ones.

Order Omakase. For those who may not know what omakase is, it is essentially “chef’s choice.” When you sit down and order omakase, you are giving the Itamae the freedom to serve you whatever he wants to serve, and he is expected to highlight what he thinks are the best picks at that time. Without a great understanding of the food he serves, this will be only an average meal. But a good Itamae will find the best selections, the right seasonal items, the proper presentation (which should be more impressive than you average order), and be attentive to your guidance should you have any. He should understand the order in which to serve the particular fish so one does not overpower the one following piece. The skill, knowledge, intuition, and sophistication are truly displayed when the Itamae is preparing an omakase meal.

This is not necessarily a suggestion for everyone to go out and use this methodology. This is what I do and has helped me find some great places to eat sushi (in my seemingly obsessive-compulsive way). Generally if you like a place enough, you will know it is right for you, but for me, I like to study and learn what is out there. I usually get to know the Itamae at the sushi restaurants that I favour, and a great ice-breaker is to tell them how much you appreciate their skills. It’s not the only way, but an individual who understands his craft that well will be pleased to hear such comments. And I’m sure they appreciate the beer I buy them in thanks. I know I would.

Meshi agare!
Warren
The sushi guy

1 Comment »

I recently added a new section to the Sushi FAQ entitled How to Make Sushi at Home. It is a relatively detailed while hopefully easy to follow treatise on making sushi at home with tips, preparation ideas, and everything you need to know about, well… making sushi at home. The section is broken up into areas for sushi, maki, sashimi, etc… for those of you who want to try all the different styles of sushi. Please feel free to send me any comments or suggestions as to how I can improve the site. I make sushi at home every once in a while and thought that there must be plenty of folks out there who either never thought of it, never knew how, or just weren’t comfortable doing it. Hopefully now you will see just how easy it can be. It takes practice to get really good, but I guarantee that even your first attempts will be tasty. So give it a try. Go visit How to Make Sushi at Home and have some fun. It will be well worth your while.
Meshi Arage!
Warren
The sushi guy.

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I didn’t intend this blog to turn into a bunch of “how to” posts, and I think my next post may be on how many pieces of hamachi can I fit into my mouth at once, but I did nevertheless feel that a good follow-up to my “How to Eat Sushi” would be how to find a good sushi-ya and how to determine it’s quality. I’m sure all of you have no problems determining if you like a place or not, but the goal of this entry to point out the specific things to look for in terms of food quality that make a sushi-ya stand out relative to it’s peers.

There are many good and many bad sushi places. Many, many bad sushi places. I’ve walked out of places before I was even seated, and I’ve also left food on my plate that wasn’t up to par (how rude, I know). There are details that I have noted over the years that have helped me identify whether or not I want to dine in a particular sushi-ya where I’ve never been, and I thought to share them with both of you who still read my blog. When traveling and in an unfamiliar city, I often seek out sushi and here are my tips to find a good place, and determine the quality of its offerings.

What to Look For:
At the risk of sounding politically incorrect, I have found that some of the best sushi places have a large Japanese clientele. A lack of Japanese diners is not necessarily indicative of a sub-par sushi-ya, but when I notice a large number of Japanese diners, it’s a big “thumbs up.”
Look for a line or a long wait. It sounds annoying, but it’s true. A particular sushi-ya in New York City that I love develops a line around the block starting about 5:30 pm. I’m not kidding, and the sushi there is superb. Sushi can be worth the wait.

Smell the air when you walk in. If it smells fishy (and not fresh) you might want to go get pizza. A mix of interesting smells can be expected, but if anything smells off, either something may have gone bad or perhaps they may not clean the place frequently or well enough.
Look at the fish presented in the sushi bar. It should look clean, fresh, well wrapped, and not all thrown together. If anything looks dry, old, or crusty, run for the nearest exit. When your neta has a leathery edge all you want to do is spit it out.

Is the itamae Japanese? If he is not, the sushi-ya may still have very good sushi, but my personal opinion is that one stands a better chance of finding a good trained/experienced sushi chef if they are Japanese. And while many other Asian countries have their versions of sushi, what we have come to expect in North America seems to be the uniquely Japanese style and presentation. If not “made in Japan” I’ll take “made by Japan.”

Does the sushi look slapped together? There is a particular sushi-ya near me where the presentation is just not right and whether directly or indirectly related, the sushi is only so-so. If the itamae doesn’t respect his presentation enough I would question how much respect he has for the quality.

Does the restaurant focus on sushi? If the sushi bar is an add-on, I tend to avoid it. There are exceptions but if sushi is not their first priority, I would rather go to a place where it is. Remember, the quality of the sushi is very dependant on the individual who chooses the fish at the wholesaler, and if their expertise is at the hibachi, I don’t want them choosing the food I’m going to eat raw.

I avoid fast food sushi places. There’s quality food and there’s fast food, and never the two shall meet. sushi had better be quality. I’ve touched on this in a previous piece, and there is definitely some good pre-made stuff, but if it’s on a conveyor belt, I won’t go near it.

What to Look For When Dining:
One way that is used to determine the skill of the itamae is to try the tamago yaki (a slightly sweet omelet). This is a delicate item that takes great skill to perfect. In Japan, potential customers often ask to try the tamago yaki to determine if the itamae is skilled enough, in their opinion, to be preparing sushi.

How does the rice taste? How does it feel? The rice should not be too soft nor too firm, and the balance of seasonings should be just right. If it’s too sweet or tastes of vinegar, they don’t know how to prepare it and I would question how well they prepare anything else. The rice is the foundation upon which sushi is built (and I’m using the term colloquially since technically ‘sushi‘ refers to the rice).

Inspect your nigiri-zushi. In a quality establishment the itamae will know the proper balance of fish to rice, and huge hunks of fish, while fun and yummy, can upset the balance. Remember, sushi is as much science as art, and if you have an experienced itamae, he will know how to serve you best.

Look for fresh wasabi. That lump of green putty you got is, in all likelihood, American horseradish with food colouring. A good sushi-ya will have the real stuff available for the asking, and often for a price. But it’s worth it, in my opinion, and it’s a different animal (so to speak).

Look for interesting seasonal items. This indicates that they pay attention to the particulars of the foods they offer, and seek out something when it is available and fresh. Ankimo (monkfish liver) is a classic example of this. It is a seasonal item that can be found off-season, but does not have the same taste and texture when it has been sitting in a freezer for months. The itamae at my favourite sushi-ya near me won’t serve it unless it is fresh, and because of this I know he cares about the quality of his food.

OK, that’s it. There is absolutely nothing else you need to know. Really… Nothing at all. Well, obviously there is more, but those were my observations that have yet to lead me astray in my search for outstanding sushi-ya in strange places. If I’ve overlooked anything, feel free to chime in on the comment page. Sushi is a magnificent dish when done right. Good sushi is nice, but great sushi is something to tell your friends about. It’s worth the effort to find the best, and if you can, take me with you.

Warren
The sushi guy.

15 Comments »

This article has been moved to the How to Eat Sushi page on The Sushi FAQ. Please follow the aforementioned link to an expanded version of this article.

16 Comments »

Generally when we go out to eat we are friendly enough with the waiter (waitress) but don’t think too much about anything other than our food and companions. This is not a bad thing, however I feel that when you are enjoying such an exquisite meal as sushi, there are great advantages to making a new friend. The itamae (the Japanese name for a sushi (or other) chef and pronounced ita-meh-ee), politely addressed as itamae-san. One thing that many westerners do not know is that there are many sushi items that are seasonal, and others that are not normally on the menu but can be requested. By virtue of that, they almost become off limits to most people. I’ve also, at times, been steered away from items that are no longer at their peak of freshness. How’s that for service?

For years I went to a particular sushi-ya and sat in almost the same seat every time at the sushi bar. Over time, I got to know the itamae, Sato-san, quite well, and he got to know me. By being interested in what he was doing, why he selected the fish he did, and even buying him a beer now and then, we actually became good friends. I was at first surprised at how accessible and friendly he was, even though he was often quite busy. But sushi was his job, and sushi was becoming my life, so we hit it off.

Over time he introduced me to things I would not normally have encountered, nor even tried. Fried shrimp heads (actually quite good). Ankimo (monkfish liver). And fresh wasabi (the green horseradish-like rhizome that accompanies your sushi meal). For years I had eaten the horseradish and food colouring blob on my plate actually thinking it was wasabi. One day, he took a brownish-green gnarled object and grated it on a device covered in sharkskin. Real wasabi, and what a difference it made. And what an interesting technique. I would also sit down at the bar and he would often, without my asking, place a nice appetizer down for me to try, or something I’d never seen before. On the house. It was great.

By my being inquisitive and respectful of his art we developed a great relationship, and he educated me in the history and sources of many foods in which I was quickly developing a keen interest. I’d never heard of Bonito flakes, but talk about an interesting historical methodology (but that’s something for another blog entry). He was full of informational tidbits. If you’re into free stuff, it never hurts to befriend the itamae, but it really is so much more than that. There isn’t all that much to talk about regarding the food at an Italian or French restaurant that most folks don’t already know. But I’d be willing to bet that you can always learn something new at a sushi-ya. The itamae is your friend. You just don’t know it yet.

Warren
The Sushi Guy

3 Comments »

Life is hard. Making sushi is harder. The other evening I decided it would be fun to make some maki for dinner, something I used to do a lot, actually, when I was younger. But it’s been a really long time since I had the time and wherewithal to do it at home and it’s no bicycle ride.

I figured I would make it easy since it had been a while and I last made it before I had children. ‘Lets start with a few California rolls’ I said to my wife who readily agreed because everyone in my family has a severe avocado addiction.

This is what we did:
Buy your seafood. Then, start with the rice. You want to rinse sushi rice before cooking to get rid of excess starch, otherwise your sticky rice (as my son calls it) will be a solid mass and impossible to work with. Rinse the rice until the water runs relatively clear and then cook. When the rice is cooked, season with a mixture of rice wine vinegar and sugar and carefully fold the rice to evenly distribute the seasoning liquid. It sounds odd, but that’s what you do, believe me, it works. Let the rice cool to room temperature and you are ready to go.

Cut up the avocado, cucumber, and surimi (that fake crab leg stuff that is used in these rolls) and got all the fixins’ together. Get out your nori (seaweed wrapper for the roll) and place it shiny side down. I cut off about 1/3rd of the sheet to help me size the roll properly, but that’s up to you. Spread some of the rice mixture evenly over the nori, leaving a bit of nori showing on the edges. Lay the goodies in a row along the closest part of the sheet and slowly roll the sheet away from you. It is easiest if you have a bamboo rolling mat to help guide the rolling and shape the roll after it is rolled up. Roll. And viola! Cutting the rolls also requires finesse. Use a large, very sharp knife, and keep some water handy to keep the knife edge moist or the starch adhering to the knife will make cutting your roll a living hell. Cut in half, place the two halves side by side and cut them into thirds and you will have a nice maki.

Yeah, right. It sounds easy, doesn’t it? Well, it’s not. It’s really not. My first roll was 4 inches in diameter. Bizarre. Way too much rice, but it had been a while… Keep the rice layer relatively thin, that’s what you have to remember. By the third roll they started looking normal, but it was a groove that I really had to work on to get back into. I did and we played around with other fillings. Salmon is my son’s favorite. My daughter just likes the rice and had way too much fun with it. But it was a good evening with some nice cold sake, edamame, and mochi with red bean ice cream filling. Some of the best stuff on the planet. It’s fun to make sushi at home, and really not hard at all. It’s just hard to make it look nice

Warren
The Sushi Guy.

7 Comments »

Faithful reader, Hayato, has asked me where to order sea urchins, so I thought I’d post that information for all to see. While the company I got mine from isn’t around anymore (online at least) I have found another place for them. Since you are on the west coast anyway, Hayato, Catalina Offshore Products has sea urchins here and while I have never ordered from them, I’ve heard good things about them and they are on my list for my next sushi party. You can order both Uni and live urchins. Good luck and let me know how it turns out!

Warren
The Sushi Guy.

7 Comments »

I like sitting at the sushi bar at a restaurant. Tables are fine, but when I really want to get into things I sit at the bar. Omakase (chef’s choice) is much better when he is right in front of you, and even if you have your preferences, it’s always nice to watch it being made right in front of you and eating your hamachi moments after being cut. It’s also a great way to befriend the itamae.

When I started more regularly to sushi restaurants, there was one in particular that I would go to with my extended family. We went somewhat regularly, and were fortunate to always be seated at the bar. We got to know the itamae, Sato-san, well enough that he would always seem to find something different or unusual for my cousin and me (two kids who would eat pretty much anything) and was a really friendly guy. He took notice of us because we took notice of him. We were full of questions, and he was full of tricks. Not those silly Benihana kind of tricks, but to a 16 year old who is one of the only non-Japanese in a restaurant, origami critters and strange fish parts served in a creative manner are always interesting.

I’m older now and not so fascinated by origami, however when I get the chance, I always sit at the sushi bar, especially when I know I’ll be back. The itamae will get to know you, will sometimes suggest other items if he thinks what you ordered might not be the best that day, and is often a really interesting person. He knows the food he handles and can be your guide as well as your chef. If you show an interest in his skills he will usually steer you right. Buy him a beer (as I mentioned before). Talk to him. Ask about the special or unusual items (often reserved for the Japanese clientèle who are more familiar with them). But most of all, enjoy your stay at the bar because you might discover things you would otherwise have overlooked.

Warren
The Sushi Guy.

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