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2006 Oct 13

Sushi!

Posted at 9:00 am by Barron | Eating

One of Mariko and mine's friends is a sushi chef (as well as makes regular Japanese dishes) at a restaurant here in town, and we sat at his sushi bar last night and enjoyed an amazing omakase. He pretty much chose the best fish, and created lots of sushi that I had never had before. I mean, the types of fish weren't exotic types that I had never seen before, but they were combined and presented in a way that was special and unique. All of it was awesome! Like a dumbass, I forgot my camera, though... My favorite was a makizushi that had ikura, shiso and a special sauce made from uni. We also had baked tako with a little bit of cheesy spicy sauce on it, with crispy garlic slivers. It was so great. And an asparagus sushi with a miso/mayonnaise sauce. To end the meal, we had ama-ebi which was oishiiiiiiiii. I love eating the deep-fried body of the shrimp too, although it seemed like lots of people were watching us, since it is not something Americans would normally eat. We did think it was weird that people put their miso soup bowls on top of their plates when they ate it, though. And I had to ask Mariko about putting wasabi into the shoyu... something that I never do anymore and is rarely done in Japan. FYI, we put a little wasabi on top of the fish, then make sure to dip the fish-side into the shoyu, not the rice.

It was such a great meal. Omakase is wonderful because you get to eat dishes you would never eat otherwise. Normal sushi from the sushi menu is good, but omakase creations are the best!

Here's a great article on the how to's of enjoying sushi: Sushi Eating HOWTO, by Eugene Ciurana

Mr_PeaCH: I have not tried making my own sushi but I did fall in love with sashimi this past year. It was a good year for yellowtails and I enjoyed fresh hamachi on a number of occasions. Filet, chill, slice thin, little soy sauce, little wasabi... that's all you need! Mmm!

When I am feeling creative where raw fish are concerned I make up a big bowl of ceviche. Yellowtail is particularly good for this too but most people use a white, flaky fish (like rockfish). Cube up the fresh fish and immerse in a bowl of lemon or lime juice, all fish must be covered. Let chill and cold-cook via the citric acid in the fridge for a couple of hours or so; the fish is done when it has gone all opaque. While you're waiting get the salsa elements together; tomatoes, onions, peppers, cilantro.... When your fish is done, drain off the lemon/lime juice in a colander or something. I typically rinse it clean but then squeeze some new, fresh lime juice back on when I combine the fish with the salsa. Put all that back in the fridge and it will keep for some time. Serve with chips or saltines. Te gusta!

Posted on Oct 13, 2006 | 11:34 am

Eugene Ciurana: Greetings,

Thanks for including a reference to the Sushi Eating HOWTO. Your posting is very well-written and I feel honoured that you including a link to my HOWTO from it.

There was a lot of controversy around the shoju + wasabi issue in previous incarnations of the HOWTO. I'm glad that you addressed it here. Personally I don't mix wasabi and shoju anymore, but to each their own!

I recently had feedback from a fan who *loves* wasabi; in his case I did advise him to mix it with the shoju so that he can discreetly add a kick to his sushi. Per his description, he was taking the sushi apart, adding wasabi, then reassembling it. Besides insulting the itamae, that sounds pretty gross during a meal with others (Mum! Watch that guy dissect his sushi!).

Take care, and best wishes!

Eugene Ciurana, Sushi Eating HOWTO
http://teslatestament.com - the most exciting action novel of the decade.

Posted on Oct 15, 2006 | 1:20 pm