The Sushi Thread

[private joker]

Sushi has been brought up a few times in the Ask El Diablo thread and other places, and of course there were suggestions that it be a thread of its own. Clearly that's the case.

Here are some initial points to discuss:

All you can eat/buffet-style vs. a la carte

The all-you-can-eat option is fairly popular among mid-tier sushi restaurants both in L.A. and Vegas, but usually not in the highest class ones for obvious reasons. AYCE is attractive if the price is right -- namely for example Todai at the Aladdin, which is a Japanese buffet for $16.95 lunch & $25 dinner.

The downside is I end up eating too much and feel fairly ill afterwards, when the rice is expanding in my stomach. I tend to eat more nigiri and fewer cut rolls in these situations.

A la carte can be less expensive and less filling, but I don't think sushi is a cuisine you eat in order to stuff yourself. This is why it's the best option, especially because it's all you have at the nicer places like Sushi Roku and Katana, etc.

Nigiri vs. cut rolls

A balanced sushi meal for me means a nice combination of nigiri sushi and cut rolls. For some reason, specific fish taste better as sashimi while others taste better in roll form. I don't know why this is. A typical order for me will be:

yellowtail sushi
albacore sushi
spicy tuna roll
california roll
salmon roll

I like my spicy tuna & california rolls to have the seaweed on the inside and rice as the outer layer, whereas I prefer the salmon rolls to be the opposite. I think this is standard, but I've seen exceptions.

Imitation crab rules

N/T

Wasabi & soy sauce

My routine here is to take a small portion of wasabi and put it in a clean dish, then pour low-sodium soy sauce over it, mixing it together with the chopsticks. I see a lot of people use too much wasabi, which usually overpowers the taste of the seafood and is generally a poor idea -- much like drowning your steak in tabasco sauce or ketchup. I also think the low-sodium presents a smoother soy sauce than the overpowering saltiness of the regular red-top version, which kills a lot of flavor, especially from milder sushi like imitation crab.

Drinks

For dinner I like alcohol, usually hot sake or Sapporo. Beer tends to go better with sushi IMO, though a very well-chosen sake, like the sampler at Katana in L.A., is quite appealing. Cold soda works well at lunch for me, even though Diet Coke + sushi isn't a very sophisticated match. For that, I choose to be unsophisticated.

I'd love to see this thread expand with far more issues than the ones I brought up.

[NorCalJosh]

i can't add to this discussion as i've never once eaten sushi, but i do plan on rectifying this straight away and will read this with great interest.



to add to this... my primary reason for not eating sushi at all earlier in life was that i hated sea food. as i've gotten older i've recently discovered that my palette has matured a bit as well, and have since tried several different fish i hadnt previously, as well as shrimp, lobster, etc. i did not hate any of these things, but was kinda meh about all of them. is there any reason that i SHOULD try sushi if this is still the case?

[kitaristi0]

For someone who's only experience with sushi has been some low-quality supermarket sushi that he didn't like at all, what kinds of things would people recommend as a gateway dish to the world of sushi?

[private joker]

[ QUOTE ]
For someone who's only experience with sushi has been some low-quality supermarket sushi that he didn't like at all, what kinds of things would people recommend as a gateway dish to the world of sushi?

[/ QUOTE ]

I was once like you.

The gateway for most people is the california roll. Its only fish content is imitation crab, which is just alaskan pollock. It tastes good and is buffered in the roll by the cucumber, avocado, and rice. At any reasonably well-reviewed sushi restaurant, it will be a fine dish.

The next dish people graduate to after the california roll is the spicy tuna roll. Just give it a shot, if the restaurant is any good you won't be disappointed.

Novices also like edamame as an appetizer (soybeans) and you usually can't go wrong there either.

If you're then feeling adventurous but still want something that isn't gross, try unagi (eel). It comes with a sweet syrupy eel sauce that is quite delicious. And the eel is warm, so it doesn't taste as raw as other sushi cuts.

[gumpzilla]

I had a great roll recently. Mackerel (I love mackerel sashimi), ginger, scallions and apple. Really good. I would not have thought of the apple, but it really added something.

EDIT: In terms of general form, private joker and I are as one.

[mason55]

I like spicy tuna but a lot of lower end places it can come out like cat food. I think your suggestions are good for novices, but I would question someone who called themself a sushi lover who went out and ordered a California roll, a spicy tuna roll, and a salmon roll.

100% agree on the low sodium soy sauce

[thirddan]

i think the key to mixing wasabi/soy sauce is to make sure you end up with a paste consistency, rather than soy sauce with clumps of wasabi, this will ensure that all of your dips are consistent and delicious...

place yoru desired amount of wasabi in clean dish, add a small amount of soy sauce, mix until you have a very thick paste, add a small amount of soy sauce, mix again...continue adding small amounts of soy sauce until you get the desired consistency/strength...enjoy...

this takes longer than normal, but is definitely worth it...

[skunkworks]

Unagi is very palatable, as it tastes something like teriyaki fish on rice. I don't know if that's the best way to ease into raw fish though, since, well... it's not raw fish. I think regular tuna is a good starter since it's pretty neutral tasting. Go to a half-decent sushi place and the tuna won't smell fishy. Yellow tail would be okay too.

Sushi is awesome -- just don't get weirded out by the texture of the raw fish and you'll be all right.

[The Yugoslavian]

[ QUOTE ]
Unagi is very palatable, as it tastes something like teriyaki fish on rice. I don't know if that's the best way to ease into raw fish though, since, well... it's not raw fish. I think regular tuna is a good starter since it's pretty neutral tasting. Go to a half-decent sushi place and the tuna won't smell fishy. Yellow tail would be okay too.

Sushi is awesome -- just don't get weirded out by the texture of the raw fish and you'll be all right.

[/ QUOTE ]

Where should I go to eat Sushi near Irvine? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I went to that place at the block...or whatever it's called in Orange....that was good but I dno wtf I'm doin'....

Yugoslav

[kidcolin]

Diablo,

I look forward to convincing my sister to go to Sakana with me with this Saturday. Thanks for the recommendations.