Sushi: Do's & Don'ts, Benifits & Risks

[quote]T-Man in Soyland wrote:

EDIT: Oh man, you are so right Cortes. Tricky to find a good kaiten, that’s why it pays to have sisters-in-law who are fine gourmets. Don’t tell them what we pay though or they will beat us to dead with a Kariforunia roru while we sleep.

On the other hand it sucks what we pay for shipping at the Biotest store. Last week I made FedEx 8.000 fucking yen richer.[/quote]

Yeah. I know. And the exise tax fairy that comes to visit 2 months later with her hand out for an extra 50 bucks is no welcome sight, either.

As far as the culinary scene goes., my wife and I are quite the gourmands, ourselves, so we take the hits for the little guys, and let our friends and fellow interwebz posterz know who sucks and who rulz. Unfortunately, there are just so few people in my particular area to whom I can reach out to…

[quote]Travacolypse wrote:

[/quote]

That’s probably my favorite youtube video ever. Informed and curious viewers should check out all related videos.

[quote]Cortes wrote:
Travacolypse wrote:

That’s probably my favorite youtube video ever. Informed and curious viewers should check out all related videos.[/quote]

All pretty hilarious. The dating one is epic, for sure.

[quote]MaximusB wrote:
I enjoy sushi and eat it regularly. I use it mainly as a cheat meal, and I think its probably a good one. I dont venture into the strange rolls that include eel and sea urchin. I keep it simple. It also allows you to use it in personal and social events (business lunches and dinners with significant others.) It fits into a lifestyle conveniently, but it can add up.[/quote]

I don’t know anything about sushi as I’ve only had it once, but it was at a very good sushi restaurant in Portland, OR. I was at a medical office conference and one of our doctors took a bunch of us who were sushi novices out.

I didn’t get any rolls, just got the fish on a slab, because I really wanted to get the flavor of it without anything else, and I made it a point to try all the “weird” stuff including eel (both fresh and salt water) and sea urchin. The waiter was horrified (assumed I’d hate everything) but I loved it all. The urchin had a mild, pleasant flavor and actually one of the pieces I liked the most.

It certainly was an entertaining dining experience and if it weren’t so expensive I’d eat it all the time. Man, that salmon was like butter… salmony butter… drool…

I was going to start a thread asking his but I figure since someone mentioned it I would ask here. Why is it bad to take a single bite/small bites of sushi or any food for that matter? I have gone to japanese restuarants and when I look around you see people stuffing their face with food. I mean they pick up a roll or something they can pick up with the chop sticks and they open their mouths like snakes and just take as big of a bite aspossible. When you see cooking shows its the same they will keep and keep pushing noodles into their mouths why is that? I have always wondered.

[quote]xXSeraphimXx wrote:
I was going to start a thread asking his but I figure since someone mentioned it I would ask here. Why is it bad to take a single bite/small bites of sushi or any food for that matter? I have gone to japanese restuarants and when I look around you see people stuffing their face with food. I mean they pick up a roll or something they can pick up with the chop sticks and they open their mouths like snakes and just take as big of a bite aspossible. When you see cooking shows its the same they will keep and keep pushing noodles into their mouths why is that? I have always wondered. [/quote]

Because they start falling apart.

I will take a bite out of some of the really big rolls, though. Some are made entirely too big.

Sometimes I screw etiquette in favor of eating food the way I enjoy it. I pour Soy Sauce in one of those little, flat bowls then mix in some Wasabi and Ginger. I try my sushi the way it comes and if I think it will be better dipped, I dip. Usually sideways so part of the rice and part of the fish go in.

Eel is great. The only thing I like better is Tuna. The tuna is my primary gauge for the quality of the restaurant. If it’s super tender with out being mushy I conclude it’s a good restaurant.

[quote]xXSeraphimXx wrote:
I was going to start a thread asking his but I figure since someone mentioned it I would ask here. Why is it bad to take a single bite/small bites of sushi or any food for that matter? I have gone to japanese restuarants and when I look around you see people stuffing their face with food. I mean they pick up a roll or something they can pick up with the chop sticks and they open their mouths like snakes and just take as big of a bite aspossible. When you see cooking shows its the same they will keep and keep pushing noodles into their mouths why is that? I have always wondered. [/quote]

Some things are made to be eaten as whole.
for example: some chocolate candies that are filled and have all the great stuff with them, generally are made to be eaten at once even though they may be huge. Reason being all the flavors do what they are supposed to, with what they are supposed to, when they are supposed to, to give the customer the effect the chef was going for.

Noodles on the other hand, I dont know, unless its simply easier to keep shoving in your mouth until you are out of noodle, I have a hard time picking up smaller noodles with chopsticks.

[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
There are two kinds of sushi joints:

A) Places that make good rolls

B) Places that have good sushi (i.e. fresh fish, good presentation)
[/quote]

I would also add there are places with good sushi rice, and places wiht lame sushi rice

[quote]Cortes wrote:
Most actual Japanese do this stuff all the time.

I am a firm believer in etiquette when it applies to manners and good taste, but when you stick to outdated practices at the expense of your own pleasure and no one around you knows these practices and some of the practices (such as eating sushi with your fingers) just make you look gross, you actually end up on the opposite side of etiquette in pursuit of elitism, which makes you look just stupid to everyone around you, regardless of how cool you think you feel.

Even native Japanese don’t know most of the crap you are talking about, as evidenced by variety show programs here which quiz people on this stuff (almost everyone fails).

Just eat your damn sushi. And make sure the last thing you eat is Ootoro.

EDIT: For the record, you are “right” about all of this stuff. But what I wrote stands.
[/quote]

now hold the weddin’…you’re saying that an appeal to just go for it and eat with your fingers is a pursuit of “elitism” ? interesting perspective you have there.

what is this “crap [i’m] talking about”? not saturating food with shoyu cause it ruins the food and not making a mess of yourself and the table ?

didn’t you write this yourself right here?:

[quote]swivel wrote:

now hold the weddin’…you’re saying that an appeal to just go for it and eat with your fingers is a pursuit of “elitism” ? interesting perspective you have there.[/quote]

I’m saying that I have never seen a Japanese eat sushi with his fingers outside of period drama tv shows, even though this is the, yes, “proper” method of consumption. So I would assume that anyone who does use the “proper” method is more concerned with doing something in a manner which is more aimed at displaying how tuned in and edgy he is, rather than any sort of practicality. If you can give me a reason why slobbering all over your fingers and walking away with hands that smell like three day unwashed hooker vagina is preferable to just using chopsticks, then I’m happy to hear your reasoning. Like I said, “real” Japanese use chopsticks, so why shouldn’t everyone else?

[quote]“Even native Japanese don’t know most of the crap you are talking about”

what is this “crap [i’m] talking about”? not saturating food with shoyu cause it ruins the food and not making a mess of yourself and the table ?

didn’t you write this yourself right here?:

"Another point about the rice is that it will fall apart when the shouyuu (soy sauce) touches it. Just dipping the fish in is better (and who wants a piece of sushi that tastes like liquid salt?).

[/quote]

Seems I read you wrong on some of the other stuff. I don’t have any issues with not saturating food with shoyu.

I LOVE WASABI!!! and yet not entirely fond of soy sauce.

[quote]Cortes wrote:

I’m saying that I have never seen a Japanese eat sushi with his fingers outside of period drama tv shows, even though this is the, yes, “proper” method of consumption. So I would assume that anyone who does use the “proper” method is more concerned with doing something in a manner which is more aimed at displaying how tuned in and edgy he is, rather than any sort of practicality.[/quote]

“proper” is something you seem to be obsessed with. i’m talking about what’s easier. plenty of japanese eat nigiri with their hands, weather you’ve seen them or not.[quote]

If you can give me a reason why slobbering all over your fingers and walking away with hands that smell like three day unwashed hooker vagina is preferable to just using chopsticks, then I’m happy to hear your reasoning. [/quote]

because it’s easier and because i don’t go to bars that serve smelly food.

sometimes yes sometimes no. if you don’t have hashi skills then you will inevitably become a retard taking the crash course.

If I am not able to visually identify it, I am not eating it. Somethings are just not worth the risk.

Guys this is starting to look like paralysis by analysis. Let’s just eat the damn sushi and forget about all the “proper” manners.

I’m all for the proper manners and etiquette in social situations but I’m flexible also. So I tend to eat it with my fingers at home or in family, with chopsticks and/or fingers in restaurants and exclusively with chopsticks in formal situations like funerals and so, but then it usually is just sashimi and I wouldn’t do it otherwise. :o)

Sorry to the OP if my initial post contributed to hijack the thread because from there this is gone downhill talking about etiquette instead of practical tips.

Cortes, where are you located, if I dare to ask (in my case is shimogyoku in Kyoto, quite close to kyotoeki actually).

Maximus, sometimes it pays to dare risking yourself. Unless it is fugu served by an unlicensed cook, that is.

had some today with limeade

It isn’t only the fish. It is the chef. A good chef knows how to cut the fish. He also knows how to prepare the rice. Each restaurant has a different preparation(vinegar and sugar) for the rice. Bad rice, bad sushi.

I personally do not like wasabi. But if the wasabi is really hot and makes you tear and nose explode it is probably just powdered wasabi. They just add water to bring it back to its wasabi state. Fresh wasabi doesn’t make your eyes tear and bulge out. It has a subtle sweetness and it isn’t cheap.

Fish. Fish that is brought into America is frozen to a certain temperature supposedly to kill germs. This is not a requirement in Japan. This is one reason chefs say the sushi is better in Japan. This doesn’t mean the fish is not fresh or not high quality. When fishing boats go out they must freeze the fish because it takes time to get back. Unless you live in Japan and live in a coastal town you won’t get freshly caught fish. Or a restaurant in Tsukiji or high end restaurant in Tokyo.

If the fish is really cold, then they did not thaw it properly(give it enough time).

There is a saying that the restaurant’s tamago yaki, the egg omelet is representative of the restaurant’s quality. If the restaurant does not even take the time to make their own then that isn’t a good sign.

Some chefs also say that toro and chutoro are overrated. The only reason they have it is because customers expect them to have it. But as far as tuna goes Akami(the red, not fatty part of tuna) is the best part. Toro is just fat.

Also some restaurants make their own soy sauce to match the flavor of their rice/suchi.

[quote]T-Man in Soyland wrote:
Guys this is starting to look like paralysis by analysis. Let’s just eat the damn sushi and forget about all the “proper” manners.

I’m all for the proper manners and etiquette in social situations but I’m flexible also. So I tend to eat it with my fingers at home or in family, with chopsticks and/or fingers in restaurants and exclusively with chopsticks in formal situations like funerals and so, but then it usually is just sashimi and I wouldn’t do it otherwise. :o)

Sorry to the OP if my initial post contributed to hijack the thread because from there this is gone downhill talking about etiquette instead of practical tips.

Cortes, where are you located, if I dare to ask (in my case is shimogyoku in Kyoto, quite close to kyotoeki actually).

Maximus, sometimes it pays to dare risking yourself. Unless it is fugu served by an unlicensed cook, that is.[/quote]

I’m in Yamaguchi prefecture, far away from everyone and everything. I have met a lot of T-Nation guys who are located in Japan and I’ve never met a single one in real life because I live in Inaka city, Yamaguchi. I’ve been here 6 years and never made it out to Kyoto. Bet it is kind of nice living there.

On a note related to this thread, the BEST place to get decently cheap sushi that is of a very high quality and tastes absolutely outstanding is Maguro-zanmai. If there is one anywhere near you you should walk, not run, for your next meal.

[quote]AlteredState wrote:
Cortes wrote:
Travacolypse wrote:

That’s probably my favorite youtube video ever. Informed and curious viewers should check out all related videos.

Good video. Now I just have to get to Japan ;)[/quote]

You’re always welcome to stay with my wife and I, good buddy. We have an extra room waiting for you, should you ever choose to come.