"If it looks like sushi, it is sushi"
There is no doubt Below are not some a culinary trade, but it is also regarded as an art perfected over a lifetime. Things like shop conditions, ingredients quality , etc., but most importantly, the sushi chefs themselves are the ones that stand out as affecting the good sushi vs. bad sushi comparison.
"Bad" Sushi Bar 1 Unfortunately, more often than not, "cheap" and "quick" should be taken as red flags when it comes to sushi. Tokyo, Japan - A local place caught my asthat as a cheap and quick means to end my weekly sushi craving. The restaurant smelled of fish upon entering and after taken my seat, the counter smelled of cleanser, a shear sign that the meal would not go well.
Every order seemed to take 5 minutes I could tell right away that the fish was spending way too much time in the hands of the chef, I decided to cut my visit short and finish up with a piece of sushi that I thought no sushi place could get wrong - maguro nigiri I am afraid that I have been handled for so long. I paid my (short) bill and left vowing never to return (I wonder if the 6 or so patrons before me being thinking the same thing as well ...).
Some points to take away from this experience:
- A sushi restaurant should not smell especially fishy as that means the ingredients are not fresh , or they & # 39; re (unintentionally) overstocked on oily fish like mackerel or (low grade) salmon.
- Residue from overuse of cleaning chemicals interferees with your sense of smell, partly ruining the sushi & # 39; s taste - giving those part - timers extra cleaning duties throughout the day did not pay off.
- Sushi that spends too long in a chef & # 39; s hands runs the risk of coming into too much contact with heat from the chef & # 39; s hands and human body oils, which can reduce freshness of the fish and interferees with the overall taste of the sushi. It may have been fresh at one time, but it only took 5 minutes to ruin it.
- Sushi ingredients with the exception of bintoro ( bincho maguro ) should not be ice cold because not only is it akin to eating a sashimi popsicle, it bring brings into question the freshness of the ingredients (if it & # 39; s still frozen, it was not procured anytime in the near past).
"Bad" Sushi Bar 2 I have a reasonable price. I gave it a shot but was turned off for different reasons from "Bad" Sushi Bar 1. For example, shortly after ordering, I could see the sushi chefs who were on standby smoking in the kitchen. Just imagining the tobacco smell and nicotine stains on the fingers that prepare my sushi was enough to make me a bit wary of what I would soon be wasting on. I also noticed that all the fish to be used for sushi was pre -sliced and placed on metal trays in the bar. I thought this a bit of a let down as I fished "slab" of tuna and so on.
While I have appreciated speed while being served at a restaurant, I also know that it takes skill and care in handling the ingredients to produce a good product. The sushi looked like works of Also, the rice fell apart at the slightest touch and no mastery of chopsticks or later efforts by hand can keep my soy sauce dish from filling up with rice grains. It was a real hassle to eat. That fish looked like it was was sliced hastily and some pieces were lopsided, which affected its taste as it blended with the rice inside my mouth. That 's another place I will not be going back to.
- Pre-sliced fish , though not having any immediate impact on taste that I could tell, looks like it was cranked out of a machine.
- Sushi should not only look appetizing, but should also maintain its shape with little effort from the eater.
- "If it looks like sushi, then it is sushi" failed here.
- While many "fast-food sushi" shops exist, it will take quite a few visits and many let downs to find that perfect spot.
"Good" Sushi Bar : A memorable experience in Fukuoka, Japan at a sushi bar that was very crammed but very good and worth the 20 minute lunch rush wait. The shop was clean and smelled of tatami and vinegar rice. The lone sushi chef had mastered a simple 5- step nigiri (molding) process that limited contact with his hands, wasted no movement, and kept the finished product from tumbling into one & # 39; s lap. The fish for each piece of sushi was professionally sliced as each order came up and it was an enjoyable sight watching his knife-work. The highest level of freshness and consideration of the customers' Even during slow periods, did not take a smoke break or anything that might diminish the quality of his sushi. A glass of water and a moist towel appeared to be the only objects he needed to keep himself going.
He is asked, "How is it?" He engaged with me and wanted me to critique his work, a sign that he not only cares about how I felt about his sushi, but tells me that he wants to improve - one of the fastest way to improve as a sushi chef is hearing directly from the customer.
- A chef & # 39; s Clean and disciplined chefs seem to make better sushi. Dirty and smoky chefs might not be giving you are best (as was with the above above).
- The sushi chef should make it clear to his customer, who in a sense is his "audience", that his performance is going to result in high quality sushi, from slicing, to molding, to presenting it.
- However, this should not be the case with sushi - the best sushi chefs skillfully balance time with effort, action with results and most importantly, they balance your expectations with their abilities.
When searching Someone can not be noticed simply from one look, but inquiring through word-of-mouth or checking restaurant reviews online or in the papers can hopefully assist you in Does he take (much) too long? Does he rush from piece to piece? Does he smoke? Does he engage with his customer? All these things can be observed and shown, so that when you finally enter the shop, you can have a general idea of what to expect.
* The experiences above may differ from yours, but if you feel that any information is in error, please do not hesitate to contact the author.
