Sushi Otaku

Archive for May, 2006

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.

I have touched on this topic before, but I was looking at my spider roll (soft shell crab) the other night and thought about just how incredible it was relative to my non-sushi meals. It got me thinking, as always, that it may not be a traditional sushi offering, but not only did it fit in well with the traditional sushi on my plate, but it just worked and was incredibly good. (To clarify, while crab (kani) is very common in Japanese cuisine, and even sushi (or maki-zushi), deep frying a soft shell crab and adding mayonnaise, cucumber, avocado, et al. is not a traditional Japanese sushi-ya offering).

In Japan, there are traditional sushi-ya and non-traditional sushi-ya. In North America, there a very few traditional sushi-ya (although some great ones, see my Sushi Yasuda blog entry to hear about one), and those that exist are not necessarily easy to identify. In fact, some of the most popular ones (e.g. Nobu in New York City) are not even remotely traditional. Not that that’s a bad thing. We North Americans don’t always know what is and is not traditional sushi-ya fare, and I’m not going to go through the list here. While there may be traditionalists out there who bemoan the development of “fusion” sushi cuisine and the changing landscape, there are many benefits to having it both ways. As I mentioned, that spider roll was a really incredible roll. And who can ignore the popularity of the “California roll?”

While I tend to shy away from the salmon and cream cheese rolls, I can readily appreciate the blend of flavours offered by the many new styles of sushi that appear in sushi-ya here in North America. I also respect the subtle classic offerings that are found in contemporary as well as traditionalist sushi-ya. It is not an unusual occurrence for a culture to adopt and adapt a cuisine (or technology, or anything else) over time, so I think we all should acknowledge the non-traditional sushi as we have accepted all new ideas over time. After all, without the adoption of fire one day long ago, we would all still be eating our food raw. Oh, Wait.

Warren
The Sushi Guy

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