What's the proper etiquette for eating sushi?

January 21, 2006 10:17 AM

What's the proper etiquette for eating sushi?

When I go to a restaurant, how should I reply when the sushi chef behind the bar greets me? Are there certain types of sashimi or sushi that I should not dip in soy sauce? Should I eat a piece in one big bite, or can I take multiple bites? What about when eating futomaki? Is tea something that I should eat during the meal or generally best before or after? What about sake?

A lot of questions, but basically, please share with me the proper etiquette of eating sushi and other Japanese food.

posted by hooray to Food & Drink (20 answers total)

Best answer: This guide seems to answer most of your questions (and a few nagging ones I'd had).
posted by saladin at 10:23 AM on January 21, 2006

In video form for your convenience.

(don't do this)
posted by kcm at 10:36 AM on January 21, 2006

arg, now I want some sushi. Another thing hard to find done well in the UK.

Good thing I like Indian food.
posted by By The Grace of God at 10:37 AM on January 21, 2006

The above link is wrong! This one is right.
posted by wsg at 10:40 AM on January 21, 2006

Soy and wasabi are flavor enhancers, not key ingredients; use them sparingly. Dip the fish, not the rice, into the soy sauce.

If you're in North America, the chef won't care that you don't do everything right. Most places make you check off items on a slip of paper and have pictorial guides so you know what you're getting. Of course, you can always ask the chef to take control of your meal; he'll (hopefully) choose whatever's freshest and best that day.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 10:40 AM on January 21, 2006

I was just about to post saladin's link. Check it out.
posted by driveler at 11:02 AM on January 21, 2006

Pick it up, put it in mouth, chew, swallow?
posted by vanoakenfold at 1:31 PM on January 21, 2006 [1 favorite]

My sushi master told me to use my fingers to pick it up because the texture and temperature are part of the fish.

Sushi masters have been trained to take a small ball of rice, and then disassemble it show that it is exactly 50 grains.

That's just a little lump by most standards, but more rice is for poorer people, he told me.

He further said: put the entire sushi in your mouth, fish side down for taste, and then gradually warm and mash the whole thing until the taste of the fish has been transferred to the rice grains, that now taste like fish eggs.

Wasasbi is best appleid as a dap with the chopstick, and soy sauce dipped on the other side, rather than mixing them.
posted by StickyCarpet at 1:35 PM on January 21, 2006

Saladin's link covers the basic points. Regarding multiple bites: it's easiest and best to do it in one, if you can, but if the restaurant offers generous portions or if you have a small mouth, this can be a problem. Rolls are damn near impossible to take in multiples, so I don't even try, but it is "acceptable" to eat ngiri sushi in two bites if you don't set it back down.

You'll see a lot of info about sushi etiquette on the web, ranging from the basics to the snobbish and ridiculous. My advice would be to not take it too seriously. I learned enough to keep from making any terrible faux pas, went with an open mind, and enjoyed myself. It's now one of my favorite treats.

Too bad you're on the other side of the U.S.; I'd recommend a great restaurant if you were near San Diego. All others have paled in comparison.
posted by moira at 1:48 PM on January 21, 2006

Generally with asian dining there is some etiquette associated the actual eating of the food (like using your chopsticks correct), but the most important component of asian table etiquette is your behaviour towards your company. I.e. stuff like eat slowly, don't be greedy, take only a couple of pieces at a time, don't take the first piece or the last piece unless you're the bigshot, serve each other before yourself, all that sort of thing. Focus on that and no-one will care if you use too much wasabi.
posted by randomstriker at 3:27 PM on January 21, 2006

Futomaki = Japanese hoagie and while it's OK, you might wanna consider something a little more, uh, delicate. It's kind of difficult to eat a 'slice' in one bite.

I greet my sushi chef by saying "Hyta Matt, how's business?" since his name is Masaharu but he goes by Matt.
posted by fixedgear at 4:00 PM on January 21, 2006

(Moira, which restaurant is that? A friend lives in SD..)
posted by metaculpa at 5:02 PM on January 21, 2006

It is important not to allow your sushi mate to slather on wasabi under the impression it's guacamole. There's a sushi bar somewhere in north Chicago that still may have remnants of my snot and tears lying about the place.
posted by tristero at 5:53 PM on January 21, 2006

re: mixing wasabi with soy sauce

I've always been told (here in Seoul and in Japan as well) that FRESH wasabi is not to be mixed, since it's delicious, but that people mix the powdered, reconstitutde version with soy sauce to mask its generally inferior taste.

I have personally noticed that fresh wasabi is amazing, and makes a huge difference in a meal, but I can live with the tube version also.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 8:07 PM on January 21, 2006

(Metaculpa: Samurai Japanese Restaurant)
posted by moira at 9:21 PM on January 21, 2006

I actually leave the wasabi on the plate and brush my nigiri over it before lightly dunking it in the soy sauce.
posted by jedrek at 9:33 PM on January 21, 2006

Don't use too much wasabi. It's insanely strong.
posted by dagnyscott at 7:55 AM on January 22, 2006

The other thing about wasabi: the better the sushi is, the less you'll want to use it. I slather green all over average sushi, but when I'm eating the good stuff, I want to catch all the subtleties of flavor.
posted by moira at 12:19 PM on January 22, 2006

Don't pass food with your chopsticks and finish your rice.


Don't spear food. Don't stand chopsticks upright in rice.

Most of the advice above plus "when you have sushi eat sushi. when you don't have sushi eat ginger" and comparisons with Korea, Thai and Chinese choptick etiquette.
posted by stuart_s at 9:15 PM on January 22, 2006

How should I reply when the sushi chef behind the bar greets me?

I nod my head and/or give him a wave/salute. BTW, he's saying "Irasshai!" which just means "Welcome!"
posted by Rash at 9:10 AM on January 23, 2006