Comments on: What's the proper etiquette for eating sushi?

Question: What's the proper etiquette for eating sushi?

hooray — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 10:17:49 -0800

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.

By: saladin

saladin — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 10:23:58 -0800

This guide seems to answer most of your questions (and a few nagging ones I'd had).

By: kcm

kcm — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 10:36:03 -0800

In video form for your convenience.

(don't do this)

By: By The Grace of God

By The Grace of God — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 10:37:02 -0800

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

Good thing I like Indian food.

By: wsg

wsg — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 10:40:15 -0800

The above link is wrong! This one is right.

By: Saucy Intruder

Saucy Intruder — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 10:40:52 -0800

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.

By: driveler

driveler — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 11:02:53 -0800

I was just about to post saladin's link. Check it out.

By: vanoakenfold

vanoakenfold — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 13:31:44 -0800

Pick it up, put it in mouth, chew, swallow?

By: StickyCarpet

StickyCarpet — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 13:35:37 -0800

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.

By: moira

moira — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 13:48:01 -0800

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.

By: randomstriker

randomstriker — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 15:27:23 -0800

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.

By: fixedgear

fixedgear — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 16:00:36 -0800

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.

By: metaculpa

metaculpa — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 17:02:40 -0800

(Moira, which restaurant is that? A friend lives in SD..)

By: tristero

tristero — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 17:53:58 -0800

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.

By: Joseph Gurl

Joseph Gurl — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 20:07:31 -0800

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.

By: moira

moira — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 21:21:48 -0800

(Metaculpa: Samurai Japanese Restaurant)

By: jedrek

jedrek — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 21:33:54 -0800

I actually leave the wasabi on the plate and brush my nigiri over it before lightly dunking it in the soy sauce.

By: dagnyscott

dagnyscott — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 07:55:34 -0800

Don't use too much wasabi. It's insanely strong.

By: moira

moira — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 12:19:18 -0800

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.

By: stuart_s

stuart_s — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 21:15:30 -0800

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.

By: Rash

Rash — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 09:10:43 -0800

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!"