Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Sushi

The perfect sushi gift package

lemonade — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:49:14 -0800

What should the 'starter sushi chef' package include? I want to put together a Christmas gift package for making sushi at home---I have a great Japanese market for fish, so everything else needed is fair game. Ideas and recommendations please!

So far I am thinking:
--Rice cooker (which he has been requesting anyhow, with or without the sushi package), any recommendations?
--Knife--he has a Shun Santoku which he *loves*, what type of knife would a be a good complement/needed for sushi?
--Condiments? Ginger? Wasabi? brand recommendations?
--Recipe/instruction books?
--Classes in the LA (especially west side/south bay area)?
--What did I forget?

I predict a big hit with this gift, so thanks for any recommendations!

How much am I hurting the environment when I have a sushi tuna roll?

underwater — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:02:20 -0800

What are the thermodynamics of frozen sushi-grade tuna? I just toured the Tsukiji Fish Market and learned that the tuna there is kept on the boat at -48 Celsius for up to 2 years before it is delivered to the market. How much energy is expended in this process, and how does this information translate into the environmental impact of me eating a tuna roll? Say a bluefin tuna weighs 200kg, and let's assume an average tuna is kept frozen for one year and that the tuna is at 15 degrees Celsius when caught (I couldn't find great data on this; tuna body temperature is higher than the average water temperature, but I couldn't find absolute data on this--please chip in if you have any), and that a tuna roll contains one oz. of tuna.

I don't know how the tuna is frozen or what energy source is used for this, so I'm not sure how to make assumptions about that, but perhaps you do.

Help me identify this sushi smoky, potentially Mexican-inspited, hot sauce

cha4 — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:43:23 -0800

Help me identify this terrific hot sauce my local sushi bar offers. What makes it unusual is that it is not creamy, much darker than sriracha, has a thick marmalade consistency, and has this deep sweet, slightly smoky flavor, while still being hot. And in it are darker tiny bits of somewhat grainy/crunchy red specs. Also, I definitely see some sort of oil as part of the mixture (you can see the oil in the crevice under the top in the linked pic above). I frequent sushi places and have not found another place that carries this. One thing that occurred to me: The head chef at this place is of Mexican decent - so there is a chance he created/brought in with him something from Mexican cuisine that I am not familiar with - not sure if that helps anyone. Would love to figure out what it is and be able to but containers/make some of my own!

Looking for sushi recipes that do not involve the need for fresh fish.

JonnyRotten — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:13:46 -0800

Recently, I've been working on learning how to make remotely decent sushi rice, and I'm getting not too shabby at it (It tastes good at least), and messing around making some really weak sauce sushi rolls for myself and my kids. Mostly Tamago Maki. I live FAR away from a decent source of seafood, so what are some other things I can put in my Sushi that do not require fresh seafood. Lets also exclude "Krab with a K" for this exercise too. If I could get the raw fish, I would totally be using it instead, but some times a man has to make due. So far I have the following rolls I have came up with:
Canned Tuna and mayo with Sirracha.
Tomago Maki (going to try nigiri tommorow too)
Kappamaki - I can't get Japanese Cucumbers around here though, will it suck with normal ones?

Any other recipes of suggestions would be most welcome!

Sushi near Ricoh Coliseum in TO

davebush — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:47:08 -0800

Looking for sushi (or any Asian restaurant) within walking distance of the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto. Willing to walk 20/30 minutes. Anything?

Cracking the sushi bar code

devnull — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 07:34:53 -0800

So.. how do sushi bars work? Whenever I eat at a sushi bar - and I mean the "sushi train" style bars with the conveyor - the same questions run through my head:

What do the different coloured plates mean? Is there a code?
How long's that food been on there? Do they take the old food off? after how long?
When is the warm food coming? Where is the dessert?
Why do they keep putting more of that unpopular dish out?

I've probably missed a few others too..

Sushi. Seattle. Sell me.

gracious floor — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:39:31 -0800

Where to get sushi on Friday/Saturday nights in Seattle? Visiting Seattle in a few weeks for one weekend. Looking for good sushi on the less expensive side in downtown Seattle (preferably around Pike St. area, but within a mile or so from there is fine). I have googled around a bit and found a lot of places that look alright (and reviews going back and forth) but I know Mefites in the area will probably be WAY more reliable. Let's hear it, Seattle...where's the best sushi?

What to do with the Facebook Sushi page?

cdemay — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:51:52 -0800

I am the creator of the largest Facebook Sushi page (with 900,000+ fans); If you were me, what would you do with this power and responsibility? :) Facebook is the largest and fastest-growing social networking site in the world. Millions of people use Facebook everyday to keep up with friends, upload photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet.

I am the creator of the largest and fastest-growing Facebook Sushi page

Since creating the page in August 2008, more than 900,000 Facebook users have become "fans" of my Sushi page, making it one of the top 50 most popular and fastest growing products on Facebook. (More than 10,000 fans add themselves each day.)

As the page owner, I can reach all these Sushi fans directly through the application. I can also manage targeted ads, develop integrated content, and engage a global fan base at a scale unavailable through any other medium.

* Here are the demographics:

Female/Male/Total
65% 35%
13-17 16% 8% 24%
18-24 26% 13% 40%
25-34 17% 10% 27%
35-44 5% 3% 7%
45+ 1% 1% 2%

Mar. 30 Mar. 29
Page Views 2,918 2,869

* Those page views are representative of visitation when I have no ads, no posts, and no solicitation emails to the group. Basically, ~3,000 people a day are ACTIVELY SEEKING the page, unprompted... unadvertised.

* As a test of membership response to posts, I posted a news link (about sushi being the "fast food of the future", from an Adelaide newspaper)... Within an hour, 1,000 people have taken the time to mark the article with "I Like This"... and over 150 took the time to comment on the article, again, within the first hour.

So, if you were me, what would you do with this power and responsibility? :)

Help me with my dirty 30.

sneakin — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:38:30 -0800

Plan my 30th birthday in NYC. Dizzying amount of parameters within. For my 30th b-day I'd like to have a pretty special night out in NYC. I already spend a decent amount of time in the City as it is, so I'd like to find some extra dynamite destinations. I am looking for interesting, eclectic, fun places to spend the night and here is what I have in mind for the whole event:

1. Go on a 5ish mile run with a couple friends. Do you have a favorite route?

2. Get pre dinner cocktails.

3. Eat a delicious dinner (Outstanding, interesting, eclectic sushi preferred. Otherwise, exceptional other kinds of restaurants are great, too. Just not Ethiopian).

4. Hang out in a bar after dinner with friends.

My only real restrictions are geography and that things are fairly affordable. On the geography front, I'd like to be in either Manhattan or Astoria, Queens for the whole event.

Moneywise, we're all willing to splurge somewhat, but as a barometer, bars that offers only $15 cocktails and restaurants with main courses upwards of ~$25 ain't happening. At the pre-dinner bar I'd like to be able to sit, relax, and get decent whiskey/bourbon and/or interesting cocktails. The after-dinner bar, as long as a group of 8ish can fit, sit and hear ourselves talk, divey is totally fine, if not preferred.

I realize I'm asking a bunch of things in one question, which may not be kosher. If you have suggestions for any of the four above, that's cool, you don't need to craft my whole b-day package or anything.

Thanks!

Help me figure out this Mystery Roe

qvtqht — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:54:46 -0800

A few weeks ago, I ate a strange sushi made with a large black roe. Does anyone know what it is? A friend was at a Japanese restaurant in Brooklyn and picked up an order for me too. Among other things, I asked for a piece of salmon roe sushi.

They said that they were out of salmon roe, but they have _____, and it was just delivered, so it is really fresh, and would be a good substitute.

_____ turned out to be something very dark, if not black. It looked a little bigger than any salmon roe I've seen. It tasted similar to salmon roe, but sweeter. It seemed very fresh indeed. There was no fishy taste at all, but fresh salmon roe doesn't have a fishy taste either.

It did not look dyed, but I could be wrong about that.

Has anyone encountered anything like this? Any idea what it was? I liked it, and wouldn't mind eating some more in the future.

Source for sushi-grade fish in Brooklyn

davidvan — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:40:50 -0800

I'm going to make sushi at a dinner party in Brooklyn on Saturday night. Any advice as to where I can get fish fresh enough for sushi? Note that I have never made sushi before. Looking to make simple, tasty rolls. Any advice would be appreciated.

Why does prawn / shrimp sushi come with the little tail still attached to the prawn?

UbuRoivas — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:14:35 -0800

Should-I-eat-it-filter: Why does prawn / shrimp sushi come with the little tail still attached to the prawn? Does anybody actually eat the tail? Should I?

Raw fish for my baby?

lottie — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:44:27 -0800

When is it OK to feed my baby sashimi? What is the youngest age can babies or toddlers safely eat sushi or sashimi? I know my child isn't allergic to fish or crustacea, so that isn't a consideration. All my Googling around seemed to turn up was panicky information about why babies shouldn't eat it at a young age because of allergy concerns, or why they shouldn't eat it at all because of mercury levels in the fish. Given that I don't plan on giving my baby sashimi all that often, I would really love the straight dope - when is it safe to give my child (freshest, top quality) raw fish and shellfish? If anyone lives in Japan or grew up in Japan, I would love to know when you were first fed raw fish.*

Also... if I'm not pushing the question too far, what about rare meat such as beef? It kind of breaks my heart to cook a piece of beef to death for safety reasons.

*My reason for asking: From my observation of kids from, say, India or Latin American cultures often enjoy eating spicy foods at a really young age when consensus among early childhood folk I've met here in Australia seems to be that it's a really bad idea, and that kids "won't like it". We feed our child a tiny amount of chili or pepper from time to time, which he seems OK with.

Giving thanks for fishes.

kavasa — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:45:49 -0800

I would like to make my boyfriend's longstanding dream of sushi-thanksgiving happen in Sarasota, FL. I assume I can probably find an online guide on how to make the rice correctly, but I have no idea where to find a variety of shockingly fresh fish. This is especially important because I'm super super touchy re: that bad taste fish acquires after death. I'm also not sure where to acquire esoterica such as pickled ginger.

Any tips you may have re: novice sushi-chefery would also be helpful. I'm thinking we'll try our hands at a small variety of rolls, nigiri, and sashimi.

What cocktails to serve with sushi?

jmstephan — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:15:02 -0800

What cocktails to serve with sushi? Okay, we're going to a dinner party. The hosts are providing sushi. We're responsible for "a cocktail." What should we bring/make? Seems that sushi calls for good beer or sake, but I think we are expected to provide something a bit more creative than just a bottle o' wine or beer or something. Something extravagant. Anyone got any good recipes?

Why am I craving sushi? Specifically, salmon and salmon roe?

tealeaf522 — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:04:45 -0800

Is there a reason I am craving sushi like crazy? Could it be that my body is lacking in some nutrient that is making me crave it? I love sushi. Often times I can eat a simple roll (spicy tuna/salmon, california roll and the like) for lunch from the local deli. If i go out to dinner I'll get some actual sushi (yellowtail, tuna, salmon...) but I usually won't crave it again that week. This week I will have had sushi for 4 dinners, specifically: salmon sushi, salmon roe, sea urchin, spicy salmon roll. I don't know if it matters, but I will also mention that when I was young I hated salmon roe, but just recently discovered (like a month ago) that I really like it and above all the other cravings, I specifically want the roe. I could chalk it up to just wanting more of a newly liked discovery except I can feel it in my body that I just have to eat it. I've looked up health benefits of salmon roe and the most I can find is that it has some omega 3 fatty acids...does anyone know of any other health benefits it might have that my body could possibly be lacking and is now hoarding? And also, what do omega 3 fatty acids do exactly?

How skilled are supermarket sushi chefs and are they lonely?

jeremias — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:35:09 -0800

How skilled are supermarket sushi chefs and are they lonely? The economics of supermarket sushi has always intrigued me. Is it possible they are loss leaders? I've seen fairly elaborate sushi/sashimi in supermarkets and the question I have is how much do the (often Japanese) sushi chefs make and what is their level of skill (generally). Are they supermarket chefs in the day and restaurant chefs at night? Also, there seem to be several factors which point to isolation: they often work solo, there may be cultural differences between them and the rest of the staff, they don't have the traditional interaction with customers that you would find in the average sushi bar. Any insight appreciated.

How do you choose a sushi knife?

zennie — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:12:23 -0800

Know anything about sushi knives? I need info and recommendations. What makes a good sushi knife? What do you look for, and how do you know if you're getting a bargain if buying one? Can you recommend a brand that's available in the US?

Maguro, frittatas and Oly-- Oh My!

dersins — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:17:33 -0800

Seattle recommendations, please? Sushi? Sunday breakfast / brunch? Dive bar? So we're going to be in Seattle the weekend before Christmas. One place I know I want to eat is Quinn's; I'd love to get a recommendation for great sushi the other night we're in town.

I've heard good things about Nishino and Umi Sake House, but I'm open to any suggestions.

We're staying at the Edgewater, but will have a car and a sense of adventure, so we're willing to travel in the greater metro area for the sake of great food.

I'd also love recommendations for the following:

1. Excellent Sunday breakfast and / or brunch.

2. A pleasant neighborhood-y or dive-y bar not far from the hotel (something in Belltown, maybe?). We like to eat kinda fancy but prefer to drink kinda homey, if that makes any sense...

And, yes, I have explored the other Seattle questions here, but restaurants open and close all the time (for example, Quinn's, where we're eating one of the nights we're in town, wasn't even open the last time a similar question was asked) and up-to-date information would be much appreciated.

Better maki rolls.

roofus — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 05:34:31 -0800

When I make maki sushi at home the nori ends up being either too dry and chewy, or soggy and flimsy. What am I doing wrong?

How do I make saba maki at home?

macrowave — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:48:15 -0800

My friends and I have recently begun experimenting with making maki at home. My favorite sushi/sashimi has always been saba, but I can't find any DIY recipes online that call for mackerel. Has anyone had any success with this kind of fish at home? I'd like to use fresh/frozen fillets, but I'm open to to the canned kind as well as it is seems fairly easy to come by. I'm also interested in any sort of non-sushi uses for the canned variety (preferably cheap ones as I am a student). I want to give it a go, but have no experience with this ingredient. What makes it taste good?

How can I get a job at a sushi place?

k8t — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 11:42:52 -0800

How can I get a job at a sushi restaurant? I need a part-time job for the summer and my favorite sushi restaurant just posted a Craiglist's ad. I've been applying for tons of food and retail jobs but haven't had much luck. I worked as a barista in 1995-1997, an assistant manager of a clothing store in 2003, and have done a ton of customer service jobs (IT help desk), but now I am a grad student and it seems that this is a black mark on my resume, regardless of my service industry background.

Anyway, I'd like hints from people who have worked at sushi restaurants or in food service in general to help me nail this job.

* This is the most upscale sushi place in Santa Barbara (in Montecito, actually). It is expensive (~$45/person for cheaper rolls and cheaper wine). It has an upscale atmosphere. It only seats 20 people. It is really difficult to get into on a weekend night.

* The ad says: "Experience a must" and "Experience in Japanese food/translation."

* Most of their servers are Asian or white college students. I'm not Asian and I am 6 years out of college. I haven't waited tables before, but I think I'd be okay at it. (I was a bus girl in 1995 for a summer though.) I think that as a slightly older person, they may overlook my lack of experience.

* I don't know Japanese, but I do know most of the sushi-related words. I figure I should learn the terms in this glossary before I go.

* I have complete weekend and evening availability except Tuesdays and Wednesdays this summer when I have class.

Do I have a shot, food service comrades? What else can I do to impress them?

Buying a sushi knife in Tokyo?

Fat Charlie the Archangel — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 08:21:55 -0800

What kind of sushi knife should I buy in Tokyo, and where? I will shortly be going to Tokyo and want to pick up a good sushi knife while I'm there. I'm willing to spend up to about 100 dollars US, though I'd certainly be happy to get one for cheaper. What should I buy and where should I buy it?

inner circle sushi

cior — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 20:20:27 -0800

I've been admitted to a very exclusive, yet humble, sushi-ya. What should I do and avoid, to become a star customer? In my small neighborhood there is a hidden sushi-ya. While many are denied, I was admitted and seemed to bring enjoyment to my hosts. What do I need to know to enhance and preserve this relationship?

I can easily repeat my performance as an easy guest, but I'd like to do better than that without coming off as too eager. This spot is a few steps from my house, somewhat secretive and notorious for throwing folks out based upon small (and very American) infractions.

Any ideas?

Is using a fork with sushi considered impolite?

birdlips — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 12:14:32 -0800

It is considered rude/wrong to ask for a fork with sushi or other Asian foods? Mostly I get a little embarrassed when I go to a nice sushi restaurant and someone in my company asks for a fork. I am wondering if it is an insult to the chief or restaurant owner to ask for a fork or if I am just looking too much into it? Would it be more polite to use fingers than to use a fork?