“If it looks like sushi, it’s sushi”
No doubt that making sushi is not only a culinary trade, but is also considered an art that is perfected throughout life. Below are some memories and points that highlight various things that make good and bad sushi bars. Things like store conditions, quality of ingredients, etc., but more importantly, the sushi chefs themselves are the ones that stand out for affecting good sushi vs. Bad sushi comparison.
“bad” sushi bar 1: Tokyo, Japan — A local spot caught my eye as a cheap and quick way to curb my weekly sushi craving. Unfortunately, most of the time, “cheap” and “fast” should be taken as red flags when it comes to sushi. The restaurant immediately smelled fishy upon entering and after taking a seat the counter smelled like cleaner, a clear sign that the food was not going to go well. However, hunger and convenience overcame my reason and I started ordering.
Every order seemed to take 5 minutes and, in my opinion, too long to serve one person among half a dozen customers, most of them already on their way to the register. I could tell right away that the fish was spending too much time in the chef’s hands, and it smelled and tasted slightly like other types of fish, meaning he wasn’t doing a good job of cleaning his hands between orders. . After a few pieces I decided to cut my visit short and end with a piece of sushi that I thought no sushi place could go wrong: maguro nigiri (tuna sushi), but again they failed me. Despite a 3-4 minute wait (now being the only customer in the store), the maguro was ice cold and still frozen in the center despite being handled for so long. I paid my (short) bill and left vowing never to return (I wonder if the 6 or so bosses before me were also thinking the same thing…).
Some takeaways from this experience:
- A sushi restaurant shouldn’t smell particularly fishy, as that means the ingredients are it’s not freshor they have stocked up (unlikely) on oily fish like mackerel or salmon (low quality).
- Residue from excessive use of cleaning chemicals interferes with your sense of smell, partially ruining the taste of sushi; Giving those part-timers extra cleaning duties around the clock just wasn’t worth it.
- Sushi what’s up too long in the hands of a chef you risk coming into too much contact with the heat from the chef’s hands and the oils from the human body, which can reduce the freshness of the fish and interfere with the overall flavor of the sushi. It may have been cool at one point, but it only took 5 minutes to screw it up.
- Sushi ingredients with the exception of bintoro (bincho maguro) should not be ice cold because it is not only similar to eating a sashimi palette, calls into question the freshness of the ingredients (if it is still frozen, it was not purchased at any time in the near past).
“bad” sushi bar 2: An even smaller spot in Shinagawa, Japan, stood out for having a menu made fresh to order at a reasonable price. I tried it, but it was turned off for different reasons from “Bad” Sushi Bar 1. For example, shortly after ordering, I could see the sushi chefs waiting. tuxedo in the kitchen. Just imagining the smell of tobacco and nicotine stains on fingers preparing my sushi was enough to make me a little wary of what was soon to feast on me. I also noticed that all the fish that would be used for the sushi was pre-cut and placed on metal trays in the counter’s see-through refrigeration units. I thought this was a bit disappointing as I want to make sure the fish is taken from a “chunk” of fresh tuna etc.
My custom sushi plate was made in record time and it turned out perfect. While I appreciate speed when served in a restaurant, I also know that it takes skill and care in handling ingredients to produce a good product. The sushi looked like works of art, but they were very fragile. The rice fell apart at the slightest touch, and no control of the chopsticks or subsequent efforts with the hand could keep my soy sauce bowl from filling with grains of rice. It was a real hassle to eat. Also, the cut fish seemed to have been sliced in a hurry and some pieces were crooked, which affected its flavor as it mixed with the rice inside my mouth. That’s another place I won’t go back to.
- pre-cut fishalthough it didn’t have any immediate impact on flavor that I could tell, it looks like it was pulled from a machine.
- The sushi should not only look appetizing, but also hold its shape with little effort from the diner.
- It takes time to make sushi, but that time must be spent on skill and care. “If it looks like sushi, then it’s sushi” failed here.
- While there are many “fast food sushi” shops out there, it will take quite a few visits and disappointments to find the perfect place.
good sushi bar: A memorable experience in Fukuoka, Japan at a sushi bar that was very crowded but very good and worth the 20 minute wait for lunch. The store was clean and smelled like tatami mats and vinegared rice. The lonely sushi chef had mastered a simple 5 step nigiris (molding) process that limited contact with your hands, wasted no motion, and prevented the finished product from falling into your lap. The fish for each piece of sushi was professionally sliced as each order came in and it was a delightful sight to see their work with the knives. The highest level of freshness and consideration of customers’ needs was very much in evidence and the chef, even during slow periods, did not take a break for a smoke or anything that would diminish the quality of his sushi. A glass of water and a damp towel seemed to be the only items he needed to keep going.
Probably the most memorable thing about being served by this chef was that after eating sushi, he would ask, “How are you?” He engaged with me and wanted me to critique his work, a sign that he not only cares how I feel about his sushi, but also tells me that he wants to improve – one of the fastest ways to improve as a sushi chef is to listen. . directly from the customer.
- HAS of the chef Appearance and manners at work are a clear sign of how good your sushi will be. Clean and disciplined chefs seem to make better sushi. Dirty, smoky chefs may not be at their best (as was the case with the previous cases).
- The sushi chef must make it clear to his customer, who is in a sense his “audience”, that his performance will result in high-quality sushi, from slicing to shaping to presentation.
- In many cases, the price and speed are reduced to give the customer the minimum of what they need; fast food does it very well. However, this should not be the case with sushi – the best sushi chefs deftly balance time with effort, action with results and most importantly, they balance your expectations with their abilities.
when searching For your next fine sushi destination, it’s helpful to keep the above points in mind. Some points can’t be noticed with just a glance, but hopefully asking word of mouth or checking restaurant reviews online or in newspapers can help you make a good decision. The next time you pass a sushi bar, peek out the window and watch the chef mold some sushi pieces. Does it take (much) too much time? Rushing from piece to piece? He smokes? Does he relate to his client? All of these things can be noted and noted, so that when you finally walk into the store, you can have a general idea of what to expect.
*The above experiences may differ from yours, but if you think there is something wrong with the information, please do not hesitate to contact the author.