Sushi is a Japanese delicacy whose principal ingredient is raw fish. Since raw fish is not a common food in the West, people in the U.S. are divided into two camps as far as Sushi is concerned - the Sushi lover camp and the Sushi hater camp. You won't find many people with mixed feelings about this dish!
Sushi lovers all agree that first-time Sushi samplers could use some useful tips to help them select a quality Sushi restaurant for their 'Sushi initiation'. The tips below should allow you to determine whether a Sushi restaurant is good or not, before you taste this Japanese delicacy for the first time.
First-rate Sushi restaurants all have bars displaying the fish they use. The bars are there so clients can look at the fish, so don't be shy to examine their contents. The fish should look fresh and juicy, not dry and stale. Check to make sure that the chef is actually using the fish in the bar to prepare the Sushi. If he appears not to be using it, inquire why he isn't doing so. Good Sushi is always made of fresh, best quality fish, and reputable Sushi establishments are proud to display the fish they use. Never eat Sushi in a place that does not have a fish display bar.
The second tip is to avoid Sushi restaurants that have an "all you can eat" policy. To be able to do this, the restaurant would need to prepare large quantities of Sushi ahead of time, meaning that the fish used will not be absolutely fresh. While eating in an "all you can eat" Sushi restaurant will cost you less (quality seafood is quite costly), a first-rate Sushi meal, where you pay by the piece, is worth every extra penny. The best way to prove this to yourself is to try both types of restaurants. You'll find that there really is no comparison between the taste of the quality food served at a traditional Sushi restaurant and the food you get at an "all you can eat" place.
First-time Sushi eaters should prefer restaurants that emphasize the quality and flavor of their Sushi and take pride in the food they serve, rather than in the quantities they can get diners to order. Avoid any Sushi establishment where the waiters pressurize you into ordering everything at one time. A good Sushi restaurant expects diners to order just a few pieces of Sushi at a time so they can take the time to savor the food. Sushi is not a form of fast food. It's an epicurean treat, a delicacy meant to be savored at leisure. Sushi restaurants that try to force customers to order big quantities of food usually have prepared huge quantities of Sushi ahead of time, meaning that the fish will not be as fresh as it should be.
Fish is not the only ingredient you should test in Sushi dishes. The rice used in authentic, good quality Sushi must be perfect: short-grained, mixed with rice vinegar, salt, sugar and water. Make sure that the rice in your Sushi has an exquisite, delicate flavor. If a restaurant serves tasteless rice with the fish, it may be skimping on the seasonings.
Check the menu for a combination of traditional sushi and sashimi dishes and more modern versions such as California Rolls. A lack of traditional dishes on the menu could mean that the sushi chef has not received proper training, and the sushi served there could be less than authentic.
Once you have used all the pointers above to locate a quality Sushi restaurant, ask the chef to prepare a special Sushi dish for you, using the fish available. While there is a risk that the 'chef's special' may not suit your taste, you may also find yourself sampling a delectable piece of Sushi - and you will have made friends with an excellent Sushi chef to boot.
Sushi lovers all agree that first-time Sushi samplers could use some useful tips to help them select a quality Sushi restaurant for their 'Sushi initiation'. The tips below should allow you to determine whether a Sushi restaurant is good or not, before you taste this Japanese delicacy for the first time.
First-rate Sushi restaurants all have bars displaying the fish they use. The bars are there so clients can look at the fish, so don't be shy to examine their contents. The fish should look fresh and juicy, not dry and stale. Check to make sure that the chef is actually using the fish in the bar to prepare the Sushi. If he appears not to be using it, inquire why he isn't doing so. Good Sushi is always made of fresh, best quality fish, and reputable Sushi establishments are proud to display the fish they use. Never eat Sushi in a place that does not have a fish display bar.
The second tip is to avoid Sushi restaurants that have an "all you can eat" policy. To be able to do this, the restaurant would need to prepare large quantities of Sushi ahead of time, meaning that the fish used will not be absolutely fresh. While eating in an "all you can eat" Sushi restaurant will cost you less (quality seafood is quite costly), a first-rate Sushi meal, where you pay by the piece, is worth every extra penny. The best way to prove this to yourself is to try both types of restaurants. You'll find that there really is no comparison between the taste of the quality food served at a traditional Sushi restaurant and the food you get at an "all you can eat" place.
First-time Sushi eaters should prefer restaurants that emphasize the quality and flavor of their Sushi and take pride in the food they serve, rather than in the quantities they can get diners to order. Avoid any Sushi establishment where the waiters pressurize you into ordering everything at one time. A good Sushi restaurant expects diners to order just a few pieces of Sushi at a time so they can take the time to savor the food. Sushi is not a form of fast food. It's an epicurean treat, a delicacy meant to be savored at leisure. Sushi restaurants that try to force customers to order big quantities of food usually have prepared huge quantities of Sushi ahead of time, meaning that the fish will not be as fresh as it should be.
Fish is not the only ingredient you should test in Sushi dishes. The rice used in authentic, good quality Sushi must be perfect: short-grained, mixed with rice vinegar, salt, sugar and water. Make sure that the rice in your Sushi has an exquisite, delicate flavor. If a restaurant serves tasteless rice with the fish, it may be skimping on the seasonings.
Check the menu for a combination of traditional sushi and sashimi dishes and more modern versions such as California Rolls. A lack of traditional dishes on the menu could mean that the sushi chef has not received proper training, and the sushi served there could be less than authentic.
Once you have used all the pointers above to locate a quality Sushi restaurant, ask the chef to prepare a special Sushi dish for you, using the fish available. While there is a risk that the 'chef's special' may not suit your taste, you may also find yourself sampling a delectable piece of Sushi - and you will have made friends with an excellent Sushi chef to boot.
About the Author:
Michelle is surely an accomplished author whose discipline is composing about very simple, yet delicious, home cooking. Her posts often stress the benefits of crockpot recipes including beef stew crock pot recipe, which is one of her favorites.
No comments:
Post a Comment