A Local Sushi Shop in Niigata

[rykomatsu]

In Japan, teriyaki is so simple, just add one part soy sauce and one part mirin together.

I usually add a dash of sake too

[kbjesq]

First of all, thanks kbjesq for providing nice contrasts to my traditional Japanese sushi meals.  I do like comparing things, just like everyone. 

Did you actually like your meal?  Did you want to have more fish than other ingredients? 

I'm sure the chef of the mom-and-pop sushi shop will be very interested in American versions of sushi.

You are welcome! Yes, I definitely would have preferred more eel in my roll. (I should have taken a picture of the inside, there was a small amount of eel and quite a bit of rice). Also, I am not a big fan of avocado, but it did make an attractive presentation.

I will take more photos of the sushi that is found in our local shops for your friend, the chef. I'm confident that he will not be impressed with the offerings but he may be surprised by the amount of sushi that is eaten here. I live in a small town, but there are at least 8 sushi restaurants. (Most of these restaurants also offer Thai food).

PS I have just learned a lot about teriyaki from everyone. Thank you.

[Hiroyuki]

The sushi shop has one incredible item on the menu: Rainbow Roll

It's very appetizing, and I wanted to show it to you. I got permission from the okamisan (chef's wife) to copy some of the photos from her blog.

Here they are:

Avocado uramaki (nori inside) rolls with seven different toppings.

893 yen.

She says it's popular among young people.

Delivery version.

3 servings

Closeup:

Isn't it beautiful?

Edited to add: Corrected the price from 850 yen (two years ago) to the current price, 893 yen.

Edited October 28, 2007 by Hiroyuki (log)

[rykomatsu]

Isn't it beautiful?

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Unlike the American Rainbow Roll, that one looks very beautiful. Is it called 虹巻き (niji-maki)? I'm hungry now...I can't wait to go back to Japan in April

[Hiroyuki]

Isn't it beautiful?

←

Unlike the American Rainbow Roll, that one looks very beautiful. Is it called 虹巻き (niji-maki)? I'm hungry now...I can't wait to go back to Japan in April

←

No, レインボーロール (rainbow roll in katakana)!

[Hiroyuki]

I learned only today that tommorow, November 1, is Sushi Day!!!

Got to go to that sushi shop for lunch!!

I also want to tell you that the date is set: Friday, November 2. I'm going to go there again to have dinner! Probably with my children...

[Domestic Goddess]

Gotta have sushi tomorrow then!

[Hiroyuki]

On Sushi Day, November 1, (that is, today! ), I went to this sushi shop, a 30-minute ride from my house, to have lunch. I ordered "chirashi zushi".

Closeup:

1,050 yen, including miso soup, chawan mushi (Japanese egg custard), salad, and a coffee.

This is just incredible! Very fresh and tasty. I wouldn't complain at all if it were 1,500 or even 2,000 yen.

Now you have seen all the items on the lunch menu, except "kaisen bara chirashi" (840 yen), which is "kani kaisen bara chirashi", shown upthread, minus the crab meat.

The chef kindly showed me some ama ebi (sweet shrimp).

Ama ebi are called nanban ebi here in Niigata because of their resemblance in color to togarashi (red peppers). Nanban ebi caught in the Sea of Japan are sweet and delicious!

The chef said that the long whiskers proved that they were fresh, not frozen ones.

Closeup:

The chef said that it was hard to take photos of nanban ebi in a way to justify their transparency.

The miso soup shown above contained three ama ebi heads. Okamisan (chef's wife) says you can get good dashi from shrimp heads.

Usually, the items on the lunch menu are the only ones they offer at lunchtime, but I asked the chef to make some nigiri.

He complied with my request, thought for some time, opened the styrofoam box in the kichen, and said, "How about ara then?"

Ara (sawedged perch, Niphon spinosus Cuvier)

The chef said that a big good ara could cost 10,000 yen per kg (2.2 pounds).

Note: The word ara has another meaning: fish waste.

Look at the knife on the cutting board. He said he bought it when he started training as a sushi chef. It was much bigger and longer, but has gotten this small due to years of sharpening. He uses this knife to fillet almost any fish, even big ones like buri (adult yellowtails). A good chef takes good care of his knives.

Fish showcase:

The chef does not pre-slice fish fillets. He slices a fillet only after he receives an order. A very good practice.

Right: Ara, 300 yen

Left: Hobo (gurnard, red Gurnard, searobin, etc. Chelidonichthys spinosus), 200 yen

The chef says, "Shiromi zakana wa oku ga fukai" (white-fleshed fish are more profound than they appear).

I want to learn more about white-fleshed fish, especially those caught off Sado Island!

I'm going to this sushi shop to have dinner tomorrow evening!!

[Domestic Goddess]

Hiroyuki, my sushi platter and udon noodles combo pale in comparison to your delightful feast. I will post it anyway.

I ordered chobap chongsik which just literally means mixed platter combo.

Edited: because I posted the wrong pic.

Edited November 1, 2007 by Domestic Goddess (log)

[Peter Green]

Alright! It's sushi day. I'm going to have to send Yoonhi to buy some fish. I think we still have some uni about.....

[helenjp]

Thanks a lot for that post - that really looks like a fine selection of fish! Never heard the term "nanban-ebi" before.

As for the white fish comment, when I came to Tokyo after spending a couple of years in Osaka, I was surprised at how little attention white fish get up here! It's as if nobody knows the sea contains anything but tuna.

I was a little surprised to sea red gurnard on "your" coast, but I suppose these days fish have wheels like everybody else!

Domestic Goddess, what is in the dish at the back of your photo? Pickles? (She says hopefully!)

[Domestic Goddess]

Oops, forgot to describe the side dishes. The dish on the farthest left contained pickled onion wedges with carrots. The long dish on the right contains tiny pickled shallots, crunchy fresh seaweed salad and korean pickled radishes.

[kbjesq]

Hiroyuki, I have never seen these before. Are the shrimp in this photo cooked, or is that the natural color of the shrimp? Also, is this how they are presented for consumption? Do you eat the whole thing, or just the meat?

We have shrimp here that have a natural pink color, but they are not such a deep red. Our pink shrimp are local (they are called "Key West pink shrimp"). People here normally eat only the meat (not the shells, as they are relatively thick). They normally cost approximately $15 to $20 per pound, depending on the size and the time of year. They are much sweeter in flavor than the other type of shrimp here, which are gray or brown, and usually a little less expensive.

[rykomatsu]

We have shrimp here that have a natural pink color, but they are not such a deep red.  Our pink shrimp are local (they are called "Key West pink shrimp").  People here normally eat only the meat (not the shells, as they are relatively thick).  They normally cost approximately $15 to $20 per pound, depending on the size and the time of year.  They are much sweeter in flavor than the other type of shrimp here, which are gray or brown, and usually a little less expensive.

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I'm not sure of the actual difference between shrimp used for amaebi in general and nanbanebi, but for amaebi, what usually happens is the meat is removed from the head/carapace with the tail still attached and placed on top of shari (sushi rice) and served. The head then is fried and consumed as well, though some people do not like the head.

The meat itself is actually quite sweet, though not the flavor of table sugar...much milder, for seafood. Consistensy is less resilience than cooked shrimp by far...almost to the point where it might be a smidge gooey but succulent and good

[milgwimper]

It was sushi day today? Ahhh nuts! The shrimp look absolutely gorgeous.I haven't tasted those ama ebi in a very long time. But the memory is still there! I think the ama ebi were my first favourite japanese food after gyudon when little, but we didn't get ama ebi as much as we did gyudon when we lived in Japan. Thanks for the beautiful photos Hiroyuki.

Doddie : I would still scarf those puppies down! Lovely

Edited to erase the crazy smilies.

Edited November 1, 2007 by milgwimper (log)

[Hiroyuki]

Hiroyuki, my sushi platter and udon noodles combo pale in comparison to your delightful feast. I will post it anyway. 

I ordered chobap chongsik which just literally means mixed platter combo.

Edited: because I posted the wrong pic.   

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DG, yours looks good too, but quite frankly, I must add that I get the impression from the photo that the neta (toppings) are simply placed on the shari (vinegared rice). Am I correct? Also, what is the top left one, which looks like abura age (inari), i.e., fried bean curd?

All the pickles in the photo are just amazing. We should eat more pickles with sushi, not just gari (pickled ginger)! I really think so.

[Hiroyuki]

Thanks a lot for that post - that really looks like a fine selection of fish! Never heard the term "nanban-ebi" before.

As for the white fish comment, when I came to Tokyo after spending a couple of years in Osaka, I was surprised at how little attention white fish get up here! It's as if nobody knows the sea contains anything but tuna.

I was a little surprised to sea red gurnard on "your" coast, but I suppose these days fish  have wheels like everybody else!

Domestic Goddess, what is in the dish at the back of your photo? Pickles? (She says hopefully!)

←

The standard Japanese name for ama ebi is "hokkoku aka ebi". Both ama ebi and nanban ebi are local names.

As for your white fish comment, you are absolutely correct. I'm a Kanto man and yes, I AM guilty. I've always loved ruby-red maguro akami (lean tuna) since childhood. (Toro wasn't so popular when I was a child as it is today.) That's why I hope I can learn more about shiromi (white-fleshed fish) from the sushi chef.

The chef said the hobo was caught in the Sea of Japan.

[Hiroyuki]

Hiroyuki, I have never seen these before.  Are the shrimp in this photo cooked, or is that the natural color of the shrimp?  Also, is this how they are presented for consumption?  Do you eat the whole thing, or just the meat?

We have shrimp here that have a natural pink color, but they are not such a deep red.  Our pink shrimp are local (they are called "Key West pink shrimp").  People here normally eat only the meat (not the shells, as they are relatively thick).  They normally cost approximately $15 to $20 per pound, depending on the size and the time of year.  They are much sweeter in flavor than the other type of shrimp here, which are gray or brown, and usually a little less expensive.

←

I browsed through some photos of the shrimp you mentioned. They look bigger than ama ebi.

Ama ebi: Alaskan pink shrimp, Pandalus eous

First of all, ama ebi are highly valued in Japan. Domestic ones are very expensive, more than 2,000 yen per kg (4,400 yen per lb.), market price. They are also very popular in kaiten zushi restaurants, but they serve cheap imported ones.

And, yes, the natual color. The ones in the photo are very deep red because they are very fresh (still alive in the morning). Note, however, that fresh ama ebi are not sweet. They need to be kept in cold storage for a few days for amino acids to develop, which the human taste bud senses as sweet.

They are shelled, with heads on, when served as sashimi. We eat the meat only. They can also be deep-fried.

The heads can be a good source of dashi. As I said upthread, the miso soup had three heads in it. I ate the heads because the chef said they were edible.

This shrimp is very similar to ama ebi.

[Hiroyuki]

We have shrimp here that have a natural pink color, but they are not such a deep red.  Our pink shrimp are local (they are called "Key West pink shrimp").  People here normally eat only the meat (not the shells, as they are relatively thick).  They normally cost approximately $15 to $20 per pound, depending on the size and the time of year.  They are much sweeter in flavor than the other type of shrimp here, which are gray or brown, and usually a little less expensive.

←

I'm not sure of the actual difference between shrimp used for amaebi in general and nanbanebi, but for amaebi, what usually happens is the meat is removed from the head/carapace with the tail still attached and placed on top of shari (sushi rice) and served. The head then is fried and consumed as well, though some people do not like the head.

The meat itself is actually quite sweet, though not the flavor of table sugar...much milder, for seafood. Consistensy is less resilience than cooked shrimp by far...almost to the point where it might be a smidge gooey but succulent and good

←

Thanks for your explanation of ama ebi.

Nanban ebi are the same as ama ebi. As I said upthread, fresh ones are red and transparent.

Assuming that you can read Japanese, here is the entry of hokkoku aka ebi in Wikipedia

Hokkoku aka ebi = Ama ebi = Nanban ebi

[Hiroyuki]

Went there at dinnertime with my two children and had a great dinner.

Fish and seafood showcase

Right part as viewed from the counter:

You can see one abalone among others.

Middle:

You can see fresh octopus in the center. The chef patted it to show that it was fresh (it moved in response). The chef said, "This is what I usually do when children sit at the counter to entertain them."

Left:

You can see white fish fillets such as kijihata (red-spotted grouper).

On top of the showcase, you can see tamago yaki, freshly made by the okamisan (chef's wife).

The chef in action:

My two children each had Okosama (= Child) Sushi Set.

A glass of juice (not shown) is also included.

840 yen

As for me, I ordered sashimi first. I asked him to make a gorgeous one, using white fish caught off Sado Island, in an omakase style.

I made a terrible mistake there! I forgot to take a photo before starting to eat.

Leftmost column, top to bottom:

Hiramasa (flat amberjack, gold-striped amberjack, etc.), very similar to buri and kanpachi.

Debu (or suma) katsuo (a species of bonito)

2nd from left:

Shime saba (vinegared-pickled mackerel)

Hirame (Bastard halibut, Olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus)

Botan (or shima) ebi (Pandalus nipponesis)

3nd from left:

Ara (Nuphon spinosus Cuvier)

Aori ika (Bigfin reef squid, Sepiotenthis lessoniana)

*Oni ebi (Lebbeus groenlandicus)

4nd from left:

*Abalone

*Nishibai gai (a species of seashell)

The ones with an asterisk (*) are the ones I mistakenly had before I remembered to take a photo and, therefore, are not shown in the photo. You can see the head of the oni ebi at the lower right corner of the plate.

Then I asked the chef to make nigiri, using white fish, in an omakasa style again.

From left to right:

Kijihata (redspotted grouper)

Toro!! Hiramasa

Matou dai (Zeus faber Linnaeus)

Yari ika (Loligo bleekeri)

Kochi (Bartail flat head, Sand gurnard)

Nanban ebi aka ama ebi

The chef showed me the matou dai (top) and the kochi (bottom).

Then I ordered these:

Left to right:

Kohada (gizzard shad)

Akagai (ark shell)

Uni (sea urchin)

Kohada is a shusse uo (fish called by different names at different stages of its growth).

4-5 cm: Shinko, jako

7-10 cm: Kohada

12-13 cm: nakazumi

15 cm or greater: Konoshiro

Do you know what part of uni it is? Gonad.

Then I ordered o-toro (left) and chu-toro:

I must say I like them!!

O-toro: Hon maguro (bluefin tuna)

Chu-toro: Mebachi maguro (bigeye tuna)

I wrapped up my dinner with tamago (gyoku):

This traditional sushi shop is unique in some ways. They have yakitori on their menu, as well as chicken kara age and other deep-fried items.

I just had to order some (six, actually).

The dinner cost 9,450 yen.

The dinner was a great learning experience for me. The chef was a great teacher. I know I need to go back to learn more.

Edited to add "Hirame (Bastard halibut, Olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus)".

Edited again to add some description of tuna.

Edited November 2, 2007 by Hiroyuki (log)

[helenjp]

I forgot to take a photo before starting to eat.

No better guarantee of quality!

[Peter Green]

Hiroyuki,

You need never consider it a mistake to start eating before taking pictures. Enthusiasm cancels all sins.

I do like the comments on the white fish. Being from Vancouver, I appreciate that I've been too obsessed by the stronger, oilier fish and shellfish, and my taste has been highjacked by these muscular brutes.

I found the sashimi (hwae) we had from the East Sea (Sea of Japan) had a beautiul, ethereal flavour, and, as it was on it's own as we ate, quite interesting.

Did the chef say anything about the size of fish? I'd been hearing that there's much to be said for smaller fish.

Cheers,

Peter

[Hiroyuki]

Did the chef say anything about the size of fish?  I'd been hearing that there's much to be said for smaller fish.

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None in particular yet. I'll ask him the next time go there.

The chef says he likes those (grotesque yet subtle and tasty) white fish.

Do you remember what the fish was called? Looks delicious!

[Domestic Goddess]

DG, yours looks good too, but quite frankly, I must add that I get the impression from the photo that the neta (toppings) are simply placed on the shari (vinegared rice).  Am I correct?  Also, what is the top left one, which looks like abura age (inari), i.e., fried bean curd?

All the pickles in the photo are just amazing.  We should eat more pickles with sushi, not just gari (pickled ginger)!  I really think so.

←

Yes, you're right Hiroyuki, the neta are just simply placed on the toppings. And the one of the top leftmost part is frid bean curd stuffed with shari.

I must confess I gobbled most of the pickles while eating the whole tray.

[rykomatsu]

Mister Hiroyuki,

The pictures are gorgeous

Out of curiosity, do they happen to serve some of the lesser well known cuts of maguro such as sunazuri and i think the other is called...hireshita?