AAKK! they fried my sushi!

[Kim WB]

There are a number of sushi places taht I frequent th meet my immediate needs: fast lunch, nice atmosphere, near the office, etc.

Banzai, on quakerbridge road in Lawrence Township Mercer County, , always had very fresh, welll prepared sushi and sashimi...never very inspiring, but always a good meal. My husband has been "off" sushi for a while ( I think we overloaded, we were going sometimes 2x a week) but last night suggested we go to Banzai, which meets the near the office criteria.

It's been about 4 months..they expanded their selections of Rolls...I ordered a new one, basically a spicy tuna and advocado roll. Well, it came with tempura batter and lightly fried. The fish was not cooked, it was just the thinnest layer..but still! Is this a trend? I looked at the menu again, and it was not mentioned that this was a "cooked" roll...and while I will admit it was good, it was a lot less healthy and not any better than when the same roll was made and not fried.

Weird.

[Rosie]

I agree weird. I have never seen fried sushi!

[Lreda]

I had a roll at Kyoto last week that was similar. It had white tuna, salmon & hamachi. It had a light tempura batter. It also came with a spicy sauce. I thought it was delicious and something a little different. The roll actually did cook some and I didn't finish it once the fish was cooked.

Kyoto always has interesting takes on classic sushi. Most work, occasionally some don't.

Edited September 25, 2003 by Lreda (log)

[alanamoana]

i don't think this is a new thing. i think it is possibly just becoming more "acceptable". i've had fried rolls at least 7-10 years ago in california, but that's where a lot of the trend of americanizing rolls or making them more junk-food-like probably started (cream cheese, smoked salmon, tempura crunchies in the roll, etc.).

i don't dislike them, they're fun sometimes, but you're right, the same roll not fried is just as good (and better for you). also, they should have mentioned on the menu that this roll was fried

[tommy]

my local sushi place has a lot of rolls, and is now offering one or two that are fried. i think they even give the option of "lighly fried or deep fried".

i usually stick to the unfried stuff.

[torakris]

they having been frying rolls in Japan for a while now.........

[Schneier]

At Shiro's Sushi in Seattle, a couple of weeks ago, I was served fried unagi sushi. First time I had ever seen fried sushi. Maybe it is a trend.

Bruce

[RockADS21]

Kim - I agree that the place you visited are not trend-setters...I have been to several places that offer some variation of battered/lightly-fried rolls...I suppose each place looks to just add a new touch and be imaginitive...I for one prefer to stick with the "uncooked" stuff...

[Schneier]

At Shiro's Sushi in Seattle, a couple of weeks ago, I was served fried unagi sushi.  First time I had ever seen fried sushi.  Maybe it is a trend.

Bruce

I should explain that this was nigiri sushi: a piece of tempura fried unagi on a cube of rice.

Bruce

[Batgrrrl]

At Shiro's Sushi in Seattle, a couple of weeks ago, I was served fried unagi sushi.  First time I had ever seen fried sushi.  Maybe it is a trend.

Bruce

Mmmm...Shiro's...miss that place. When my husband and I were in Seattle, we noticed this trend at a lot of sushi places--really inventive rolls, sometimes tempura'd. But there, we virtually never got a tempura roll in which the fish was actually cooked--in fact I can't think of a single instance.

Similarly, our favorite place in Seattle, Mashiko's, several times served ahi tuna that he'd lightly tempura'd and just barely fried, so that it was just cooked maybe a milimeter through, and then he'd slice it thinly and arrange it beautifully.

I liked the tempura rolls--but I definitely agree that if the fish actually ends up being cooked, then no thank you.

Batgrrrl

(who'd frankly settle for a fully cooked tempura roll in Duluth, if she could find one )

[richw]

Fried rolls have been around at Sushi bars all over South Florida for years.

[Priscilla]

Southern California, too, for years. In the hands of a good sushi chef, they can be very good.

[Carolyn Tillie]

We have a place here in NoCal called YoSushi that has thirty or forty different rolls -- at least six or eight of them are fried. I adore this place and eat there at least once a week, sometimes ordering the fried, sometimes not. Also, they are creating some rolls where there is a fried element WITHIN the roll.

All-in-all, here are some of my favorites:

Awesome: Deep fried shrimp, crab meat, cucumber, topped with unagi, ebi, spicy sauce, and house special sauce.

Crispy: Tuna, salmon, avocado - deep fried.

Crazy Monkey: Salmon, yellow tail, unagi, cucumber, tobiko (not fried).

Black Hole: Yellow tail, cream cheese - deep fried.

Dragon: Deep fried prawns, cucumber, topped with unagi, avocado, and dragon sauce.

Just a selection...

[phaelon56]

I just tried "fried sushi" this week at an Asian fusion place in Fremont CA. They only had one offering - appeared to be California rolls or something similar to them. It was actually described as "flash-fried". Had a very thin tempura batter coating and was very light - not oily. The internal temp was just a tad above the normal serving temp of sushi. The crunch element was an interesting change.

I would not seek this out or order it regularly but it was worth trying (I didn't order it - my hosts insisted that I had to try it because it was new to them as of last week).

[byron]

I just tried "fried sushi" this week at an Asian fusion place in Fremont CA. They only had one offering - appeared to be California rolls or something similar to them. It was actually described as "flash-fried". Had a very thin tempura batter coating and was very light - not oily. The internal temp was just a tad above the normal serving temp of sushi. The crunch element was an interesting change.

I would not seek this out or order it regularly but it was worth trying (I didn't order it - my hosts insisted that I had to try it because it was new to them as of last week).

←

We serve 5 different styles of "fried" rolls that are rotated out every two months based on popularity. They all represent different textures with different types of fish/crawfish/shrimp for every pallet and they are fun. It's been a great "starter" for people that would never try sushi and some of the rolls have really taken on a personality of their own -fried jalapeno strips & fried select oysters wrapped in fresh avocado are addictive. Too much Toro is not good for you!

[Kim WB]

It's fun to see these old threads, and it clearly shows how food and tastes are continuously evolving. three years ago, it was new. Now, every grocery store has some kind of quasi sushi/tempura roll thing.

[=Mark]

The fish was not cooked, it was just the thinnest layer..but still! Is this a trend?  I looked at the  menu again, and it was not mentioned that this was a "cooked" roll...

←

Well, was it cooked or not? You can't have it both ways...

[FoodieRD]

Tempura California Rolls have turned our local Japanese restaurant into a family affair. My kids would never go with us for sushi- but this makes it acceptable for them, and I get to eat the raw stuff I love. I do draw the line at only allowing one tempura item per meal- in other words, no tempura rolls for dinner AND tempura ice cream for dessert!

[Kim WB]

It's fun to see these old threads, and it clearly shows how food and tastes are continuously evolving.  three years ago, it was new. Now, every grocery store has some kind of quasi sushi/tempura roll thing. 

←

wise guy ....the fiish was enrobed in a rice sheath that was lighlty seared/'fried on the outside. the tuna or if I recall salmon, was raw.

In general, I'v evolved to ordering sashimi for dinner, but usually some kind of funky roll as a first course...scallop, spider ...if it boasts advocado, rice, fih and some kind of coating or roe....graet first course.

My new favorite local place is OTA_YA, in Lambertville. It's not Morimoto, but its well executed rolls and super fresh fish.

Edited April 2, 2006 by Kim WB (log)