The "Art" of Sushi

[silentbob]

The search engine came up empty, so here goes...

What's the difference between sushi that is merely good (i.e., made from fresh, quality ingredients) and top-echelon sushi? Why does everyone say that sushi-making takes years, if not decades, to master? I've been eating for years, but still can't seem to tell.

I often read about sushi chefs who are lauded for being "inventive" with their creations. What does that mean exactly? At the risk of sounding ignorant, what can a great chef do with nigiri aside from changing the rice, the vinegar, and the wasabi?

Any insights would be helpful -- I'd love to learn how to appreciate "great" sushi.

[budrichard]

1. If you have to order from a piece of paper and the chef is not Japanese, be suspect. Sushi bars today are like eating at McD's. Many are run by Korean's etc and serve good food but not creative.

2. The Chef should at least look Japanese and understand Japanese terms as appied to Sushi and Sashimi. you will be surprised at how many have no idea of the correct nomencalture.

3. Fresh and 'never frozen' are attributes to look for. Quaestion your Chef as to how, where and when the fish came from. If he or she does not know, move on.

4. The beauty of display is a Japanese cultural pastime and you will know it when you see it.

5. Check the restrooms. You can almost eat off the floor of a good Sushi Restaurant!

6. Check the clientel. If mostly Japanese with groups of business men surrounding large platters of tuna's, drinking beer and Sake, you are in the right place.

7. Fresh gated Wasabi would be an indication of a top notch restaurant. Most Wasabi is actually just colored horseradish.

8. Learn about the cultural traditions of Sushi and Sashimi.

That said, my favorite Chef (Kaze at Heat)does not make California rolls but serves each selection with particular dips and garnishes and coaches you on how to eat each one. He prefers to just make you items until you call it quits.

My favorite take out is run by non Japanese but they make the best on the North Shore of Chicago(Sea Ranch). -Dick

Edited November 13, 2003 by budrichard (log)

[jmcgrath]

What's the difference between sushi that is merely good (i.e., made from fresh, quality ingredients) and top-echelon sushi?  Why does everyone say that sushi-making takes years, if not decades, to master?  I've been eating for years, but still can't seem to tell.

Any insights would be helpful -- I'd love to learn how to appreciate "great" sushi.

As an American, that is an almost impossible question for me to answer. I worked for a Japanese company for about 10 years. During all of that time, I became socially close to only three Japanese. There are serious barriers between our cultures and it takes a long time to develop the level of trust to form a real friendship. Dealing with colleagues wives was always a trial. English majors from Tokyo University "forgot" how to speak English when their husbands were present.

I think you can only come to appreciate "great" sushi from schooling by a good Japanese friend. "Great sushi" is the totality of the dining experience and something I never completely grasped, only something to which I was provided glimpses by my friends.

That said, my Japanese friends so totally despised the Koreans that they would never go with me to a restaurant run by Koreans. I never received useful commentary about Korean sushi. My thoughts were that Korean sushi was good sushi, but not the total experience of great sushi.

I have rewritten this several times, and it always comes across as racist to some degree. I apologize to anyone who is offended. I think that it is difficult and perhaps impossible to discuss sushi without at least alluding to cultural divisions,

Jim

[torakris]

Here is a great piece about how to find a good sushi restaurant and warning signs for bad ones:

http://cime.redirectme.net/~ciurana/musing...html#l_choosing

Sushi may seem simple, form some rice into a log, smear on some wasabi and throw some fish on top, but it is actually a technique that takes years of practice, from get the perfect balance of flavors in the rice to getting the perfect form with out too much handling, to the perfect thickness and size of the fish.

Like everyone else I hate to sound racist, but I have never had better than decent sushi from a non-Japanese and the absolute best is from those who train in Japan. I really feel that one of the best indicators outside of Japan is a restaurant with a high Japanese clientele and menus in Japanese.

[jhlurie]

To some degree I think people are confused even about the difference between BAD sushi and the merely good. Knowing the good from the great? Certainly there's more to it than the rice, the vinegar, and the wasabi. Probably takes a lot of eating to find out. Kris talks about all the training and practice it takes to MAKE great sushi, but it probably takes a reasonable amount just to know when you are eating it, seeing it, smelling it.

Edited November 14, 2003 by jhlurie (log)

[marie-louise]

Torakris-That IS a great article. Thanks so much for posting the link.

[FoodZealot]

There's lots of good advice here, including the external link. I would just throw in that there are some slightly increased risks associated with eating certain kinds of raw seafood, so that is another reason (in addition to enjoyment) to opt for a greater degree of selectivity in choosing sushi restaurants and sources of raw fish.

I have not and would not take offense to anything posted here so far, but just to play devil's advocate on the ethnicity issue, I would humbly point out that not all people who look Japanese are sushi experts - including myself. In my own case, I introduced to nigiri-zushi at about age 19, and I'm still learning. So choosing by ethnicity of the clientele or of the chef may not always mean a great experience. I agree that the best training is in Japan, but I don't believe that knowledge is passed on genetically - it's passed on via training, immersion in a culture, understanding the aesthetic , etc. all of which could be done by a properly motivated person of another ethnicity, under the right circumstances. Another thing to consider is that sushi is popular enough (at least in LA) that there are many levels of sushi restaurants - some value oriented, some striving for the absolute highest quality, some adding modern interpretations - which may or may not have mostly Japanese clientele and mostly Japanese staff. i.e. there are tendencies, likelihoods and probabilities, but it still depends ...

With regard to inventiveness, IMHO that would mean inventiveness within a context.

~Tad

[torakris]

Outside of Japan and some major cities around the world, I think it can be hard to find top notch sushi. Areas that have a large population of ex-pat Japanese are going to have some of the best sushi because there is a demand for it. Thus when I refer to Japanese clientele, I mean the Japanese "businessmen" in the country for short periods who want to eat the foods from home.

One of the biggest differences I have noticed when people talk about the best sushi in the US as compared to Japan. is that the inventiveness factor plays a lot bigger out of Japan. In Japan it is all about freshness, not fancy gimmicks. The best sushi shops are the ones where owner is done at the Tsukiji market place at 4:00am searching out the best catch and if it is not just perfect he will not buy it. A lot of restaurants don't have menus, it changes from day to day depending on what looked the best.

He is a short excerpt from a Japanese magazine (in English) talking about some of the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo, notice all of the pictures are just plain old nigiri, nothing fancy, and every owner comments as to the "freshness" of his fish:

http://www.kateigaho.com/int/apr03/sushi-r...estaurants.html

[mamster]

If col klink is your sushi chef, that's a warning sign right there.

[Bux]

In Japan it is all about freshness, not fancy gimmicks.

I have the impression that it's all about freshness in the US, but in another way. In NYC at least, foodies who may not be dedicated sushi connoisseurs tend to rate sushi restaurants soley on freshness, because an appreciation of the finese invovled is still beyond them. I'm not saying a restaurant with less fresh fish could ever be better than one with fresher fish, but if two restaurants were serving slices from the exact same piece of fish, many New York sushi lovers would rate the one with bigger pieces as the better one.

[mb7o]

i can't answer what makes sushi great, but the most creative sushi restaurant in seattle has plenty (mostly) non-japanese customers, and the only japanese sushi chef is the owner--all the others are american.

[SG-]

i can't answer what makes sushi great, but the most creative sushi restaurant in seattle has plenty (mostly) non-japanese customers, and the only japanese sushi chef is the owner--all the others are american.

Classic case of the japanese clientele knowing something that the americans don't. Just like Sushi Nozawa in LA, highly recommended by most locals but when you get there quality is good but overall experience is geared towards a non-japanese clientele.

[beans]

I'm not saying a restaurant with less fresh fish could ever be better than one with fresher fish, but if two restaurants were serving slices from the exact same piece of fish, many New York sushi lovers would rate the one with bigger pieces as the better one.

Interesting, as size was an issue yesterday when I tried a new sushi place. I placed my order to go (I live about 1 minute by car, 4 if I walked home) and anxiously opened my box of goodies. I was slightly annoyed that the size of the pieces certainly exceeded what could be eaten in one bite.

The overall taste and texture of my lunch has determined I will opt for the newly opened bistro next door instead. Returning the original situation -- if I want good sushi, I need to drive east to either of two longtime Cleveland institutions, or a bit west to a newish location that blew my socks off and ate there nearly 4 of the 7 days that same week.

Not at the point of knowing great sushi, but I do know what isn't exactly "good."

[bleachboy]

Classic case of the japanese clientele knowing something that the americans don't.

What gives you that idea? What is it that you think they know? Perhaps the American clientele knows something the Japanese don't, such as "this technique has non-nigiri possibilities".

Sushi means "rice", right, not "raw fish"? I don't see why people label California rolls and crunchy shrimp rolls and the like as "American" or "not real sushi" with a derisive tone. I think many US Japanophiles deride western sushi tastes for purely romantic reasons.

To me, the idea that Japanese sushi preferences are superior to American sushi preferences just because the Japanese "invented" sushi is a logical fallacy. Americans invented the assembly line, the television, and the telephone, yet we don't make the best cars, televisions, or cell phones.

[jogoode]

Sushi means "rice", right, not "raw fish"? I don't see why people label California rolls and crunchy shrimp rolls and the like as "American" or "not real sushi" with a derisive tone.

The fact that sushi means rice implies that rice is an essential component and not just a platform for the fish. Most American sushi places simply make bad rice. And the sweet-sweet surimi in California rolls, the batter in crunchy shrimp rolls, and the mayo in spicy tuna rolls overwhelms the taste of the rice, which is featured along with the fish in good sushi. These creations are just something different than sushi (not to mention they are more like maki, not edo mae zushi). They are not better or worse than more traditional sushi, just different -- and maybe they should be called something different.

Molly O'neill once told me (after she gave a lecture at my college) that the best sushi she had ever eaten was from some super small shop in the middle of nowhere. This contradicts most theories that suggest only high-end places getting fish from Tsukiji are worth your while. (I think many people who eat sushi, in America at least, want variety and value before anything else.)

Much of the stuff I've heard that distinguishes great sushi from good sounds a bit romantic, but I've tried sushi from a chef who applies these techniques, after years of eating what I thought was good sushi, that has blown me away.

Supposedly:

Knowing how much water to use with rice is essential to cooking great rice that can elevate sushi. By touching the rice, the chef can apparently anticipate the dryness of the rice and alter their cooking of it accordingly. The ratio of fish to rice is something the chef can alter that can make or break sushi, as well as the pressure he applies to the rice when shaping.

My understanding of inventiveness means, for one, sometimes using non-traditional fish, i.e. high quality stuff from US waters. Sometimes cutting from different parts of the fish, against the grain, controlling its temperature etc...

Chefs who make their own shoyu and grate fresh wasabi with a shark skin grater, well, that's just extra

[SG-]

To me, the idea that Japanese sushi preferences are superior to American sushi preferences just because the Japanese "invented" sushi is a logical fallacy. 

Let me ask you this... who would you trust to recommend a burger joint, Japanese or American?

Here in Philly there are a couple of Chinese restaurants that are packed and receive excellent ratings from respected local American reviewers, chowhounders, egulleters, zagats etc. I've been to them and my conclusion is that it's not real chinese food just glorified overpriced americanized chinese food. Crap is crap no matter how well you dress it up. And it shows too, there are usually no Asians in the place for good reason. Likewise in good chinese restaurants you hardly see any Americans because many are unaccustomed to the the authentic versions or find the ingredients too unusual.

The much ballyhooed Iron Chef's restaurant, Morimoto here in Philly. Hopelessly overpriced for average fare, but it's packed to the gills night after night. And the many of the reviews are a joke, "Best sushi this side of Japan" etc.

There are sublte nuances one does not appreciate/understand if you're not immersed in the culture or have been exposed to the variations that exist in the country of origin. Just look at the obsessive discussions about simple foods like burgers, pizza etc here in the US. Pose the same questions at say someone from China and you'll likely get a blank stare.

That's not to say I won't take the opinion of any American when looking for a Japanese restaurant. It all depends on the depth of experience of the individual. What it boils down to is unless the restaurant is frequented by 80% die hard, hardcore American sushi eaters it probably ain't all it's cracked up to be. What's the likelihood of that?

[herbacidal]

To me, the idea that Japanese sushi preferences are superior to American sushi preferences just because the Japanese "invented" sushi is a logical fallacy. Americans invented the assembly line, the television, and the telephone, yet we don't make the best cars, televisions, or cell phones.

it's not because japanese invented sushi that japanese sushi preferences may be superior.

it's because japanese have made better attempts at the various nuances associated with making and serving sushi.

and obviously, i'm generalizing.

[Popcorn]

Let me ask you this... who would you trust to recommend a burger joint, Japanese or American?

Whichever one was more passionate about burger joints.

[jogoode]

The much ballyhooed Iron Chef's restaurant, Morimoto here in Philly. Hopelessly overpriced for average fare, but it's packed to the gills night after night. And the many of the reviews are a joke, "Best sushi this side of Japan" etc.

There's no question that most reviewers and patrons don't know good sushi from raw fish and rice.

QUOTE (SG- @ Nov 14 2003, 10:39 AM)

Let me ask you this... who would you trust to recommend a burger joint, Japanese or American?

Whichever one was more passionate about burger joints.

Exactly. Americans are the people you see in TGI Fridays eating burgers. I've heard arguments that seeing Japanese customers in a restaurant means nothing because good sushi in Japan is so expensive that most people can't afford it, and have never tasted "the real thing". They have lots of bad sushi in Japan as well as lots of Squid-Mayo maki.

[tighe]

Classic case of the japanese clientele knowing something that the americans don't. Just like Sushi Nozawa in LA, highly recommended by most locals but when you get there quality is good but overall experience is geared towards a non-japanese clientele.

I don't necessarily disagree with your point in broad terms, but unless you've been to Mashiko and are commenting first-hand, I would strongly object to it being included in the "over-rated Americanized crap" category. The chef there has not simply modified what he does to fit American tastes, rather he has rejected the constraints of classic sushi making and created interesting and challenging dishes that are his own, but definitely not "Americanized" in any kind of homogenous way. I've had a handful of meals there where he has presented both very traditional, expertly composed items as well as dishes that don't fit neatly into any culinary category and I enjoyed them all.

[Sinbad]

Let me ask you this... who would you trust to recommend a burger joint, Japanese or American?

Whichever one was more passionate about burger joints.

I lived in Tokyo for 10 years and one of the criterias I had for deciding if I should try a western restaurant was how many westerners were frequenting it, the other side of the argument of using the number of Japanese customers as a benchmark. The absence of western customers to me was an indication that the food was either extremely bastardized (squid-ink pizza with grated wasabai, ginger and nori topping) or extremely poor price/performance ratio. I used this in the beginning before I had developed other means of obtaining restaurant information, and although it propably helped me avaoid a number of duds I don't think ethnic profiling of the customers is a particulary efficient way of deciding where to to eat.

I would never decide to eat at a Sushi place just because they have many Japanese customers, there are so many other ways these days to obtain better information about restaurants.

[Sinbad]

I've heard arguments that seeing Japanese customers in a restaurant means nothing because good sushi in Japan is so expensive that most people can't afford it, and have never tasted "the real thing". They have lots of bad sushi in Japan as well as lots of Squid-Mayo maki.

If you can't afford to eat sushi in japan, then you can't afford it in the US (unless you get a significant salary increase in the US). The price/quality ratio is better in Japan than it is in the US for Sushi.

A lot of Sushi in Japan is of the fast food variety, takeout or conveyor belt sushi, but I would still argue that the overall quality is very high. But yes, you can get bad sushi in Japan as well.

[jhlurie]

I think the concept of "ethnic profiling" restaurants may deserve it's own thread. It's been touched on in various threads on eGullet (particularly ones giving "tips" about how to spot a good restaurant), but I don't think it's ever been the primary topic of discussion.

Here's a new place devoted to that discussion--not necessarily limited to "sushi". Meanwhile, maybe we can focus a bit more on what DEFINES great sushi here, as opposed to the minutiae of how to decide who to follow around to find it...

[hillvalley]

My personal litmus tests are as the following:

I take my Japanese cousin when he is in town. If he would eat there again, I know if it good.

Since he lives on the other side of the country I use this one more frequently.

I will order natto maki (fermented soy beans) as soon as I sit down. If they know what I am talking about I will give it a try. If they have no idea what I am talking about I walk out.

I realize that neither of these tests involve actually eating the fish but my cousin has never been wrong and if a Japanese restaurant has never heard of natto then I am guessing that the chef has not had the level of sushi training that I prefer. Yes, I am making yet another generalization, but since it is one that helps me to avoid being violently ill I have no problem making it.

[jhlurie]

hillvalley, I think that's a good point. If a sushi place doesn't seem to know something as "Japanese" as Natto, it's a pretty bad sign. It's not that I'd necessarily be turned off if they told me that they didn't serve it, but it would make me think twice. Especially if I heard the sushi chef turn around and yell something in Spanish into the back room.

I suppose this could be considered ethnic profiling of the staff, as opposed to the clientele, but jeez, we can't make a new topic for everything around here!