THE BEST: Fishmonger for Sushi-Quality Fish

[ASM NY]

Any thoughts on where to buy fish to make sushi at home?

Someone had told me about "buying groups" of home cooks that will get together and buy straight from distributors. Anyone heard of this?

[Susan G]

How far are you from the Fulton Street Fish Market?

[ASM NY]

Not far, but my understanding is that the Fulton Fish Market will be re-locating to the Bronx. I would ideally like a place in Manhattan, but will consider something outside if it's worth it.

The other question is whether you need to place a minimum order that might be a little bit too big for an individual to buy something in a market like Fulton.

Here's a link to a recent NY Times article talking about the move:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/23/dining/23fult.html?

[Susan G]

I think the time of the morning one visits detrmines the size of the order........and not all vendors are "wholesale only".

I'd go to Fulton before it moves if only for the experience.....and the ability to wax nostalgic once it's gone!

[Fat Guy]

I'd be very interested to learn about cooperative sashimi-quality fish-buying groups for home cooks, but I've never heard of them.

I'd be reluctant to try the Fulton Fish Market without specific expertise in this kind of fish purchasing; ditto for any Chinatown or standard Western fish market. While I'm sure a knowledgeable purchaser could find suitable fish for sushi at a variety of places from Fairway to Chelsea Market to Chinatown, that strikes me as an experts-only venture because you're likely to find mostly fish that isn't suitable for sushi and sashimi mixed in with a small amount of suitable (and unlabeled) fish.

Instead, I'd opt for the tried-and-true Japanese markets, as well as the Korean markets that service a Japanese clientele. Katagiri near the 59th Street Bridge is the place where our Japanese acquaintances buy all their fish for sushi and sashimi. Even better, if you're willing to schlep, is Mitsuwa in Edgewater, NJ (although the store has seen better days and seems ripe for new management). The Hanahreum stores are Korean and have good sashimi-grade fish selections -- unfortunately the one on 32nd Street in Manhattan is not on par with the two in Northern New Jersey. Sunrise Mart near Ninth Street is also used by a lot of folks. If you go to the web site of the Japanese consulate you'll find a list of recommended markets, though not all of them sell fish: http://www.cgj.org/en/q/q7_list.html

There also seem to be little places here and there around the city -- for example there are a couple I pass by on Madison Avenue whenever I walk around the Upper East Side, and also one on Lexington near the 86th Street IRT station -- that are hybrids of takeout sushi places and small fish markets. I don't have any specific recommendations, though I'll now remember to make a note next time I'm walking around.

On occasion, though not in this context, I've had luck buying products -- like a whole cod -- directly from restaurants for cash. It might be possible to get a Japanese restaurant to do this for you, though it's one of the most closed sectors of the restaurant business. But maybe if you were a regular at a place, they'd do it for you as an occasional favor.

[Todd36]

Sunrise Mart near Ninth Street is also used by a lot of folks.

There also seem to be little places here and there around the city -- for example there are a couple I pass by on Madison Avenue whenever I walk around the Upper East Side, and also one on Lexington near the 86th Street IRT station -- that are hybrids of takeout sushi places and small fish markets. I don't have any specific recommendations, though I'll now remember to make a note next time I'm walking around.

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Sunrise Mart is not my first choice. With respect to fish markets, you may be talking about Pink Salmon

Pink Salmon Sushi And Fish Market

1163 Madison Ave, New York 10028

Btwn 85th & 86th St

My japanese friends shop at JAS Mart, although they tend not to eat raw fish at home.

[Fat Guy]

Pink Salmon. That's definitely the one downtown from me on Madison, just up from Pain Quotidien.

There's another one, or at least there was, uptown from me on Madison, near Mount Sinai.

I'm pretty sure the one over by the 86th/Lex IRT stop is called Jumbo.

I wasn't aware that JAS sold actual raw fish. Maybe there are some JAS stores that do and some that don't? I thought JAS was mostly where you go for nori and the other dry goods needed for sushi.

[EricaL]

The Lobster Place in Chelsea Market [9th Ave bet 15th & 16th Streets]:

http://www.lobsterplace.com

Erica

[Todd36]

I wasn't aware that JAS sold actual raw fish. Maybe there are some JAS stores that do and some that don't? I thought JAS was mostly where you go for nori and the other dry goods needed for sushi.

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There's a war going on in the Japanese grocery store business, and JAS Mart has really increased what it carries. They are are at least partially owned at Mitsua, the place in Edgewater. There are now three JAS: Near St. Mark's, 110th and Broadway, and 23rd near Madison. Near St. Mark's is the largest. They will be opening a store on the upper east side at some point. Sunrise Mart recently opened a store in I I think Tribecca (or maybe SoHo). Sambok, the Korean owned Japanese store that was midtown has closed, so I have been told. The JAS Mart's are probably the best managed of the stores now.

The JAS places do all carry raw fish. But, very few of my Japanese friends make their own sushi or sashimi for home. They view it as a restaurant or catered thing. They may not trust the fish, even at a Japanese store.

[ned]

I was at Mitsua last week and bought some beautiful big eye oh toro. I sliced ten pieces out of it for the price of one and a quarter at a good sushi place. Ate it with some sublime soy sauce also purchased at Mitsua. If it is poorly managed I'd like to see it when it is well-managed. They have a broad selection of sushi grade fish sold in small blocks like you'd see at a sushi counter.

[Fat Guy]

Don't get me wrong, Mitsuwa is a really nice place, but I've been going there a few times a year since back when it was Yaohan, and compared the its former state of glory it is now a ghost town. Much of the business has gone over to the two nearby Hanahreum stores in Little Ferry and Ridgefield because their prices are so much better and they have such high turnover -- I'll be surprised if Hanahreum doesn't just buy Mitsuwa one of these days.

[slkinsey]

What about Sea Breeze on 9th Avenue around 40th? I've always been very impressed.

[emsny]

I generally buy fish at Wild Edibles - I live a couple of blocks from Grand Central Terminal - and they're very up-front about what would be suitable for eating raw. I'm not a sushi-maker, but on occasion, when I've asked whether a given fish would be good for a tartare or other raw dish, they've said, "not today". Commendable.

Edited March 30, 2005 by emsny (log)

[ned]

Don't get me wrong, Mitsuwa is a really nice place, but I've been going there a few times a year since back when it was Yaohan, and compared the its former state of glory it is now a ghost town. Much of the business has gone over to the two nearby Hanahreum stores in Little Ferry and Ridgefield because their prices are so much better and they have such high turnover -- I'll be surprised if Hanahreum doesn't just buy Mitsuwa one of these days.

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What about these places? Like where exactly are they and well, whatever you might care to say about them would be of interest.

[mjs]

The JAS places do all carry raw fish.  But, very few of my Japanese friends make their own sushi or sashimi for home.  They view it as a restaurant or catered thing.  They may not trust the fish, even at a Japanese store.

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Even in Japan, most people don't make sushi at home. Sushi making is considered a specialized skill which requires formal apprenticeship/training. Sashimi can be purchased pre-cut at Japanese supermarkets. The average person doesn't really know how to properly cut fish for sashimi.

One exception is that I've been invited to people's homes a few times for "make your own sushi." In this case pre-cut fish and seaweed are purchased. Sushi rice is prepared. The guests then use chopsticks to take a piece of seaweed, grab some rice and then a piece of fish with it. Dip the combo in soy sauce (wasabi added to either soy sauce or fish) and eat.

[DanaT]

My former Japanese roommate from Tokyo used to make chirashi and maki rolls from raw fish but not nigiri. She stayed away from salmon though. The fish I got at Karagiri didn't seem to be cut for nigiri but they're perfect for a chirashi bowl. I've made passable ume yamaimo and tuna rolls.

Yaohan - how well I remember when we all drove to Jersey and how confused we, the two ganji were when she gave us directions. Her English was so accented we couldn't understand her and drove towards Tetley until she pointed to the sign that said 'Fort Lee' Then she shared with us her big find - a vegetable called konyecki - which was the most awful chewy vegetable either of us had ever had. Our French Canadian roommate couldn't order cognac for two weeks after that. Just the name reminded him of the awful Japanese experiment!

A small package of toro about the size of a flank size was about $60.

[Todd36]

My former Japanese roommate from Tokyo used to make chirashi and maki rolls from raw fish but not nigiri. She stayed away from salmon though. The fish I got at Karagiri didn't seem to be cut for nigiri but they're perfect for a chirashi bowl. I've made passable ume yamaimo and tuna rolls.

Yaohan - how well I remember when we all drove to Jersey and how confused we, the two ganji were when she gave us directions. Her English was so accented we couldn't understand her and drove towards Tetley until she pointed to the sign that said 'Fort Lee' Then she shared with us her big find - a vegetable called konyecki - which was the most awful chewy vegetable either of us had ever had. Our French Canadian roommate couldn't order cognac for two weeks after that. Just the name reminded him of the awful Japanese experiment!

A small package of toro about the size of a flank size was about $60.

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Salmon has to be frozen for sushi, parsite issues. Any fresh water fish must be frozen for sushi. Also, salmon isn't a major tradition sushi fish, so it could have been her taste buds.

[Bond Girl]

I generally buy fish at Wild Edibles - I live a couple of blocks from Grand Central Terminal - and they're very up-front about what would be suitable for eating raw. I'm not a sushi-maker, but on occasion, when I've asked whether a given fish would be good for a tartare or other raw dish, they've said, "not today". Commendable.

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I used to go to Wild Edibles for all fish that I want to cook with, until I saw how questionable their fish handling hygienes were. Now I buy my fish from sunrise mart for sushi or the fish mongers at the greenmarket for everything else.

[alacarte]

I understand that sushi restaurant Yama has its own fish supplier (also called Yama). I haven't tried to buy fish from them directly, but it might be worth a shot.

[DanaT]

I used to go to Wild Edibles for all fish that I want to cook with, until I saw how questionable their fish handling hygienes were.  Now I buy my fish from sunrise mart for sushi or the fish mongers at the greenmarket for everything else.

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That's a shame, Bond Girl. Wild Edibles is right near me too. I only had a couple of pieces of fish there though. They seemed good.

What type of sushi ingredients do you buy at Sunrise for sushi prep at home?

[Todd36]

I used to go to Wild Edibles for all fish that I want to cook with, until I saw how questionable their fish handling hygienes were.  Now I buy my fish from sunrise mart for sushi or the fish mongers at the greenmarket for everything else.

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That's a shame, Bond Girl. Wild Edibles is right near me too. I only had a couple of pieces of fish there though. They seemed good.

What type of sushi ingredients do you buy at Sunrise for sushi prep at home?

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Without going into gory details, Sunrise Mart once posted a failed health inspection report. JAS mart seems to be better run.

[greenwich st]

The new Wild Edibles on Bleecker has really disappointed me on the four times I've bought fish there -- not for sushi. Once the fish smelled so funky we had to throw it out. Service is charming but thumbs down for the product.

[Bond Girl]

I used to go to Wild Edibles for all fish that I want to cook with, until I saw how questionable their fish handling hygienes were.  Now I buy my fish from sunrise mart for sushi or the fish mongers at the greenmarket for everything else.

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That's a shame, Bond Girl. Wild Edibles is right near me too. I only had a couple of pieces of fish there though. They seemed good.

What type of sushi ingredients do you buy at Sunrise for sushi prep at home?

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Without going into gory details, Sunrise Mart once posted a failed health inspection report. JAS mart seems to be better run.

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I usually buy the salmon block, the tuna, and the octopus to slice up at home, But, now that I've been informed, I am going over to JAS mart to check it out. Good info Todd.

[Luckylies]

went to jas last night. It seemed like everyting was frozen except for a few tiny fish in vacum bags. perhaps because it was sunday?

I bought some uni (offseason?) at Sunrise and it was a delight. Perfect ocean scent, no nastiness etc. I wonder though- It was packed the day before (so it said) do you think it was previously frozen then thawed and packed?

By the way, someone get the sukiyaki kit. it looks so cool. I can't afford it now (uni more important) but ho wrad would it be to make perfect sukiyaki all daaaaayyyyy off subject sorry...

[Todd36]

The Jas Mart on St. Marks usually has the best selection of raw fish. Sunrise Mart is part of an empire that includes every food establishment in the building, including Panya Bakery, Round the Clock and Angel Share, not to mention DoJo.......