Ushi Wakamaru

[alwang]

What time were you there? me and FG were there late like 10:30

←

We got there at 8:30, and were gone before 10:30. Maybe next time we can meet up (Though I suspect after these posts that seats are going to start to get a little harder to come by at Ushi)

-a

[raji]

hirsuteness )

SAT word!

Yes it's Hideo, Mako, and Yuutaka is the guy you had. They're like the 3 stooges. Nice mix!

[ulterior epicure]

Is it difficult, or even possible, to procure/secure a seat in front of Hideo ahead of time i.e. can this be requested at reservation?)? Or, is it luck of the draw by the walk-in?

[Fat Guy]

Sure. You can make that request at most any sushi restaurant. On the night in question, however, his section was already booked. According to the staff, it's virtually impossible to get a same-day weekend-night reservation in front of Hideo-san -- he's booked solid from 6pm through midnight. So you have to plan ahead for that.

[ulterior epicure]

Sure. You can make that request at most any sushi restaurant. On the night in question, however, his section was already booked. According to the staff, it's virtually impossible to get a same-day weekend-night reservation in front of Hideo-san -- he's booked solid from 6pm through midnight. So you have to plan ahead for that.

←

Thanks, that won't be a problem for me; I'm looking a few weeks in advance.

[Fat Guy]

While we were at Ushi Wakamaru, Hideo-san told us the story of the restaurant's namesake. I did a little supplemental research, as I plan to include Hideo and his restaurant in my forthcoming book, and thought you all might find the tale intriguing.

According to samurai legend, Ushi Wakamaru (which owing to the lack of standardized spacing in English transliteration is also sometimes written "Ushiwakamaru" or "Ushiwaka Maru") was trained in swordcraft by the Tengu, a clan of mythological half-human/half-bird creatures known for their skills in the martial arts. Slight of build, Ushi Wakumuru made up for his diminutive stature with preternatural swiftness and dexterity. It is said that his sword technique was so deft he could slice the falling leaves of trees in half. He also played the flute.

The 12th Century warrior-monk Benkei had taken possession of the Goyo bridge in Kyoto, defeating every sword-bearer who attempted to cross. Benkei, a giant, had disarmed 999 opponents, keeping their swords as trophies. Ushi Wakamaru set out to face Benkei.

Playing his flute as he strolled, Ushi Wakamaru came upon Benkei at the bridge. In the ensuing clash, skill proved mightier than strength, and Benkei never did get that 1,000th sword. Instead, after being disarmed by Ushi Wakamaru, Benkei swore eternal allegiance to him. With his vassal Benkei at his side, Ushi Wakamaru (then going by his adult samurai name, Minamoto Yoshitsune, bestowed at his coming-of-age ceremony) achieved decisive victory in the Genpei wars.

Fortune turned against Ushi Wakamaru, however, when his unscrupulous brother, Yoritomo, betrayed him. Ushi Wakamaru and Benkei spent two years on the run, avoiding detection through guile and trickery, but at the end they – along with Ushi Wakamaru’s family and remaining followers – were surrounded in the castle of Takadachi. As capture appeared inevitable, Ushi Wakamaru first killed his family so they wouldn’t fall into enemy hands, then committed seppuku, Japanese ritual suicide.

Benkei blocked the doorway to Ushi Wakamaru’s chambers. The enemy shot him full of arrows. Benkei took so many long arrows to his body that, when he died, he remained propped upright by their shafts. So great had his bravery been that, out of respect, none of the enemy soldiers would step past Benkei’s body.

When we were chatting with Hideo-san, towards the end of our time together, I asked him about the restaurant's name. “Ushi Wakamaru is my soul mate,” he announced, and then he pulled open his traditional summer kimono to reveal a tee-shirt painted with a scene of Ushi Wakamaru defeating Benkei at the bridge.

Ushi Wakamaru may be Hideo-san's inspiration, but He looks to be more in Benkei’s weight class than Ushi Wakamaru’s. Hideo, in addition to having Ushi Wakamaru’s skills with a blade (albeit a sushi knife rather than a sword), is built like a football player, has the shaved head of a warrior-monk, and holds black belts in both Karate and Judo. In the sushi culture, it’s common to name a restaurant after its owner (Nobu, Morimoto, Yasuda, Masa), so I find it charming that Hideo’s tiny restaurant is named not after himself but, rather, after figure he reveres.

[Fat Guy]

I guess they don't trot out the best toro for the $49 menu, but this wasn't even *good* tuna: no fat content, and a weird cut with a lot of connective membrane.

←

In our omakase, we had both toro and regular tuna, however the regular tuna was soy cured, as was the Copper River salmon. One thing I noticed in Frank Bruni's review of Ushi was the statement . . .

The restaurant was recently promoting, as a special, Copper River salmon, but there was nothing special about the fish, which had a weirdly flat taste, shadowed by nuances that suggested it had been sitting around a bit too long.

. . . which got me thinking that maybe he had the soy cured Copper River salmon without knowing it. In our case, the Copper River salmon was simply presented and announced as "Copper River salmon." I tasted it and was like, "This tastes wrong." I think our chef noticed my look of confusion and only at that point did he explain that it had been soy cured. As soon as my brain got the signal that the piece of salmon had been manipulated, it totally changed the way I processed the sensory inputs. I went from being alarmed to loving it. Ditto for the tuna: had I not known it was soy cured, I'd have thought there was something wrong with it, because the soy curing gives it a totally different texture and flavor that can easily be confused with all sorts of negative associations if you're expecting one thing but you taste another.

Just one possible theory.

[raji]

I guess they don't trot out the best toro for the $49 menu, but this wasn't even *good* tuna: no fat content, and a weird cut with a lot of connective membrane.

←

In our omakase, we had both toro and regular tuna, however the regular tuna was soy cured, as was the Copper River salmon. One thing I noticed in Frank Bruni's review of Ushi was the statement . . .

The restaurant was recently promoting, as a special, Copper River salmon, but there was nothing special about the fish, which had a weirdly flat taste, shadowed by nuances that suggested it had been sitting around a bit too long.

. . . which got me thinking that maybe he had the soy cured Copper River salmon without knowing it. In our case, the Copper River salmon was simply presented and announced as "Copper River salmon." I tasted it and was like, "This tastes wrong." I think our chef noticed my look of confusion and only at that point did he explain that it had been soy cured. As soon as my brain got the signal that the piece of salmon had been manipulated, it totally changed the way I processed the sensory inputs. I went from being alarmed to loving it. Ditto for the tuna: had I not known it was soy cured, I'd have thought there was something wrong with it, because the soy curing gives it a totally different texture and flavor that can easily be confused with all sorts of negative associations if you're expecting one thing but you taste another.

Just one possible theory.

←

Hardly a theory! I'm SURE that's what happened to Bruni. To look at the fish, it's obvious to me that it's been cured as the density and color has been changed by curing, but I could see someone mistaking it for bad tuna. The sushi chefs do a good job of announcing what each piece is and if not, you should ask, so I think it's irresponsible of Bruni to write what he wrote. It also further reinforces to me that Bruni does not, and will never, understand Japanese food.

[raji]

So, in a unique confluence of sushi-eating on my part (I crave sushi like I crave a steak, meaning it's a once a month occurrence), I had bumped into an old friend of mine at his event right after my wonderful dinner with FG at Ushi last week. He proclaimed himself to be a Japanese-food devotee and Seki his favorite in the city and go-to omakase (especially as it's open until 3am and he's often working at night). We got to talking and agreed he must try Ushi.

I called a few days ahead of time and we were stationed in front of Hideo-san. My friend plainly stated "I don't care how much it costs, I want the best". I translated this into japanese as "OK we'll order omakase. this guy here loves sushi and Japanese food. give us the good stuff"

After a few quick amuses, octopus, cooked and marinated giant clam, we were each presented with a mouthwatering sashimi platter, and the little wooden table contained 3-4 pieces each of saury, amaebi (sweet shrimp), otoro, kanpachi, and giant clam. My friend took notice to the care and precision that went into cutting the sashimi, as, like a good steak, how exactly it is cut against the grain can determine the texture and in some ways, the taste of the resulting sashimi piece. It was all outstanding.

But my friend was not yet overly impressed... he was about to be -

Moving to sushi, the first piece alone let us know that we were putty in Hideo's masterful hands. It was a shiba-ebi, a mid-size raw grey shrimp, but it was filleted/butterflied/frenched, I don't even know, but in a way as to resemble a gleaming, lump scallop. Atop an expertly formed mound of delicious rice (not warm, but not cold - the perfect temperature is the one you do not notice, which is why I don't get the obsession over warm rice... do you want the rice poaching your fish???) which, as Hideo-san promises, breaks up in your mouth, not in your hands ™. The sweetness, texture and finish atop the raw shrimp flavor was something I'll be back for. After another piece, this time Alaskan King Crab, my friend knew he had his new haunt, as he said to me "While Seki and Gari do the new-style sushi, you can tell that this guy does the authentic incredible well. It just tastes better". What followed was a properly programmed, consistently delicious course through tai, saury, aji, ikura, uni, abalone, torigai, anago, and of course my final request of aburiengawa and negitoro. As usual my sushi bar memory retention hovers between 60-80% and I forgot a bunch of pieces of sushi. It also felt like we had toro several different ways. I was kind of embroiled catching up with my friend of 12 years, after a 2 year hiatus, and neglected both Hideo-san and proper IDing of all the fish, and that my friend was driving, I was responsible for 80% of the bottle of sake that we "shared"

Edited August 10, 2007 by raji (log)

[ulterior epicure]

My friend plainly stated "I don't care how much it costs, I want the best". I translated this into japanese as "OK we'll order omakase. this guy here loves sushi and Japanese food. give us the good stuff"

I'm assuming your "old friend" picked up the bill? Did you get a peek at how much such an experience might cost (just the food)?

Edited August 10, 2007 by ulterior epicure (log)

[raji]

My friend plainly stated "I don't care how much it costs, I want the best". I translated this into japanese as "OK we'll order omakase. this guy here loves sushi and Japanese food. give us the good stuff"

I'm assuming your "old friend" picked up the bill? Did you get a peek at how much such an experience might cost (just the food)?

←

Yes he did, but I'm taking him out to dinner at Aburiya Kinnosuke to expand his Japanese culinary horizons...which is always an eye-opening, educational and wonderful experience as I can demonstrate how there is so so much more to Japanese food than sushi; presentations, traditions and certainly flavors that they've simply never experienced before.

Of course I snuck a peak. While the sashimi platters alone could have easily costs us $40 each, the whole tab for fish was $222 for 2, plus a $38 bottle of testuyo-something sake.. I think I remarked the Soto thread about how, for the most part, sushi bar tabs are calculated pretty accurately based on their la carte prices. Ushi just tends to have a per-piece price decently lower than the other places with no appreciable dip in quality or quantity. Keep in mind the salesmanship of sushi, where many other sushi chefs have a story behind each fish. Hideo-san is a man of fewer words and might not upsell his fish, even if it's the same exact thing as the well-storied fish.

I would say the same meal midtown would have cost another $100.

[ulterior epicure]

Hardly a theory! I'm SURE that's what happened to Bruni. To look at the fish, it's obvious to me that it's been cured as the density and color has been changed by curing, but I could see someone mistaking it for bad tuna. The sushi chefs do a good job of announcing what each piece is and if not, you should ask, so I think it's irresponsible of Bruni to write what he wrote. It also further reinforces to me that Bruni does not, and will never, understand Japanese food.

←

I simply cannot imagine not being able to tell fresh sashimi apart from the soy-cured version either by sight or by taste. I think to any semi-observant person, the difference is apparent.

[raji]

It was sushi; soy-cured tuna... Put it this way, I find it far more probable that Bruni mistook this for an off piece of tuna than any of the sushi chefs at Ushi actually serving one... they are running operation at a level that would simply not do that...

[Fat Guy]

I simply cannot imagine not being able to tell fresh sashimi apart from the soy-cured version either by sight or by taste.  I think to any semi-observant person, the difference is apparent.

←

It's a very light cure. Perhaps your level of sushi expertise is high enough that it would be obvious to you, but I'm far more than semi-observant and it took me by surprise.

[ulterior epicure]

FYI -

Had reservations at Hideo-san's station at Ushi Wakamaru... they called me and left a message on my v-mail: The Health Department made a visit today and were shut down. They do not know when they will re-open, but do not anticipate re-opening in time for my Saturday visit.

[Fat Guy]

When we were there, Hideo-san mentioned that he has been tangling with the DOH for years over the issue of gloves. As I understand it, every serious sushi restaurant is in perpetual violation for "Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment." But Hideo has been particularly antagonistic about it, appearing at hearings to contest the legitimacy of the regulation and even trying to get the Japanese government to intercede. I wonder if the closing has anything to do with that, or if it's just a bunch of accumulated violation points, or if it's some plumbing or other structural issue that takes time to fix. The relevant inspection results are not online yet.

[Hiroyuki]

When we were there, Hideo-san mentioned that he has been tangling with the DOH for years over the issue of gloves. As I understand it, every serious sushi restaurant is in perpetual violation for "Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment." But Hideo has been particularly antagonistic about it, appearing at hearings to contest the legitimacy of the regulation and even trying to get the Japanese government to intercede. I wonder if the closing has anything to do with that, or if it's just a bunch of accumulated violation points, or if it's some plumbing or other structural issue that takes time to fix. The relevant inspection results are not online yet.

←

The Japanese government may be interested because it wants to set standards for Japanese restaurants overseas.

For those of you interested in the government's intention, click here.

And, here is a related thread in the Japan Forum.

[Hiroyuki]

According to samurai legend, Ushi Wakamaru (which owing to the lack of standardized spacing in English transliteration is also sometimes written "Ushiwakamaru" or "Ushiwaka Maru")

←

-maru is a suffix formerly used for a child. Thus, either Ushiwakamaru or Ushiwaka Maru (or Ushiwaka-maru) should be correct.

Even today, many Japanese ship names end with -maru.

[Todd36]

One of my Japanese friends (who likes very much the sushi at Ushi Wakamaru) says that in Japan, sushi bars tend to store their fish warmer than they do in the US. She observes that Ushi Wakamaru seems to keep its fish warmer than usual for the US. I note that eater.com reports that the DOH issue seemed to involve the fish storage temp. I also note that Ushi Wakamaru seemed to use an unusual fish storage technique, I haven't seen their type of display case elsewhere in NY and it seems to use only ice. Unless you bury the fish in the ice, ice alone doesn't keep fish very cold.

[raji]

-maru is a suffix formerly used for a child.  Thus, either Ushiwakamaru or Ushiwaka Maru (or Ushiwaka-maru) should be correct.

Even today, many Japanese ship names end with -maru.

Right - many people may remember the Ehime Maru, the Japanese training fishing-boat that was hit by a US submarine practicing a surfacing maneouver, and many more, the Kobayashi Maru, the no-win-hypothetical-situation in Starfleet Academy, that only William T. Kirk has won, by cheating on it.

Because Todd36 started the thread, I place all blame on him for popularizing the misnomer.

I just read the horror story over at Eater -

http://eater.com/archives/2007/09/the_doh_chronic_10.php

I really wish I had been there, I would have torn this DOH dickhead a new asshole. The sad reality is, he can run rampant over the place like Godzilla and those who work there just have to stand there and take it, lacking enough confidence in their English to at least slow him down.

Besides NYC DOH inspectors being notoriously guilty of bribe-taking, what else would explain why this kind of thing hasn't happened to any of the big-box, big-name Japanese/Asian restaurants which all have sushi bars and/or serve tons of sushi?

The net result is that one poorly-defended, easy-target/example, meticulously cleaned authentic sushi bar's business is jeopardized, while there are literally hundreds more rip-off joints making diners sick on a daily basis. Why are the cases colder in the US? Because that's how your average, inauthentic sushi bar keeps more lesser-quality fish edible longer.

This is completely ass-backwards and I hope there's something we can do about it... and they're not the first in the Japanese business community to get terrorized by these mothers... the Japanese are easy targets as I explain above and also because they tend to have the money to, and are more likely to, pay the fines...

[Todd36]

-maru is a suffix formerly used for a child.  Thus, either Ushiwakamaru or Ushiwaka Maru (or Ushiwaka-maru) should be correct.

Even today, many Japanese ship names end with -maru.

Right - many people may remember the Ehime Maru, the Japanese training fishing-boat that was hit by a US submarine practicing a surfacing maneouver, and many more, the Kobayashi Maru, the no-win-hypothetical-situation in Starfleet Academy, that only William T. Kirk has won, by cheating on it.

Because Todd36 started the thread, I place all blame on him for popularizing the misnomer.

I just read the horror story over at Eater -

http://eater.com/archives/2007/09/the_doh_chronic_10.php

I really wish I had been there, I would have torn this DOH dickhead a new asshole. The sad reality is, he can run rampant over the place like Godzilla and those who work there just have to stand there and take it, lacking enough confidence in their English to at least slow him down.

Besides NYC DOH inspectors being notoriously guilty of bribe-taking, what else would explain why this kind of thing hasn't happened to any of the big-box, big-name Japanese/Asian restaurants which all have sushi bars and/or serve tons of sushi?

The net result is that one poorly-defended, easy-target/example, meticulously cleaned authentic sushi bar's business is jeopardized, while there are literally hundreds more rip-off joints making diners sick on a daily basis. Why are the cases colder in the US? Because that's how your average, inauthentic sushi bar keeps more lesser-quality fish edible longer.

This is completely ass-backwards and I hope there's something we can do about it... and they're not the first in the Japanese business community to get terrorized by these mothers... the Japanese are easy targets as I explain above and also because they tend to have the money to, and are more likely to, pay the fines...

←

Much as I like Ushi Wakarmuru, your standard sushi place does keep its fish colder and doesn't depend upon ice alone---they use refridgeration units. That means cold air in the case. And I don't believe they are designed for the US, check out http://www.hoshizakiamerica.com/display.asp They probably keep the thermostat higher in Japan than they do in the US. Warmer fish may make for tastier fish, not sure its as safe as fish. And much as I like Ushi Wakmaru, its not as clean as say Sugiyama, the way they keep the hot towel warmer on the floor (they use a rice cooker as one) and the occasional state of the mens room prevents me from saying its perfectly clean.

And thAnd I wouldn't describe

[Hiroyuki]

What do Ushiwakamaru and other authentic Japanese restaurants in the Unites States have to do to comply with the U.S. food safety laws and regulations? Wearing gloves when handling raw fish, and what else?

[Fat Guy]

The thing is, they don't wear gloves. I've never been in a serious sushi restaurant -- or indeed in any restaurant with a sushi bar -- where the chefs wore gloves. The best they can hope for is to pull some gloves on if they get enough warning that an inspection is about to occur. Otherwise, they just get charged with the violation.

I'm not completely sure of the relevant temperature regulations, but I'm pretty sure New York requires lower display-case holding temperatures than Japan. Also, the federal Food & Drug Administration requires that all fin fish to be served raw be at least flash frozen to kill parasites. This is not enforced in every state in every instance, however most sushi fish served here has at some point been frozen at least for a brief time.

[Todd36]

The thing is, they don't wear gloves. I've never been in a serious sushi restaurant -- or indeed in any restaurant with a sushi bar -- where the chefs wore gloves. The best they can hope for is to pull some gloves on if they get enough warning that an inspection is about to occur. Otherwise, they just get charged with the violation.

I'm not completely sure of the relevant temperature regulations, but I'm pretty sure New York requires lower display-case holding temperatures than Japan. Also, the federal Food & Drug Administration requires that all fin fish to be served raw be at least flash frozen to kill parasites. This is not enforced in every state in every instance, however most sushi fish served here has at some point been frozen at least for a brief time.

←

I see gloves once in a while...the late Sushi Rose comes to mind and it was a semi-serious place. I've seen Ushi Wakamaru serve fresh killed flat fish, I've seen him fish it right out of the tank....

[Hiroyuki]

The thing is, they don't wear gloves. I've never been in a serious sushi restaurant -- or indeed in any restaurant with a sushi bar -- where the chefs wore gloves. The best they can hope for is to pull some gloves on if they get enough warning that an inspection is about to occur. Otherwise, they just get charged with the violation.

I'm not completely sure of the relevant temperature regulations, but I'm pretty sure New York requires lower display-case holding temperatures than Japan. Also, the federal Food & Drug Administration requires that all fin fish to be served raw be at least flash frozen to kill parasites. This is not enforced in every state in every instance, however most sushi fish served here has at some point been frozen at least for a brief time.

←

Thanks for your reply, Fat Guy.

I know I shouldn't be indifferent to what is happening to Ushiwakamaru and Hideo-san, but I also know that I have no say in the internal affairs of the U.S. government. But, many of you here do have a say, right?

I am reminded of this thread: SAVE OUR SUSHI