Sushi for Beginners

[Tim Dolan]

It seems that sushi is becoming the new pizza. It's everywhere. I'm far too uneduatcated on the subject to go into, well, anything at all about it, but my curiosity is starting to get the better of me.

Ever since I first heard the word "sushi" and found out what it was, I immediately wrote it off thinking anyone who ate raw fish was crazy, and that I would never in a million years try it. Well those million years might be passing right before my eyes. All of the sudden I feel the urge to find out if I could get into this stuff. People at work always gush about how they love sushi and how good it is. New sushi places are popping up like Gremlins. All this buzz has me on the verge of trying it, which would be a monumental leap for me.

So where is a good place to start?

I'm thinking a takeout place would be best, that way if I immediately get the urge to spit the raw fish out of my mouth, I won't embarrass myself or offend the person who just made the sushi. Reading the RAW thread is awesome, but I'm such a new kid on the block that I could be served the finest sushi in the world and I wouldn't be able to appreciate it. I need Sushi for Dummies.

[Diann]

Raw (in my opinion, anyways) is more like fusion sushi than traditional, purists' sushi -- so in a way, it might be a good place for a beginner to start. There's all sorts of interesting sauces and flavors that might make their sushi LESS unfamiliar to you. Go for it!

[mrbigjas]

don't sell yourself short! if you know it's good, from a good place, you can convince yourself to eat it. while the concept might skeev you a little bit, wouldn't you rather start off with something you are assured is high quality?

[Tim Dolan]

That is definitely something I thought about. I'd rather get something that I know is good quality because I don't want to be turned off by one bad experience, which I'm assuming is quite possible when dealing with sushi. However, I am taking the "gotta crawl before you walk" approach to this, and Raw, in my humble opinion, seems to be the place for those who "walk the walk", as they say.

[Vadouvan]

The best place for you to start if you insist on takeout is the Genji setup at Whole foods on Callowhill.......otherwise take you ace to Sagami.

Why waste your time and money on low quality sushi.

The place on 17th and chestnut is OK too.

If we were talking cheesesteaks, you would *not* be starting at pats or genos.......

[MarketStEl]

Here are a couple of takeout suggestions:

--Wasabi House (13th and Pine). Not as good as what you will get at places like Raw or Sagami, but it's good quality, fresh (they do a lot of takeout business) and inexpensive. It's probably your best option for fresh sushi to go.

--Genji Sushi Express (Ardmore Farmers' Market and Whole Foods Market locations throughout the region). This is the commissary/catering/prepacked sushi-to-go operation from the owners of Genji, one of the better Japanese restaurants in town with a reputation for excellent sushi. It's not prepared to order like at Wasabi House or the other takeout restaurants, but it is prepared daily in the stores by GSE employees. Depending on where you live, this may well be the most convenient way for you to try sushi where nobody will laugh at you.

[philadining]

Tim, go to Raw, or to Pod, or to Morimoto, some place that has cooked food that you'll feel more comfortable with. Don't sit at the sushi bar, or any bar for that matter, get a table, so you won't be self-conscious if you end up making some weird faces.... Order some dumplings, some tempura, noodles, whatever, something that will surely not freak you out.

Then, just get a few pieces of sushi, or a small combo that has two pieces of this, 1 piece of that, etc. Personally, I'd go for something simple and pure, rather than all the weird saucy combo things, although that could be a valid way to ease into it for some people. That said, I'd get sushi, rather than sashimi, to start. Baby steps, man....

But in the end, I'm with mrbigjas, go somewhere good and order something good, so at least you know it's not just that you dislike bad sushi. I wasn't crazy about it for a long time, until I figured out that I'd only had crappy fish and gummy rice.

On one level, Diann is right that Raw has some of that fusiony funky combo roll thing going on, but one can also get simple, straightforward nigiri, as well as the "rainbow rolls" and other whacky stuff. And I wouldn't normally send anyone to Pod specifically for sushi, but I've been pleasantly surprised a couple of times when people I was with decided to order it, I've had some very good fish there. The quality is pretty rocking at Morimoto, but it's crazy expensive. It would suck to spend that money if you don't like it, but that's why I'm suggesting you just start with a small order. At all of those places, there's good cooked food to bail-out to if you're just not digging it.

It's hard to wrong with maguro (if you've had rare seared tuna, you're pretty close....) toro (fatty tuna - get whatever they have: chu-toro or o-toro if they have it, it'll be pricey, but spend the money, if you don't like that you probably don't like sushi... ) yellowtail, ebi, etc are fairly un-threatening. I'd hold off on the uni and the masago and the giant clam for now!

Alternately, some maki rolls are tarted-up to such a degree that you barely know you're eating raw fish, and who knows, maybe that's a way to wade-in through the shallow end, and get used to the flavors. I'm not sure a California Roll really even qualifies as sushi, but hey, if it gets you there...

In any case, go somewhere good, and eat there, even if you only order a little.

And don't drown it in soy and wasabi, you're trying to figure out if you like the fish!

[KatieLoeb]

Genji or Hikaru would be good "starter" sushi joints. Order one of the sushi or sashimi samplers that has a selection of different items.

One of the best "Sushi 101" items I think is the tamago, or sushi omelet. It's familiar flavors and textures and is inoffensive to almost everyone. Then move into the salmon and tuna pieces. The "sweet shrimp" or amebi is also pretty harmless and inoffensive.

Work within the flavors and textures you already are familiar with and fond of and move on from there.

[Tim Dolan]

Everyone, thanks. I'm just going to man up and go out to one of those places. You've all made it clear that going out to a respectable place will make that much of a difference. I'm getting the feeling that there's not really a middle ground with sushi; it's either good or bad. For instance, would you all agree that an average cheesesteak would be more enjoyable than average sushi? We all have eaten (well, at least I have) more average cheesesteaks than we can count. They do their job. I'm thinking this isn't the case with sushi...

[CherieV]

Tom,

This film is really funny, at first I thought it was serious. It should answer any questions you may have concerning your sushi eating experience.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4946101556303618610

[Dorine]

You've gotten a lot of good sugestions. I'm a fan of Wasabi House at 13 and Pine, too.

I teach ESL and have had many Japanese studens over the years. All love Genji. Another one they like is Shiroi Hana on 15th St. between Walnut and Locust, west side. I've been eating there for maybe 15 years, and it is always lovely. You can sit right at the sushi bar and watch them make your order as well as other people's orders. Order oshinko (pickles) with yyour sushi. Yum! And finish with their exceptional green tea.

[Dorine]

That is definitely something I thought about.  I'd rather get something that I know is good quality because I don't want to be turned off by one bad experience, which I'm assuming is quite possible when dealing with sushi.  However, I am taking the "gotta crawl before you walk" approach to this, and Raw, in my humble opinion, seems to be the place for those who "walk the walk", as they say.

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Order yellowtail or other salmon sushis to start then. They are mild in texture and flavor.

[johnsmith45678]

Check out Manayunk Brewery & Restaurant. I used to work with their exec chef, before he went to CIA.

[MarketStEl]

Everyone, thanks.  I'm just going to man up and go out to one of those places.  You've all made it clear that going out to a respectable place will make that much of a difference.  I'm getting the feeling that there's not really a middle ground with sushi; it's either good or bad.  For instance, would you all agree that an average cheesesteak would be more enjoyable than average sushi?  We all have eaten (well, at least I have) more average cheesesteaks than we can count.  They do their job.  I'm thinking this isn't the case with sushi...

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Frankly, I'd say the two have parallel scales. You really don't want to mess with either crappy sushi or crappy cheesesteaks.

Of course, with the raw varieties, you're not going to run into "average" all that often--it will either be good or lousy.

And since even the cooked varieties are also seafood--the omelet is the one widely available exception--the same duality applies there. You won't find much "average" sushi the way you will find "average" cheesesteaks. But there are differences between good sushi and great sushi. I enjoy both. So far, I've had only one sushi experience that was so bad I'd warn people away from the place--at Aoi on Walnut Street. (That was now about a decade ago. The place may have improved since then. I haven't been back to test that proposition, but this is the place with the all-you-can-eat sushi special, so...)

[wawairis]

And don't drown it in soy and wasabi, you're trying to figure out if you like the fish!

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[philadining]

But does the fish actually taste like anything?

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Yes! High quality fish is going to have a distinct taste. Of course different types will have varying degrees of subtlety and vividness, but even the blandest yellowtail should taste of more than packing peanuts!

There's no shame in a little soy (on the fish!!) or a dab of wasabi if needed, but many pieces won't need it. The ginger's really meant as a palate cleanser between fishes. But really, if it doesn't taste like anything unless you soak it in soy and blanket it in wasabi, that's not really good fish...

[serpentine]

It's easier to go with a friend who can guide you through it all friendly-like. Yes, it's okay to eat sushi with your hand, especially if you're afraid you'll be unsteady on with the chopsticks. For beginners, it's okay to bite it in half (it's an awfully big bite if unfamiliar.)

Stick with yellowtail, smoked salmon, tuna. (Note: These fish taste less "fishy" raw than they do in their familiar cooked presentations.)

I convinced at least a couple of friends to try sushi thanks to the ubiquitous seared-sushi-grade-tuna-appetizer-cliché -- it was just a short hop from seared to raw.

[katbert]

I second Katie's suggestion, almost all sushi places offer sushi combos with different kinds of nigiri or rolls, and this is generally an economical way to try a basic assortment (almost always including tuna, salmon, yellowtail).

If you're feeling adventurous, nigiri will always give you a much clearer sensory experience (texture, taste, smell) of the fish because you're getting a slice of it on top of the rice. If you're feeling kind of ehh maybe I'll dip my toes in, rolls often have all sorts of other things going on (sesame, nori, flying fish roe, crunchy tempura bits, veggies, etc). This is not to say that rolls aren't delicious in their own right.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the spicy tuna roll b/c the filling is almost always a mushed up pasty kind of texture (actually kind of tasty, but I like to see my fish), but Morimoto's is a regular tuna roll with the addition of the spicy slather and it's terrific. Mmm, sushi.

[Tim Dolan]

I did it. Last night I went out and tried sushi, and now I am a wiser man than I was yesterday.

I do not like sushi.

I didn't hate it though. It just seems like it will take some getting used to. We went to the small sushi bar right inside the Manayunk Brew Pub, where our sushi was prepared by an excellent tutor named Chef Eddie. Chef Eddie a Japanese man who can understand English but has a hard time speaking it, which oddly enough made me feel like this guy was the real thing. When I told Chef that me and my girlfriend were trying sushi for the first time, he enthusiastically walked us through the process. I thought that was pretty cool.

I didn't want to order a bunch of rolls stuffed with too many ingredients, I wanted the real thing, so we ordered two pieces of maguro (tuna), sake (salmon), a crab stick and a Philadelphia roll as a "safety net" of sorts. My girlfriend really liked the crab stick, which really wasn't a shocker because she loves crab and it's cooked. Pretty simple. Now it was my turn...

Chef Eddie had poured me a little bowl of soy sauce, took some wasabi and mixed it around with some chopsticks. For my first piece, the maguro, he told me not to worry about the chopsticks and to pick it up with my hand, then dip the tuna in to the soy mixture fish-side down. Then, he told me to put the whole piece down the hatch. It was pretty much on point with the video that Cherie has posted further up. So what happened?

First let me say that the tuna looked great. It was a nice, finger-long slice of ruby red fish over rice. This was the piece of sushi that made me want to try it in the first place. So down it went.

As I was raising my hand to put the tuna in my mouth, my mind began throwing a full-on mutiny at me. "What are you doing?!?! That is RAW FISH you're about to put in your mouth, are you CRAZY?!?!?!" Regardless, half a second later the tuna was in my mouth. For a brief second it was almost a sensory overload. I just didn't know what to expect. First I tasted the soy, which I immediately didn't like. Next was a little heat from the wasabi, which wasn't bad. Then I began to feel the texture of the tuna.

This is the hurdle that I just cannot clear.

As I began to chew, I could not shake the thought that I was eating a piece of raw chicken. But I soldiered on. After I got the first piece down, I thought that maybe the soy and wasabi had ruined it, so I gamely went for the second piece. The first piece was also rather large, a whole mouthful, so I figured that I would take a smaller bite.

It was definitely better without the soy and wasabi, but still, the texture was just too much for me to handle. I still got it down, as not to disrespect Chef Eddie, who was getting the hint that I was struggling. He was still encouraging me though. Next up I went for the safety net, the Philadelphia roll. This wasn't bad, but as I was eating it the texture of the salmon kept the alarm ringing in my head.

My girlfriend tried to back out after seeing me have a tough time but I wasn't about to let her get away with that. I guilt-tripped into having a piece of the Philadelphia roll, but her results unfortunately were the same as mine.

So overall, even though I didn't like the sushi, it was a damn good experience. For me, even trying the sushi was a monumental accomplishment. Maybe after I grow up a little bit more I'll give it a shot again.

p.s. That's not a typo when I said "raw chicken" earlier. That's really what I was thinking.

Edited July 22, 2006 by Tim Dolan (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Tim:

Sushi can definitely be an acquired texture, if not an acquired taste for some.

Try the tamago, egg custard thing. It's an omelet on rice. Completely harmless. I promise.

Bravo to you for being brave. Keep trying. I think you'll find some things you like once you get over the textural issue. And there's always the cooked Japanese food at the restaurant as well. Maybe girlfriend can enjoy sushi while you have some tempura and teryaki?

[mrbigjas]

if it makes you feel any better, i totally felt the same way the first few times i tried sushi. i know exactly what you're talking about--the feeling like it's raw chicken, or really whatever it is, that gut-level revulsion that says "this is just something you shouldn't be eating."

and you know, i know you're supposed to eat sushi in one bite and all, but it really doesn't help when you're starting off that you have this giant mouthful of raw fish. it's like, if they would make smaller bits so you could get your feet wet before diving in or something...

but anyway, what i can tell you is that if you can soldier on through a few more times, you might end up liking it.

oh and also re: the soy and wasabi--a lot of times with sushi the chef will put a little dab of wasabi under the fish itself. and then the soy is just kinda like salt on a western table--a seasoning that you can use if you'd like, but you don't have to at all. i often don't.