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Tell Me About Sushi
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Laminar
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Jul 31, 2008, 01:28 AM
 
My girlfriend offhandedly mentioned that she'd like to go sushi sometime. She's only had it once before and I haven't ever, so I really don't know what to look for in a sushi place, the general idea of what to order, etc. Would this be a "main course" type of meal or should we eat somewhere else first and get sushi later? What's good to order? Any other tips/tricks/suggestions?
     
macdef
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Jul 31, 2008, 01:47 AM
 
Don't know that either, can't you find anything useful on line?
     
ort888
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Jul 31, 2008, 02:00 AM
 
Sushi is a meal all to itself. Most places will have some sort of big sample platter thing you can order that has a bit of everything. If you are afraid of sushi, you can also just get chicken teriyaki or something. Get a few rolls on the side and see how it goes. It's definitely an acquired taste.

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Randman
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Jul 31, 2008, 02:10 AM
 
Go to a Japanese steakhouse and get some sushi sampler on the side. Tuna, crab, shrimp are all safe. Have some Katsu Curry don or tepanaki and enjoy.

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Sage
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Jul 31, 2008, 02:32 AM
 
1.5–2 rolls is usually enough for lunch (especially if you get free edamame beforehand). Personally, I think it’s somewhat of a waste of money to eat sushi unless you go for something that you don’t normally eat – e.g., I like to get yellowtail and fried eel. But if you’re squeamish, there’s no shame in ordering tuna.
     
Brien
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Jul 31, 2008, 04:10 AM
 
Yellowtail is excellent, as is Eel. Salmon sushi (with salmon roe) is equally good. Most places, at least here in Southern California, seem to have *decent* sushi. The truly great places seem to be few and far between but a site like Yelp might be able to steer you in the right direction.

I agree it's probably best to order something more conservative and get sushi on the side if you're hesitant, as sushi is definitely an acquired taste for most people. I suppose if you really don't like it she can eat it or you can douse it with wasabi.
     
Rumor
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Jul 31, 2008, 05:27 AM
 
To be honest, if I were in Iowa, I wouldn't even think about eating sushi or sashimi. You want it as fresh as possible.
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vmarks
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Jul 31, 2008, 07:31 AM
 
For the non-adventurous, eat vegetable rolls, california rolls, avocado rolls.

The point of sushi is that you're trying to achieve a balance of the salty, the sweet, the spicy and the mild, in one bite.

Cleanse your palate with the pickled ginger first.

place a small amount of wasabi in soy and mix it.

Place your roll in the soy partially, and eat it.

I should mention that I had fantastic sushi in Ohio. It's about the chef, and about the freshness of the fish. No reason it couldn't be done in Iowa.
     
OreoCookie
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Jul 31, 2008, 08:05 AM
 
One more thing: the good sushi is not the one you probably have in mind, maki, the one wrapped in sea weed. You should get the ones where fish is on top (nigiri), much, much better. (There are a few exceptions, most notably salmon roe and uni, sea urchin.)

Are you comfortable with chop sticks? If not, don't worry about it, I'm sure that'll give you tons to talk about during your date
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Uncle Doof
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Jul 31, 2008, 08:37 AM
 
Originally Posted by Laminar View Post
My girlfriend offhandedly mentioned that she'd like to go sushi sometime. Any other tips/tricks/suggestions?
Learn to keep better control of your woman.
If you don't want to be eaten, stop acting like food
     
Wiskedjak
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Jul 31, 2008, 08:46 AM
 
Originally Posted by Brien View Post
Yellowtail is excellent, as is Eel. Salmon sushi (with salmon roe) is equally good. Most places, at least here in Southern California, seem to have *decent* sushi. The truly great places seem to be few and far between but a site like Yelp might be able to steer you in the right direction.

I agree it's probably best to order something more conservative and get sushi on the side if you're hesitant, as sushi is definitely an acquired taste for most people. I suppose if you really don't like it she can eat it or you can douse it with wasabi.
I don't know that it's so much the taste that's acquired, as much as the *idea*. There's nothing funny about the taste, but the idea of eating uncooked fish really affects people.
     
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Jul 31, 2008, 08:58 AM
 
Originally Posted by Rumor View Post
To be honest, if I were in Iowa, I wouldn't even think about eating sushi or sashimi. You want it as fresh as possible.
Words of wisdom. Eat what's fresh in Iowa.

Also, don't eat Yellowfin Tuna. Stocks are under serious pressure and in danger of collapsing.
     
Eug
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Jul 31, 2008, 10:32 AM
 
Originally Posted by vmarks View Post
For the non-adventurous, eat vegetable rolls, california rolls, avocado rolls.

The point of sushi is that you're trying to achieve a balance of the salty, the sweet, the spicy and the mild, in one bite.

Cleanse your palate with the pickled ginger first.

place a small amount of wasabi in soy and mix it.

Place your roll in the soy partially, and eat it.
Interestingly, my sister and my friends have been to this uber high end Japanese restaurant in Vancouver. They do not provide wasabi to the customers, and if you ask for it it's considered an insult.

They say that if there is a requirement for wasabi, then there is just a touch added to the fish by the chef himself. If the fish is fresh then there should be no need to add more wasabi. In any case, most wasabi you get in North America isn't really wasabi anyway. It's horseradish and other stuff.
     
Jawbone54
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Jul 31, 2008, 10:47 AM
 
I've been very adventurous with sushi, and have tried it many times. The problem is that I've never tasted anything at a sushi bar that was even close to as good as some twice-baked lasagna, a nice ribeye, or some really good Chinese food.

Let us know how your little escapade goes.
     
Dork.
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Jul 31, 2008, 12:24 PM
 
I love sushi. I prefer raw salmon to coked salmon any day! But roe (essentially, fish eggs) is an acquired taste that I haven't acquired yet.

Most sushi places will have a generic "sushi lunch" or "sushi dinner" on the menu, with a pretty good assortment of things. Don't hesitate to ask the waiter what everything is when he brings the tray to you!
     
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Jul 31, 2008, 12:30 PM
 
get the Fugu
45/47
     
zombie punk
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Jul 31, 2008, 12:50 PM
 
Originally Posted by Laminar View Post
My girlfriend offhandedly mentioned that she'd like to go sushi sometime.
It's impossible to describe this position in a way which is safe for work, but if you google it, you can get pictures. It's quite acrobatic, and not for the faint hearted. Good luck!
     
Laminar  (op)
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Jul 31, 2008, 01:30 PM
 
Originally Posted by Mastrap View Post
Words of wisdom. Eat what's fresh in Iowa.
I enjoy a nice ribeye or pork chop occasionally, but it's always fun to try something new.

Thanks for the advice. I think it'll be fun.
     
Randman
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Jul 31, 2008, 01:49 PM
 
Originally Posted by Eug View Post
Interestingly, my sister and my friends have been to this uber high end Japanese restaurant in Vancouver. They do not provide wasabi to the customers, and if you ask for it it's considered an insult.

They say that if there is a requirement for wasabi, then there is just a touch added to the fish by the chef himself. If the fish is fresh then there should be no need to add more wasabi. In any case, most wasabi you get in North America isn't really wasabi anyway. It's horseradish and other stuff.
That's very Japanese. Real Japanese. in Japan, the chefs pre-determine what condiments, wasabi, etc, go with each piece. There are a few "Western" sushi joints where you can do the wasabi stem, etc., yourself but the quality isn't as good.

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GSixZero
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Jul 31, 2008, 03:36 PM
 
Originally Posted by Rumor View Post
To be honest, if I were in Iowa, I wouldn't even think about eating sushi or sashimi. You want it as fresh as possible.
While I agree that you want fresh fish, don't be fooled by the illusion that because you live near the ocean that the awesome fresh fish you're eating was caught anywhere near you. I live in Seattle, but I eat sushi in Denver that rivals what I can find here. Freshness and quality are more about how much you're willing to pay rather than how far you live from the ocean.

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Eug
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Jul 31, 2008, 03:45 PM
 
A lot of sushi restaurants use previously frozen fish. This includes restaurants in coastal cities.

I guess the silver lining is there is a lesser chance of getting infected with parasites with previously frozen fish.
     
Jens Peter
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Jul 31, 2008, 04:41 PM
 
Avoid chicken-sushi

Personally, I like sushi. Had it both in restaurants and home made. And its great fun to have some friends over, and make your own sushi

About the frozen fish; here in Denmark its a requirement that the fish used to make sushi have been frozen to kill whatever bacteria in the meat.
     
Eug
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Jul 31, 2008, 04:49 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jens Peter View Post
Avoid chicken-sushi

Personally, I like sushi. Had it both in restaurants and home made. And its great fun to have some friends over, and make your own sushi

About the frozen fish; here in Denmark its a requirement that the fish used to make sushi have been frozen to kill whatever bacteria in the meat.
So what do they do with uni?

Anyways, it's more for the parasites, which are more susceptible to the freezing than the bacteria might be.

I'm not sure if it's a requirement here or not. I just note that some restaurants do not.
     
vmarks
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Jul 31, 2008, 07:15 PM
 
You never ask for condiments. You eat as the chef prepared. To do otherwise is to suggest the chef is in error, and rude. But if the place provides green horseradish you can hardly be faulted for using it.
     
@pplejaxkz
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Jul 31, 2008, 08:00 PM
 
Tell Me About Sushi
I think it's raw fish...don't quote meh =]
---
Never tried it, although I hate all seafood so why bother eating raw seafood.
     
Randman
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Jul 31, 2008, 08:04 PM
 
Originally Posted by @pplejaxkz View Post
I think it's raw fish...don't quote meh =]
---
Never tried it, although I hate all seafood so why bother eating raw seafood.
Which is why you're posting in a thread on sushi.

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- - e r i k - -
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Aug 1, 2008, 01:11 AM
 
Sushi =/!= Sashimi.

Sushi comes in many varieties. Go to a Sushi-train and pick and choose. It's not scary and not hard.

How do you live to be whatever age you are without having been exposed to it once?

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Laminar  (op)
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Aug 1, 2008, 01:58 AM
 
Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - View Post
Sushi =/!= Sashimi.

Sushi comes in many varieties. Go to a Sushi-train and pick and choose. It's not scary and not hard.

How do you live to be whatever age you are without having been exposed to it once?
22. I grew in po-dunk Iowa with exactly one grocery store, one gas station, and one bar. I go to a college where most students are from rural areas and major in engineering or something ag-related. The nearest city that might even have sushi is at least an hour drive away, and we pretty much never went there.

I'd be surprised if I had been exposed to sushi.
     
Ratm
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Aug 1, 2008, 08:50 PM
 
No biggie whether you have or haven't tried it, don't sweat it. You should really do a little research online on how to eat sushi properly but more importantly how to work the chopsticks to the point where you can actually get the food in your mouth. It's gotten to the point to where I prefer to use them instead of a fork. Stabing and hacking your food feels a little barbric compared to chopsticks. Some info before hand will make the process easier if you know what goes with what and many of the combinations to try to max the experience. Don't eat the green paste that looks like cream spinach/peas.....that would be wasabi. If you like your food spicy then give it a try. I did warn you ahead of time. But if your girl punks you, suck it up and be a man and say your prayers.

Sushi....will change your life. Change is good. So don't fear the raw fish.Saki Bomb! while you there.
( Last edited by Ratm; Aug 1, 2008 at 09:02 PM. )
     
Ratm
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Aug 1, 2008, 09:06 PM
 
Originally Posted by vmarks View Post
For the non-adventurous, eat vegetable rolls, california rolls, avocado rolls.

The point of sushi is that you're trying to achieve a balance of the salty, the sweet, the spicy and the mild, in one bite.

Cleanse your palate with the pickled ginger first.

place a small amount of wasabi in soy and mix it.

Place your roll in the soy partially, and eat it..
Very good advice right here. But the point of going to a sushi bar is the fish or eel. Your first experience should be the fish, after that, go for the Cali roll or veggi.
     
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Aug 1, 2008, 11:12 PM
 
     
scaught
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Aug 4, 2008, 10:35 PM
 
^
Good link.

Just for the record, I don't think anyone mentioned it, but "sushi" refers to the rice and preparation more than "raw fish" or whatever. That is to say, vegetarian sushi (no fish) is perfectly acceptable as 'sushi'.
     
- - e r i k - -
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Aug 4, 2008, 11:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by scaught View Post
Just for the record, I don't think anyone mentioned it,
I did

Anyway, that's a great link. Some tips there I didn't know.

There's no explanation for why you can't rub together your chopsticks It's pretty much a necessity unless you want splinters in your lip

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KeriVit
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Aug 4, 2008, 11:02 PM
 
I'm ready to progress from my safe California Rools, Spider Rolls, etc. What's my next step?
     
- - e r i k - -
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Aug 4, 2008, 11:07 PM
 
Tuna rolls?

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KeriVit
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Aug 4, 2008, 11:10 PM
 
Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - View Post
I did

Anyway, that's a great link. Some tips there I didn't know.

There's no explanation for why you can't rub together your chopsticks It's pretty much a necessity unless you want splinters in your lip

The chopsticks at my sushi bar are enameled (i guess) no splinters. So maybe that's what they mean.
     
- - e r i k - -
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Aug 4, 2008, 11:13 PM
 
Most sushi bars and other asian places here have single use wooden ones. They will give you splinters if you don't rub them :/

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KeriVit
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Aug 4, 2008, 11:20 PM
 
I see.
     
chichow
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Aug 6, 2008, 03:00 AM
 
Back in Asia to be env. friendly, I brought my own chopsticks.
     
Eug
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Aug 6, 2008, 10:22 PM
 
Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - View Post
Most sushi bars and other asian places here have single use wooden ones. They will give you splinters if you don't rub them :/
The higher end restaurants often don't use those. I liken them to plastic forks in a restaurant (almost).

The lower end ones do, but since they're lower end, they don't really care what you do with them. However, I have never felt the need to rub them together, and I have never gotten a splinter from them either.
     
Sage
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Aug 6, 2008, 11:26 PM
 
Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - View Post
IThere's no explanation for why you can't rub together your chopsticks It's pretty much a necessity unless you want splinters in your lip
That’s more of a rule for if you’re eating at someone’s house or if you’re at a higher-end restaurant – rubbing them together implies that they’re cheap chopsticks, and if you’re at a person’s house or an expensive restaurant, they should be giving you smooth, non-disposable chopsticks.
     
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Aug 6, 2008, 11:35 PM
 
Thanks for that explanation. It makes sense. I only rub together the cheap choppers

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Laminar  (op)
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Aug 9, 2008, 03:55 PM
 
Well, we gave it a shot last night. I tried a Philadelphia roll and Shrimp Tempura, both of which were very good. We're definitely going again.
     
Randman
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Aug 10, 2008, 02:06 AM
 
Originally Posted by Laminar View Post
Well, we gave it a shot last night. I tried a Philadelphia roll and Shrimp Tempura, both of which were very good. We're definitely going again.

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Aug 10, 2008, 07:41 PM
 
Originally Posted by Laminar View Post
Well, we gave it a shot last night. I tried a Philadelphia roll and Shrimp Tempura, both of which were very good. We're definitely going again.
Philly rolls are great and super easy to make at home - California rolls are simple as well. The biggest headache is all the prep work.

Two decent books on sushi: The Complete Book of Sushi & Sushi for Dummies (the Dummies recipe for sushi rice is amazingly good).
     
   
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