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The Ultimate Sushi guide for Newbies and Culinary Experts

sushifaq.com — This is a great to all thing Sushi. I'm not just a California Roll guy, but this is a great guide for a killer Sushi experience.

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  • jenniface, on 10/11/2007, -4/+27Why aren't there any sushi restaurants open at midnight? This website is making my mouth water just thinking about sushi.
    • cesarandreu, on 10/11/2007, -3/+15At least there are sushi places where you live... I don't know any places near me. I would have to travel like 2 hours on car to get to a place. :(
    • HenvY, on 10/11/2007, -31/+1Am I the only one who thought the end of the title read cunnilingus experts upon first glance?
    • unknownsoldierX, on 10/11/2007, -5/+25@HenvY

      If it smells like fish, don't eat it. That goes for sushi and the other thing.
    • wwwdot1jesdotus, on 10/11/2007, -0/+15Sushi is awesome when it's good and gross when it's not. Have a bit of saki with it and you're all set.
    • Atom, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6I just started getting into Sushi and I must say that this has answered alot of my initial questions. Ill eat a little more comfortably knowing exactly what I'm eating.
    • dasilva333, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2does anyone have a site with pretty pics of sushi? something like a recipe/menu guide for @ home making ?
    • ubuwalker31, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4@unknownsoldierx (#6978788)
      So very true. If it smells fishy, or g-d forbid, like it is rotting or like poop, send it back. This happens at even very good restaurants, especially when it gets warm out. I ordered sushi yesterday, and it was 15 minutes late, and when I took a bite, I immediately spit it out. I called the place in mid-town nyc, and had them pick it back up, and give me a refund.
    • Juke, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4@wwwdot1jesdotus

      It's Sake
      ke pronounced like Kevin
    • drakz, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2@ dasilva333: Try sushiday.com . They have lots of good pictures and recipes, plus sushi news and how-to's.
    • drakz, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Sorry, here's the link: http://sushiday.com
    • AegisGFX, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2Ummmm, anything with wasabi on it tastes like wasabi.
    • PsychoticClown, on 10/11/2007, -8/+1Here's the only guide you'll ever need:

      1. Sushi is raw, uncooked fish.

      2. Ugh.

      Seminar over.
    • khyberkitsune, on 10/11/2007, -5/+3@PsychoticClown

      Back to the circus with you. Sushi is preserved fish, Sashimi is raw fish. You're a tard, now put your makeup on and go back to the animals with the other tards!

      I didn't even read the article and I know this, my first job being an apprenticed Oriental chef. Moron.
    • thailand1972, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4@khyberkitsune, I'm not sure what you mean by 'preserved', but I do remember my many experiences in my local kaitenzushi (sushi bar where dishes move on a conveyor belt) where I ate maguro sushi that was freshly cut from large parts of tuna steak (I could see the chef right in front of me doing this) - and it was obviously raw. To me, the difference between sushi and sashimi is the way it's served - sushi is on vinegared rice, sashimi is typically served on shredded daikon - but the fish is the same (be it salmon (sake), tuna (maguro), or mackrel (saba)). Not saying sushi doesn't use preserved fish sometimes, just that this is not the distinguishing factor between sushi and sashimi. In fact, saba tends to be pickled whether you eat it as sashimi or sushi.
    • AjaxDiggz, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2I'm saying this is far from the ultimate sushi guide for all the things it leaves out. Just my opinion, of course.
  • LarianLeQuella, on 10/11/2007, -1/+32I LOVE Sushi, but GAH, what a horrible website (not that I'm one to talk). Although it's an awesome resource. /drool
    • eleven, on 10/11/2007, -4/+7google adsense much - I could barely figure out what I was looking at.
    • zybch, on 10/11/2007, -4/+1Why the hell aren't you using Adblock and/or a modified Hosts file to eliminate adsense and all other adverts?
    • ngmcs8203, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3It definitely won't be effected by the Digg monster as quickly as other image heavy sites.
    • gahal, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4I actually went to RTFA, and after a few seconds thought "***** it, I'll just scan the comments".
      That page hurts to look at.
  • SambekZX, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1Something not in the guide: I heard that the proper way to grab a piece of sushi with chopsticks is to twist your hand upside down (wrist rotating counter-clockwise) and then take the sushi. That way, when you revert your hand right side up, the fish is on the bottom ready to be dipped in the shoyu. Dipping the rice part in the shoyu could cause over-absorption, making it too salty.
  • mynameistim, on 10/11/2007, -1/+9there are PLENTY of sushi restaurants open at midnight by me. and that website sucks.
  • markopolo2952, on 10/11/2007, -4/+11site sucks.
    sushi rocks.

    SAKE BOMBING FTW
    • vkashen, on 10/11/2007, -5/+5Why does the site suck? it looks pretty good to me, nice and simple, unlike those flashy, fancy looking sites with no substance. This guy mentions everything, I think it's pretty cool.
  • jaynedoe, on 10/11/2007, -11/+1eww, sushi is gross
  • stronglikedan, on 10/11/2007, -5/+1I love the "sushi etiquette" section. Ignore it though. Here's some real sushi etiquette for you:
    "You are paying a butt load of money for cheap fish so arrive, order, dine, and wrap it up however you see fit; you're the customer."
  • Lawbird123, on 10/11/2007, -7/+1i hate opening up a page and finding nothing but a ***** logo and a ton of text!!! >:0
  • cocoamix, on 10/11/2007, -3/+6As much as I love sushi, I won't order certain items like bluefin toro. It's in danger of total collapse and extinction.

    http://www.bigmarinefish.com/bluefin.html
    Also, at about $10 a piece, it's not worth it to me.

    Sad thing is that it will probably be eaten to extinction. Thus people are scrambling to try it while they can, which further hastens its demise.

    • jewdiknight, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4well now that you told me about it, I have to make a point to eat it before it goes to extinction. Thanks for doing your part.
  • AZNL473ncy, on 10/11/2007, -5/+1I think the website could go through with some better design, but it's good. FYI I hate anyone who orders California Rolls (There's more to sushi than California rolls, although I do enjoy the occasional California Roll here and there, I love nigiri and maki and sashimi)

    California Rolls are "poor mans sushi", although I don't have too much against it.
  • baalzebub, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugu
  • heysuburbia, on 10/11/2007, -4/+3All I saw on that page was "Ads by Google"
  • perfectfire, on 10/11/2007, -1/+12What's with California roll hate? My mother is Japanese and that's the only kind of sushi we got growing up. We couldn't exactly afford to blow 60 bucks per person on raw fish, but this was before people discovered that the way to (pretend to) be rich was through massive amounts of debt.
    • dancallahan, on 10/11/2007, -1/+11California Roll is the intro sushi. So I think people hate on it because they like to think they've grown past it or somesuch.
    • RRJackson, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4California rolls are made with imitation crab. Imitation crab (Surimi) is some nasty, nasty stuff. Not bad for you or anything, as far as I know, but it's kind of a generic whitefish that's been pureed, poured into molds and dyed to look like crab meat.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surimi

    • michaelfitz, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Surimi is gross- always order real crab instead of it.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surimi

      "White-fleshed fish (such as pollock or hake) that has been pulverized to a paste and attains a rubbery texture when cooked. The term is also commonly applied to similar food products made from lean meat in a similar process."

      YUCK. Imitation Crab is like what gelatin was before Jello- powdered fish.
    • smackhero, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1i used to love California rolls with caviar. however, since i really started getting into sushi (i used to be afraid to eat raw fish), i've stopped liking California rolls as much. they're still good if made well, but there's just so much more out there other than the California roll which many people limit themselves to. and i've also really grown to like raw fish, so that's another reason why i'm not as into them anymore.

      if you're one of those people who sticks to California rolls (and really likes them) don't be afraid to try the other stuff that contains raw fish. part of the fun of sushi for me is having great variety and trying new things. and it's not like California rolls are that much cheaper than the other types of sushi at most restaurants. if you only eat sushi once in a while, might as well treat yourself, right?
  • floppyparty, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4I went to the site and thought I had somehow stumbled upon Craigslist. I'd like the information to organized a little differently and represented with a lot more visuals to be my "ultimate" guide.
    • usrlocalbin, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Word!
      having more pictures would kick ass.

      Great site still though!
  • trer, on 10/11/2007, -15/+5Big Macs > Sushi

    AMERICA. ***** YEAH.
    • usrlocalbin, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8Jesus christ man.....I HOPE you are joking....
    • DruSam, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5Actually, he might be on to something...McSushiMac anyone? I'm just waiting for McDonald's to defile some more of the world's greatest delicacies.
  • albiniak, on 10/11/2007, -2/+0- if you don't want to see Google Ads, get FireFox with AdBlock Plus. I didn't see an ad on that page.
    - dugg for a GREAT source to find sushi grade fish for sushi@home.

    nice!
    -_-
  • usrlocalbin, on 10/11/2007, -7/+1Something about eating/drinking at restraunts/bars.

    I never knew this till meeting my girlfriend who is a bartender and who was a waitress for a few years.

    Each sale a person makes is taxed. If I buy a $4.00 beer at a bar, that bartender is taxed (here 8%) on that sale. If I don't leave them a tip at all, they loose money by serving me. This goes for food, beer, wine, etc (Anything you get at a bar/restraunt)
    I've heard of people racking up a $100 dollar alcohol bill and leaving a $2.00 tip. So basically the bartender spent quite a bit of time serving you drinks, and lost money doing so. Remember the rule of thumb, 'double the tax for tip'. Thats roughly 15-16%. Don't stiff the people that bring you drinks and food.
    Just wanted to throw this out there because a lot of people don't know that. I'm sure if there's any digger's who are in the food/drink business will appreciate this info being put out here.

    Another thing I've learned by being at the bars a LOT........Tipping very well usually has its rewards.
    There's a bar I regular where I'll drink a few beers, a few shots and maybe a cocktail or two.....I'll get my tab, and it's only 10 bucks.
    Can't beat that by dropping a $20 here and there.

    • Error601, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3That's not the same everywhere. Here you get the tax added to your bill. They do have to pay income tax which they estimate from sales, but that averages out. I don't know anyone that claims what they make anyway. Still tip because they don't get much in the way of wages.
    • will592, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Ummm, no offense usrlocalbin ... but no one is losing money in a bar on drinks. Regardless of whether or not you leave a tip on a $4 glass of beer or an $8 shot of tequila they are not going in the red.
    • ubuwalker31, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2@usrlocalbin (#6979199)
      Unless the bartender owns the business, the bartender isn't being taxed...the restaurant is collecting tax that you owe to the state. The bartender gets paid by the hour. If you tip the bartender, his hourly pay goes up. A good bartender makes hundreds of dollars a day. I've heard of scams where restaurants collect tax and credit card charges out of employees wages...but I can't imagine this being legal.
  • Error601, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2The article makes the good point of don't worry too much about the etiquette. It's your meal so do what you like. There is only a couple useful ones:

    If you're open to any kind of fish, order a few sashimi slices first and ask for chef's choice. That lets him tell you what his best quality fish he has right now. Then you can order your sushi based on that.

    Sashimi is chopstick food and sushi is finger food. It's just easier to handle that way but no one will freak if you use chopsticks to pick up the sushi. I got some sushi in Manila and they didn't even give me chopsticks.

    You can drink right out of your soup bowl if you want although other people might look at you funny.

    Ask for the "real wasabi" as a lot of it is really green colored mustard and horseradish. It might cost you more but worth a try if you haven't had it.

    If you dip your sushi in soy sauce, dip only the top part with the fish. Dipping the rice will make it fall apart.
  • bloodytemplar, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5Tried it once on a business trip with some colleagues who were real hardcore sushi connoisseurs. That was probably a mistake. They had me trying things that I don't even want to think about. It didn't taste BAD by any means, but my psychological blocks regarding the unusual uncooked critters I was going to eat made it really difficult to swallow. Basically, I had to down every bite with a drink of tea. The itamae thought all this was all freakin' hilarious. He jokingly (and gently) insulted my manhood, saying I must be a chronic masturbator because I obviously wasn't manly enough to get a woman. :)

    That said, it was basically enjoyable. Not sure I'd do it again, but I'm glad I did it that one time.
    • usrlocalbin, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Dugg you up for saying "chronic masturbator"

      lol
  • digitallysick, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2I tried to eat it, but the whole time i had "raw fish" just running through my head, it took everything i had to hold it down. I guess its a an American mental block
    • Error601, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Hardest one I had was some kind of fried fish I got in southeast Asia. I was thinking a filet like you'd get around here. Nope...whole fish with head and tail that had been gutted through the mouth.
  • Anomaly427, on 10/11/2007, -6/+3Buried for mentioning "California Roll" and "Ultimate sushi" in the same sentence. California roll is cheap hand food created OUTSIDE Japan. Same as all that throwing food around at fake "Japanese" Teppanyaki restaurants. Never happens in Japan.

    (Long time Tokyo resident)
    • Error601, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2So? Food has historically always been from the blending of cultures. Do you hate Cajun too?
    • AgentofId, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4buried Anomaly427's comment for his being an elitist prick. WE ALL KNOW that the California roll wasn't created in Japan... but guess what? It's a good, relatively non-scary entry point for people who have never had sushi before. Then again, I guess if you're a long-time resident of Tokyo (and I'm guessing a chubby anime nerd with a big enough j-obsession to make the move) you can afford to look down your nose at it, eh?

      Perhaps you could write "The Ultimate Sushi Guide for Elitists, Purists, and Other Jackasses Out to Rain on Everyone's Parade" for us? You seem rather knowledgeable on the subject...
    • krebcycle, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Actually most sushi as the world knows it now, especially the nigiri, is essentially an American creation starting in the early 70's.
  • KiloCharley, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3The person that discovered "Sushi" ?
    a) too lazy to build a fire, or...
    b) so hungry he ate his 'bait'
  • S3dative, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1Wow what a terrible website.
  • Nlewis4, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I absolutely love sushi. I am so happy that there is a really nice and high quality sushi bar in my area.

    Thanks for this link. It's time I start making my own Uramaki Maguro

    I bet the majority of people bashing sushi on here are just too afraid to try it
  • LogicalThinker, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1Another important tip:

    Stay Away from **[MOST] Korean owned Sushi restaurants. You can tell because none of the sushi chefs speak Japanese and they have some crazy weird sushi rolls that the Japanese sushi chefs would never serve, unless they were desperate. Some are good, but from my personal experience, the quality, freshness and presentation aren't as good as the Japanese counterparts.

    For example, Kabuki (found in the LA area) is popular, but their sushi taste like *****!

    Stay away from fast-food sushi places as well. There are bunch of them in Los Angeles, and they all taste like *****.

    Also Korean owned restaurants have weird Japanese-like names but make absolutely no sense at all.



    • michaelfitz, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1yup- most Korean-owned places in my area suck, plus I've gotten sick from one ("Sushi Town").
    • michaelfitz, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1rofl- dugg down by the pro-Korean sushi mafia!
  • LogicalThinker, on 10/11/2007, -3/+0I'm with you on this one.
    California rolls......as well as Philadelphia rolls, Rainbow rolls, etc are NOT real Japanese sushi. Some crazy dude in America invented those rolls because Americans are easily impressed with "pretty and exotic" looks and not the actual taste.

    You won't see real sushi fans ordering these rolls because you get a mesh-mash of flavors and you wont be able to enjoy each of the delicate (fish) flavors.
  • tedc, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2And if you're still confused about sushi, there's always the "instructional video"...

    http://www.youtube.com/v/E8c2fMDatoU
  • morningmatters, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2What's up with all of the Sushi elitist comments? While it's true that Japanese people don't eat Sushi all that much and most of the fancy rolls were created in the US, some of these rolls do taste good.
    • doyama, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3It's not really an elitist thing. It's more that it has now gotten to the point where people ONLY eat makis instead of sushi. Thus these places have no incentive to carry any decent or expensive sushi since their customers don't eat it. This just perpetrates the problem that sushi is too 'fishy' for people when in reality sushi carries such subtle flavors that its barely fishy at all.
    • smackhero, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1^exactly.

      what's with people complaining about "sushi elitists" in every other comment. except for maybe one comment on here making fun of california rolls, no one seems to be being elitist or snobby, just trying to educate people that there's more to sushi than what most westerners are commonly exposed to. this is for your benefit. seems more like some overly sensitive people are getting too offended by the suggestion that a true sushi lover might try more than one specific kind popular sushi in america.

      i personally wish someone would have urged me to try something other than California rolls years ago. not that i look down on people who eat California rolls as i love a good California roll once in a while too, but now that i've discovered that raw fish can actually taste quite good, i have a much more enjoyable sushi-eating experience these days.
  • viviwanu, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2Has anyone tried whales and dolphins? The Japanese do kill a lot of them every year, unapologetically.
    • doyama, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I had dolphin one time in the Caribbean waaaay before anyone really cared about dolphins. It was in a soup so I can't really say much about the flavor or texture.
  • dodus, on 10/11/2007, -2/+0Well, it's official, sushi has jumped the ***** out of the shark.
  • doyama, on 11/08/2007, -0/+8If you want some general advice on how to order sushi

    1) Start with the white meat fishes and generally ones with less fat. Then work your way up to the fatty things like tuna and salmon. If you start the night off with salmon, the sushi guy will know you're a noob and give you all the crap cuts of fish since you won't know any better.
    2) A general rule: avoid restaurants with Japanese cities or Sushi in their name. 95% of the time they are crap.
    3) Avoid places that have a whole list of maki rolls available. Some is fine, but if they have a bible full of maki rolls it probably means they don't bother to carry any fresh fish. Because most people order the makis, they have little incentive to carry the good and expensive fish.
    4) Treat the sushi guy with respect. Unlike a waiter, the guy you talk to has direct control over your food. If he likes you he will guide you accordingly to or away from some fish. If he tells you the salmon isn't good today that's a good thing!
    5) Sushi should not smell or taste 'fishy'. If its fishy it means its BAD! I've seen many people turned off to sushi initially, but if you take them to a real place they are surprised by how non-fishy sushi is. Sushi is subtle tasting food, not punch you in the face food.
    6) Unfortunately you cannot get good sushi cheap. You can get decent sushi cheap don't get me wrong. But if you really want the good stuff then you will have to pay for it.
  • rumbl3r, on 10/11/2007, -4/+0Dolphin & whale murderers!
  • clearzen, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I love sushi. Thanks for the link, this goes on my bookmarks for sure.
  • honey9874, on 08/02/2008, -0/+0Sushi King is just bad!

    http://www.fabsculinaryarts.cn
    http://www.expensiveculinary.cn
    Better foods here.
  • weiyaowang, on 08/20/2008, -0/+0I like Sushi food,I will blog them to my cookware site: http://www.stainless-steel-cookware.com
    so thank you.Also you will find compare price of cookware,pots and pans and other kitchen utensils...
  •  

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