I think one of the most critical aspects of sushi bar experience is the interaction with the chef. No other cuisine offers such dynamic interaction between a chef and a customer. A customer has an opportunity to sit directly in front of a chef to place an order. This, creates a unique bonding experience for both the chef and the customer. Because I've been a sushi chef for over nineteen years, and worked at about ten different restaurants, here are some of the tips I can offe

This question was originally posted on Quora.com. I can think of the following reasons. 1. Inferior taste Fish in the fish tank actually taste worse. 2. Size Some fish is just too big to keep in a tank. 3. Technically challenging (to keep the fish alive in a tank) Keeping fish alive isn’t what the restaurant staff is trained to do. 4. Cost Simply it costs too much 5. Inhumane Not everyone is comfortable with eating live fish. 6. It would take too long If the fish were too big

(Photo from Wiki Media Commons) (From "How I Became A Sushi Chef: From apprentice to teacher") The following day, my Tamago training started. I finished the necessary prep. Sushi Rice, Snapper, Hirame, Maguro, and Salmon in an hour and a half. We still had thirty minutes to open. I went to the kitchen and informed Toru my required prep for the day was done. "Good, you finished all your prep, right? Come over here, then," Toru told me. He had a small notebook in his hand. "Thi

Full Sheet Sushi Nori Kan Seaweed Container Black This is what many Sushi Chefs use to store their precious Nori seaweed. Considering it's made of thin tin, some may wonder why it costs US$50? The reason is this: It takes a long time for a skilled craftsman to make this. I had a chance to visit a company showroom of this Nori Kan. They told me that they now have only one person who can (hand) make this can. The craftsman has been making the box for something like twenty or t

If you ever tried Sushi and found it so delicious, there is a scientific reason. Let me explain. This is from my recent talk at Food Science and Teach @ UC Berkeley, "The Science of Sushi." Maybe you've heard of Umami. If you haven't, it is the so-called fifth savory taste. The word originates in Japanese, "Umai", which means delicious. So, Umami loosely means Deliciousness (in my opinion). The more umami in the food, the tastier we humans find. So, which food has Umami? Chee

I was back again at Food Science and Tech @ UC Berkeley to give a talk and demonstration, "Science of Sushi." What is FST@ UC Berkeley? "Food Science and Tech at Cal aims to bring together students at UC Berkeley who share a passion for food science and related technologies. We are the first and only food science organization on campus, and work closely with the College of Chemistry and Department of Nutritional Sciences to educate about food related issues." I briefly talked

"How should we keep this Tai Snapper in the fridge? “Looking at the whole fish, I asked Toru, the executive chef at Yoshida Sushi in Hollywood. "I think we should cut the head off, store the whole thing, tightly wrapped in plastic," Toru answered. Then, Take-san walked in from the back employee entrance to the Sushi Bar. "Ohayo Gozaimasu," He greeted us. "Ohayo Gozaimasu," we greeted back to him. Just before he was about to enter the locker room, he looked back to us and said

Making Sushi Rice is one of the most important steps when making sushi. To make Sushi Rice, you need to add Sushi Vinegar to cooked rice. So, what exactly is Sushi Vinegar? A standard recipe calls for Rice Vinegar, Sugar and Salt. We use Marukan Organic Rice vinegar, Organic Cane Sugar, and Sea Salt. The ratio we use is 5:3:1 (Rice Vinegar:Sugar:Salt). If you want to purchase one, Sushi Vinegar is available at many Japanese/Asian Grocery Stores, including Mitsuwa

We know there are many people out there, who want to learn to roll sushi, traditional way. We also know that there are many people out there, who cannot be bothered with the idea of rolling traditional way. The answer? It may be Sushi Bazooka. It's a tool, which simplifies the rice rolling process, which, can be very messy and ricey, especially for the beginners. So, we say why not? Try and see if you like it. Available on Amazon. #Tools #Rolls #Sushi #News

Part 1: Nijiya Market If you live in the City (San Francisco, that is), the best retail place for you to get Sushi & Sashimi fish is Nijiya Market in Japan Town, located on Sutter and Webster, just under the bridge in Japan Town Mall. The store is rather small, with narrow aisles compared to other supermarket chains like Safeway and Wholefoods, and the entire store is packed with Japanese groceries. You can get pretty much everything you need to make Sushi at home. Sinc

California Roll has became the iconic Sushi item in US and rest of the world. As far as I know (based on the restaurants I worked for,) it is the most popular item on the menu. Even at stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, it is the most visible sushi item. So, who invented California Roll and how did it become so popular? The story I heard (and was telling people) was that one day, a sushi chef at sushi bar in Los Angeles (little Tokyo) was asked the special of the d

Earlier this year, we mentioned about Nobu Palo Alto opening soon, and now, they are hiring! #News #Sushi #Restaurants

A good introductory video for those who want to explore how to add finishing touches to your sushi. This video shows some traditional Japanese food decor techniques using cucumber and carrots. #Video #HowTo #Sushi #JapaneseFood

The story of sushi is a combination of real stories at Sushi school in Los Angles packed with some great information about history and science behind sushi. The main focus of the book is the owner of the sushi school, the instructor, and the class students, most of who never made sushi before. At the same time, the Author Trevor Carson provides solid information on the science behind the sushi like what happens to fish when it's cured in salt and vinegar like Shime techni

Sushi: Food for the eye, the body & the soul, by Ole G. Mouritsen Probably, you've never heard of Ole G. Mouritsen. I certainly never have, until I stumbled upon his book, at a local library, when I was casually browsing through cookbooks. Mouritsen is not a sushi chef. He is not even a professional chef. He is a professor of biophysics in Denmark, specializing in "statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, computer simulation techniques, phase transitions and critical phe

José Cerdá is co-owner and chef talks about his philosophy and approach in his sushi at HOZE RESTAURANT, Sweden. Stigbergsliden 17 414 63, Göteborg Sweden #Sushi #Scandinavian #Style #Restaurants #New #Design #Edomae

The annual first Tuna auction at Tsukiji Fish Market took place on January 5, with the second highest bid of $632,000. (Source: Fortune.com) #News #Sushi #Ingredients #2017

We are excited to announce Chef Kaz' second book: "Breakthrough Sushi Cook Book." In this book, Chef Kaz talks about one of the hardest challenges home chefs faced when they decided to make sushi: Getting Ingredients and tools, and where to get them like the rice cooker, knife and fresh fish.If you ever attended our sushi class, this is an excellent book to have to help you make great sushi just like you did in the class. The book is available on Amazon. #Sushi #Books #Reci

California, Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, Salmon Avocado Roll, Salmon Nigiri, Brocolli Salad, Green Salad, available at Available at Chopstixx. #Cafe #Sushi #Food

Ozumo is celebrating their 15 year anniversary this year and opening a new restaurant in San Jose in 2016, in addition to their flagship restaurants in San Francisco and Oakland. #Sushi #Restaurants #Sake #Bar