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We know there are many people out there, who want to learn to roll sushi, the traditional way. We also know that there are many people out there, who cannot be bothered with the idea of rolling the 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 pricey, especially for beginners. So, we say why not? Try and see if you like it. Available on Amazon. #Tools #Rolls #Sushi #News

Many of our clients asked us for our sake recommendations for their parties. Here is a list of what we recommended them to purchase. 1. Born Gold We discovered "Born Gold" at a restaurant show in San Francisco. "Born Gold is a draft and non-carbon filtered sake aged at 14 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 year. It has a robust body with a complex flavor and a pure, uplifting sweet ," from D Way Beverage inc. At $38 retail, this pure Junmai Daiginjyo (the highest grade) sake is a dynamite. Its smooth, clean and bold taste will go well with any type of sashimi and sushi especially salmon and white fish. Born has won numerous international sake awards including " IWC 2010" (International Wine Challenge). One of our clients said, "This tastes like a smooth Chardonnay!" Most importantly, Born has no "Added alcohol" like other sake. Did you know that most of sake has "added" alcohol after its brewed? No added alcohol means Born remains pure, and that is the reason it has won so many awards and recognition outside of Japan. 2. Wakatake Onigoroshi - "Demon Slayer" Hands down, this green bottled Sake is our client's favorite. Smooth and balanced rich in flavor, we think this goes well with virtually any Sashimi and Nigiri. “A purring nose of soft ripe fruits and twinge of citrus. From the first pass on the tip of the tongue, it is apparent that this brew is built around a perfect blend of tones such as lychee and has a gentle acidity play. Ripe cantaloupe and tropical fruit flavors and a semi citrus tingle dance through the mouth and end in a smooth and creamy aftertaste.” 3. Kubota Manju (10,000 Ostentatious-nesse) Kubota is another popular sake you can find at many top Japanese restaurants in the US. Manju, the top of the line label will never let you down. Many people described it as smooth as water - almost too smooth leaving nothing but Umami-Rich and clean aftertaste. 4. Ken (The Sword) Daiginjyo “The nose is filled with strawberry, banana, cantaloupe, and watermelon. A clean and bold Daiginjo with a snap. .. There is an abundance of crisp flavors that makes this sake a favorite of those who like a clean and balanced Daiginjo with attitude. More fruit tones come out closer to room temp.” #Recommendations #Sake

We are so glad to have Scallops from Viking Village coming back to Monterey Fish - they are absolutely our favorite, sweet and savory. The best way to eat, we think, is simple lemon juice and sea salt. Yum! #Ingredients

No, it's not snakeskin, but it's Local San Francisco King Salmon! - the Season officially started on August 1st and is expected to last until October. They are just beautiful. #SustainableFish #Ingredients #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. Since getting Sushi and Sashimi fish is the biggest hurdle for most of our sushi class attendees, we thought to guide you through this article so that you know what to look for and how to look for in the fish. 1. Location Nijiya Market, 1737 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115, 10AM-8PM (They have stores throughout California) The fish section is located all the way back to the store. After you enter through the front entrance on Sutter Street, walk all the way back, and on your left, you will find refrigerated individually packed fish there. (photo by Tiffany P., yelp) 2. What should I look for? Sushi & Sashimi fish has a label that says, "Sashimi." As you can see in the pictures below, "Sashimi Salmon," "Sashimi Tuna" is what you want to buy. They are "Saku" blocks, so you can cut sashimi, slice for nigiri, or rolls at home. (Sashimi Salmon) Be aware that Nijiya does sell Non-Sashimi Salmon. They are located right to the Sashimi fish, and the label will say just, "Salmon." If the label does not have "Sashimi" written on it, it's for cooked consumption, NOT raw consumption. If you are ever confused as to which one to buy for Sushi & Sashimi, the best approach is to ask someone at Nijiya and tell them you are looking to for Sushi & Sashimi fish. 3. Type of fish they have (availability may change, depending on the season) Tuna, Salmon, Hamachi, Uni, Tako, Scallops, Katsuo (Bonito, Skipjack), Kanpachi(Amberjack), Aji (Spanish Mackerel), Ikura, Ebi, Ama Ebi, Hokki, Mirugai (Giant Clam), Unagi (Eel), Shime Saba(Cured Mackerel), Ika (Squid), Tai (Red Snapper), Hirame Ama Ebi, Sweet Shrimp Ebi, Hokki, Izumi Dai Sashimi Platter Sashimi Platter Shime Sabe, Cured Mackerel Unagi, Fresh Water Eel 4. Sign of fresh fish First of all, not all fish tastes the best when it's fresh, like off-the-boat kind of fresh. For example, Tuna needs at least five days to up to two weeks of resting or aging before its prime. Salmon, five days. When it comes to Hirame/Halibut, at least weekly and two weeks. If it's caught on the same day, Hirame is not eatable - chewy and has no flavor. However, if it's fresh local Albacore (in California), they are fantastic when it's just off the boat. That being said, looking for fresh fish is just like looking for a fresh tomato. What would you look for in a fresh tomato? Color, firmness, shiny texture and skin. These are the same qualities you want in a fresh fish. A fresh tuna has a very nice translucent red to the dark red color, firm because it retains water in its flesh and shiny. The older it gets, it will start to lose water, and you will see so-called red "drips" in the package. The color will become "muddy" or dull. 5. When to buy and eat our fish It's best to consume the fish the same day you purchased them. They should last in your refrigerator for at least a day or two, and after that, you should either freeze them or cook them. The best way to keep the fish is on ice, tightly packed or sealed with plastic wrap, to keep the oxygen out. If it's tuna, wrap it with a paper towel and plastic wrap. Well, that's it. Hope you make a trip to Nijiya, buy fish and make enjoy Sashimi or Sushi at home! #WheretoBuyFish #Ingredients #SanFrancisco #Sushi #Sashimi

We hosted a fun Sushi Class at Pinterest HQ in San Francisco. Some of the participants placed their rolls in the shape of their company logo, "P." Very creative! #SushiClasses #Photos

From monthly Sushi Class in San Francisco at beautiful Miele Showroom Kitchen. Our next class is on September 16th. To register, go to our public classes page here. #Photos #SushiClasses

Very enthusiastic and engaging guests from Salesforce and PwC. We enjoyed hosting the class! #SushiClasses #TeamBuilding #SanFrancisco

In our previous post, we've talked about wasabi served at most sushi restaurants in the US, not being "real" wasabi. There is some fresh wasabi root imported from Japan and very little are available at retail stores. In San Francisco Bay Area, you CAN find some fresh wasabi grown right here locally, in Hal Moon Bay. They are called: Half Moon Bay Wasabi Company They are available at Tokyo Fish Market in Albany, some Nijiya Market in San Francisco, San Mateo. There are some online stores including Frogs Eye Wasabi in Oregon. #Ingredients #News

California Roll has become the iconic Sushi item in the US and the 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 a sushi bar in Los Angeles (Little Tokyo) was asked the special of the day by a regular customer. Since the chef had no special on that day, after thinking for a while, he added avocado, which was an "unusual" item at that time, to the crab hand roll. The customer liked it so much that it became a regular item on the menu. In finding out, it turned out that the story I knew was wrong. It appears now there are two stories (or inventors) for California Roll. Story #1 The most popular story goes to Ichiro Mashita of Tokyo Kaikai in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, circa 1970. It is said that Mr. Mashita substituted avocado in place of toro for its rich oily flavor. Traditional Japanese roll is seaweed out and Americans disliked the taste of chewing and texture of nori seaweed, which led to the invention of "Uramaki," an inside-out roll. How did Mr. Mashita think of adding avocado? Another story says that one of his regulars asked him to make sushi for Caucasians. At that time, most Americans never heard of sushi, let alone eating raw fish. So, Mr. Mashita thought of Avocado for their low cost and never-ending abundant year supply. Story #2 Now, this came as a shocker to many sushi fans. This second story came out in 2012. Here in this article by The Globe and Mail, a Canadian Sushi Chef (well, he actually is Japanese living in Canada), Hidekazu Tojo claimed HE is the inventor of California Roll. According to Mr. Tojo, he thought of using crab for sushi because fresh fish suitable for sushi was unavailable in Vancouver when he arrived in 1971. Also, most Westerners disliked eating seaweed, so, he made inside-out rolls to hide the flavor. Though against the Japanese tradition of seaweed out roll, many of his customers liked it. Many of Mr. Tojo's customers were from Los Angeles. They loved his crab and avocado roll, hence the name California Roll. I do have to mention that I came across several other stories and inventors of California Roll. For now, Mr. Mashita's story appears to be the most credible. Then again, I also learned that though Hanaya Yohei is credited to be the inventor of Nigiri Sushi, it also appears that there are many other "true" inventors of Nigiri Sushi. #100SurprisingFactsAboutSushi #California #Sushi #Rolls

Two of the most frequently asked questions in our Sushi Classes are: Where to get fresh fish for sushi and how to cook perfect sushi rice. (Here is an article on how to find fresh fish in San Francisco Bay Area.) So in this article, I thought to explain to you about cooking rice. First is the tool. Rice Cooker. I highly, strenuously recommend using a rice cooker, especially if you are using a pot. Why? Because it’s so nonchalant! You put rice and hit the switch. After thirty to forty minutes, your rice would be ready. Please please trust me on this. It's worth the investment, and I will list some of my rice cooker recommendations ranging from $30~. If you are having no (or little) luck in making rice, by all means, it's for you, not so much for me: buy a rice cooker. Still skeptical about a rice cooker? All right then. I will explain why. Cooking rice is a very complex process, and it involves science: Chemistry. The reason you are (probably) having such a difficult time making rice is because you are doing backward. What do I mean by that? Before, I had difficulty explaining why it's so difficult until I read this brilliant article here. In short, we all look at the recipe first, and it will say something like: 1cup rice and 1cup water in a pot, boil for ten minutes and simmer for ten. So, according to Pete Vegas, the most important thing about cooking rice is "how much water you lose during cooking." Let me explain this in the simplest way I can. Let's just say, to make perfect rice; we want to achieve 60% moisture content. We need three things: rice, water, cooking container (rice cooker or pot) To reach 60% moisture content, the followings are the variables: How much water to use (at the beginning) How long do you soak the rice in water before starting cooking How long do you cook the rice How much moisture do you lose The last item #4, How much moisture you lose during cooking does affect how much water you use in the beginning. Because each pot is unique and will lose a different amount of moisture during cooking, that is why the online recipe never works, according to Pete. Even then, as I've experienced many times, you need to experiment and find out the exact amount of water to cook the rice through trial and error. So, that is why I recommend a rice cooker. It will be much easier because when you use a rice cooker, the recipe you see online will work better for you than if you were using a pot. A rule of thumb: The higher the rice cooker is, the better the rice will taste. There are many other brands including Aroma. This basic model does make good rice and is great for those who will use it occasionally and even for those who eat rice every day. There are many other brands. Aroma ($30) Aroma 5.5-cup ($59) I say this one is a good medium-range rice cooker and definitely makes better rice than the $30 aroma. The following two models are, more like the ones people use in Japan. Because most people eat rice every day in Japan, they buy higher-priced rice cookers. These days, an average rice cooker starts around $500, and some are $800~$1,000 range! Again, the main difference is the taste of rice. I would say that unless you are a serious (like every day) rice eater, no need to go for the higher-priced rice cooker. That being said, once you try a really really nice one, there is no going back, is my opinion. Zojirushi 5-cup ($169) Tiger 5.5-cup ($249) #TIps #Rice

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