ASK A SUSHI CHEF ANYTHING

27 comments

1. When I make sushi at home, I often have issues with shari for nigiri falling apart when I try and pick it up with chopsticks. The rice works fine for maki, but it just doesn’t stay together for nigiri. Should I be resting the rice beforehand, or maybe putting more pressure on it when I form the nigiri?

2. Thanks for doing this, it’s a great idea. I’ll sticky the thread for a few days.

3. I went to a mid-level sushi place in Japan (just one of many around Shinjuku) and the sushi was the best I’ve ever had.

   One thing that really stood out to me was that the rice was seasoned very well, and that the sushi chef pre-seasoned the sushi with soy and wasabi before serving, so everything was perfectly balanced.

   I’ve never seen that done at any sushi places in the US. Why is that, especially with so many sushi chefs in the US coming from Japan?

4. Sorry if this is a dumb question, is the fish frozen and then thawed? If so what is that process like? What are the food safety requirements for service? Thanks, I’ve been curious about this.

5. Have you ever tried to do the washing up, without any washing up liquid?

6. Do you cure specific fish for sushi, or is it just a technique that some people use? What are the benefits of curing and when should it be done?

7. Best tips for someone who’s never made sushi in their life?

8. is UNI really that expensive from the suppliers? or is it a heavily marked up ‘premium’ item to sell to customers?

   whats your favourite fish sashimi?

9. I absolutely love preparing ankimo at home; it’s my “last meal on earth” dream food! But its availability is an issue to me. I live in a North Atlantic, east coast state, but my seafood vendor only seems to offer it during the winter season even though monkfish is available year-round. Is there a reason for this?

10. What is the best recipe for tomago sushi I just got a pan and now I want to make it.

11. From an answer on another comment, it sounds like you’re currently a sushi chef in the UK. Did you ever train in Japan? If so, what was that experience like? If not, do people/other sushi chefs look down on you?

12. I’m guessing you’re based in the US, so do you serve that nasty escolar (a/k/a superwhite tuna)? When my wife and I went back to visit family in the States, we went to a sushi joint and saw that stuff for the first time. It tasted… weird. Oily, but not in a satisfying way like a nice otoro. Neither of us could figure out what it was, so I looked it up and whoa, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Banned in Japan since 1977 and considered toxic (which I guess is why we hadn’t seen it before). Needless to say, we left the rest of it on the plate.

    Also, have you mucked around much with akashari? One of our local joints uses it, and it definitely changes up the flavor, particularly with saba, aji, and the like.

    And finally, I’m super partial to temaki cones and gunkan. Are any styles other than nigiri, sashimi, and standard maki starting to pick up steam where you are? Americans seem to go wild for crazy ingredients in their rolls (why does everything need to be a “super dragon crunch” or similar?), but are less adventurous with other forms of sushi.

13. What is your favorite sushi rice? What are the best non-Japanese rice for sushi?

14. Hi there,

    Thank you for doing this.

    I wanted to ask you about something I recently found out about the illegal eel trade market

    Do you often use eel in your sushi?

    Most eels come from one place in the Sargaso sea this means that they are an endangered species. They are not farmable thus all must come from this one place.

    My second question is, when using eel do you price it higher because of this? Is it known most eel In Asia is imported from Europe?

    Happy to chat further on this topic! I found it super interesting finding out that eels are not farmable and thus are illegally captured in their silver state and can sell for up to 7000€ per kilo

15. How often do u rinse the rise ? How to you prepare it ?

16. When making tempura do you mix different flour or just use tempura flour, how do you use tempura flour?

17. Yes, do that. Make a book about your background. I love when chefs and anyone working in the restaurant industry share their experiences, secret techniques, expertise and their knowledge to others.

    Here’s a question, how would you know what kind of seafood or fish and how much to serve to a customer(I meant by what is the right portion size for serving a neutral tasting fish versus a strong, fatty fish when serving with sushi rice?)?

    Also, do you have any other dipping sauces that complement well with the sushi you serve to customers? What kind of signature sauces have you learned and continue to serve customers?

    I appreciate you writing a cookbook to share your knowledge to others because to me that is entertaining me and adding more knowledge.

18. Also, another question is there any styles preparing sushi in Japan versus the United States or any foreign country?

19. When/why aren’t hot towels handed out before a meal anymore?

20. Hi Jon! What’s are the most overrated and underrated pieces of sushi?

    Additionally, what is your favourite type of sushi to prepare as a sushi chef and why?

21. Do you have a master ratio when making sushizu?

    I make sushi rice often but I continue to play with how well seasoned I like my rice and can never get that same taste I’d get from a restaurant.

    Any insight would be helpful.

22. Have you ever prepared Pufferfish and is it easy to do?

23. How do we educate people that volcano roll and spicy girl roll are now real Japanese food ? I don’t actually expect a real answer, just more of a rant haha. People around my suburban area still think those are authentic Japanese food and general tso chicken is authentic Chinese food.

24. Should there be any concern with consuming raw fish that is from the waters around Japan which may have been in contact with radioactive/treated waters?

25. How do you feel about picky people who only want specific / generic sushi? (Like the imitation crab with avocado/cream cheese/cucumber)

26. No questions but been reading through your answers and wanted to say thanks for doing this AMA! Your answers are really detailed, helpful and interesting.

27. Thanks for your answers and comments! Good luck with your book!
    (1) I live in the U.S. and most Japanese restaurants offer a wide range of creative rolls with wild combinations of ingredients and attention-grabbing names to match. What do sushi chefs think about the proliferation of these rolls? I suspect, without real evidence, that these rolls not only are a way to entice reluctant consumers, but they also allow restaurants to sell relatively cheap and low quality fish. What are your thoughts? Do they have these annoying rolls in Japan?
    (2) what’s with the spicy tuna and salmon I see everywhere now? Are they just tuna or salmon with sriracha mayo? I suspect that the spicy mayo covers up fish that isn’t high quality. Am I paranoid?