# Sushi newb questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 24, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414 "2014-08-24T23:33:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/41 "2014-08-26T13:49:52Z")
> [@bump](#): > > There’s all sorts of etiquette surrounding sushi, and real sushi chefs sound like dicks. > > [The rules of sushi - Japan Today](http://www.japantoday.com/category/opinions/view/the-rules-of-sushi) > > [http://www.bonappetit.com/uncategorized/article/allow-us-to-lay-down-the-rules-of-eating-sushi](http://www.bonappetit.com/uncategorized/article/allow-us-to-lay-down-the-rules-of-eating-sushi) > > [Forums - eGullet Forums](http://forums.egullet.org/topic/110154-sushi-etiquette/) > [@zombywoof](#): > > I don’t think the “etiquette” associated with eating sushi at better restaurants is about being dickish, it’s more about providing guidelines to enjoy the (expensive, subtly flavored) food to maximum effect - mixing up a soy/wasabi sludge and dunking a quality piece of nigiri rice-down in it is like pouring ketchup over a prime dry-aged steak. While it is true that ミス・マナーズ might recommend applying wasabi directly to the sashimi (or sushi if you must, but if you wanted wasabi on your sushi you should have asked the itamae for it), almost everyone I have ever eaten with here uses the mix and dip method. Anytime I’ve even brought up the ‘rule’ in conversation the general consensus has been “If you like wasabi-jouyu, why not enjoy it?” ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/42 "2014-08-26T14:10:41Z")
Missed the edit window to clarify that if you want to be all manner pedant about it, you should not be adding wasabi to sushi at all. Unless you request otherwise, the chef will be adding wasabi already to any sushi that benefits from it. It’s sashimi that you are meant to add wasabi to yourself and again, while manners dictate that you should add the wasabi to the sashimi directly rather than mixing it in the soy sauce, nobody really gives a _hey now_ what you do with it. It’s your food. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/43 "2014-08-26T15:11:14Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > Not only the rice, but the freshness of the fish. Supermarket sushi has been sitting around for cod-knows how long. Many supermarkets only get fish in once a week. Given that the FDA requires all fish served raw with the exception of tuna be frozen before serving is that even relevant? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/44 "2014-08-26T16:01:37Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > I’m Japanese (originally) and I’ll defend supermarket sushi. Yes, it’s an Americanized imitation of sushi, but I still buy and enjoy it for what it is. > > Also, in many small cities in America, the sushi at a “Japanese” restaurant isn’t any better, and more expensive. I have no one to go with me to a sushi restaurant. I am certainly not going to drive downtown to plonk myself down, all alone, in a sushi place full of young hipster types out on dates. Much less try to chat up the chefs…The sushi in the grocery store here is made right there by sushi chefs, and every type I have tried from the huge counter has been delicious and fresh (though I don’t care for the brown rice. Ick. Is it SO much ‘healthier’??) … The grocery store sushi is much better than the dried out selection on the table at the chinese buffet restaurant. Last time I was there, the young guy behind the sushi counter kept bringing me, unasked, samples to try! I think he was expecting a big tip or something. I didn’t care for his offerings. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/45 "2014-08-26T16:15:42Z")
If it’s spicy you’re looking for you’re better off with rolls than nigiri. Every sushi restaurant I’ve been to has everything from small and simple spicy tuna rolls to more complex rolls with multiple ingredients and drizzled with one or more spicy sauces. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/46 "2014-08-26T16:21:43Z")
The first step to enjoying sushi is trying it. The final step is ignoring everyone else’s opinions on sushi. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/47 "2014-08-26T16:54:07Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > The first step to enjoying sushi is trying it. The final step is ignoring everyone else’s opinions on sushi. QFT. Sushi snobs are right up there with wine snobs and audiophiles. If you like grocery store sushi, eat and enjoy. You don’t need anybody to validate your choices, least of all anybody here. ---
**Author:** ![Stormcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@Stormcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormcrow)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/48 "2014-08-26T18:11:46Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I have no one to go with me to a sushi restaurant. I find that sushi restaurants are one of the few places I can go along and feel fairly comfortable - eating at the sushi bar in a regular sushi place is one place where flying solo isn’t that unusual or awkward. And the sushi there will normally be a step up. It’s worth trying at least once to get a sense of the difference; if its not that noticeable, then that’s great! ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/49 "2014-08-26T23:48:11Z")
Thanks for all the responses ! To be more clear, I said in the OP that sushi was blander than I expected but I didn’t mean to say that it was completely flavorless. I am most familiar with fresh water fish and expected a stronger fishy taste. As mentioned above, I think the fish itself is just a more delicate flavor than I expected. I tried a new platter tonight. The printed label said “Chef’s Sampler” and the hand written label was “Salmon, Tuna and Crab”. Most of it was the same stuff I’ve been getting but there was one new thing. A small bowl with chopped bits of fish on top, rice, a green veg that may have been asparagus and at the bottom a bright green grass-like veg which was quite tangy. What might that have been? The printed ingredient list doesn’t seem to helpful, I think it lists any item you may encounter in any of their dishes. In the evening there’s no one on duty, just platters made up earlier so no one to ask. Didn’t find the green grassy stuff till I ate my way to the bottom of the bowl anyway. I noticed some of the platters came with sweet chile sauce so my beloved Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce doesn’t seem too crazy. I’ve been eating the fish separately to get the taste and using the soy sauce and other condiments on the rice and vegetables. This thread has made me much more confident should I find my way into a"proper" sushi bar. Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/50 "2014-08-26T23:53:27Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > and at the bottom a bright green grass-like veg which was quite tangy. What might that have been? … Sounds like seaweed. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/51 "2014-08-27T00:52:49Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Sounds like seaweed. I agree. [Seaweed salad.](https://www.google.com/search?q=seaweed+salad&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=tin9U8aPN-TEigLVxoCwCg&sqi=2&ved=0CCkQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=1073) **River Hippie** , if you WANT fishy, I suggest ordering mackerel (saba) at a sushi bar. (They’re not going to have it at an American supermarket.) Personally, I love it. But I also like to eat anchovies straight out of the can. If you prefer milder fish, start with: tuna yellowtail salmon cooked shrimp California rolls eel (Eel is usually served cooked and brushed with BBQ sauce. It doesn’t taste like fish at all.) ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/52 "2014-08-27T01:27:36Z")
Having now read the Wikipedia page on sushi the stuff I thought might be asparagus must be avocado. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/53 "2014-08-27T01:42:36Z")
OK-I’ve never heard of sushi made with brown rice. Wouldn’t that compete with the flavor of the fish? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/54 "2014-08-27T02:33:32Z")
To be precise, unagi (freshwater eel) is always cooked and served with a sweet barbecue sauce. Anago (saltwater eel) is not necessarily cooked. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/55 "2014-08-27T02:35:15Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > OK-I’ve never heard of sushi made with brown rice. Wouldn’t that compete with the flavor of the fish? It completely changes the taste and the texture. I wouldn’t say it competes with the flavor of the fish, but it doesn’t have the soft-sticky-gummy-tart-sweet quality of sushi rice. ---
**Author:** ![InsomniaMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ad7895/32.png) [@InsomniaMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InsomniaMama)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/56 "2014-08-27T03:20:27Z")
I just realized that the fake grass that used to be served on our order disappeared a few years back. So, I guess the Chicago burbs aren’t as backwards as we used to be. Go us! ---
**Author:** ![Stormcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@Stormcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormcrow)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/57 "2014-08-27T16:31:33Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > A small bowl with chopped bits of fish on top, rice, a green veg that may have been asparagus and at the bottom a bright green grass-like veg which was quite tangy. What might that have been? This might have been a Chirashi or Sashimi bowl - thats normally sliced fish by itself or with rice. It’s good if you prefer the fish by itself rather than with the rice with each piece. I’ll add a recommendation for unagi like other people have mentioned - this is especially good when you get it at a restaurant fresh from the broiler. Not everyone is a big fan but I love it. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/58 "2014-08-27T20:02:55Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I have no one to go with me to a sushi restaurant. I am certainly not going to drive downtown to plonk myself down, all alone, in a sushi place full of young hipster types out on dates. Much less try to chat up the chefs…The sushi in the grocery store here is made right there by sushi chefs, and every type I have tried from the huge counter has been delicious and fresh (though I don’t care for the brown rice. Ick. Is it SO much ‘healthier’??) … The grocery store sushi is much better than the dried out selection on the table at the chinese buffet restaurant. Last time I was there, the young guy behind the sushi counter kept bringing me, unasked, samples to try! I think he was expecting a big tip or something. I didn’t care for his offerings. I don’t have anyone to go eat sushi with either, but that doesn’t stop me. I plunk myself down at the bar and greet the chef(s). No one cares if you are by yourself, and you don’t have to share! LOL! I love that they sometimes give me a freebie sample, even if I sometimes don’t like it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/59 "2014-08-28T14:07:19Z")
May favorite sashimi is salmon (sliced really thin) and octopus (_taco_). But it has to be really, really fresh (especially the _taco_). Salmon just melts in your mouth and the octopus is just crunchy enough to provide a perfect texture (not rubbery). AT least around here, the standard sashimi you get with a lunch plate is almost always ahi. Which is good, but not up to par with salmon. I’ll gladly pay a little extra to substitute if hey allow it. This may sound like “Crazy American”, but I always ask for low sodium soy sauce. Regular is jut too salty for me. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414/60 "2014-08-28T14:14:25Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > May favorite sashimi is salmon (sliced really thin) and octopus (_taco_). But it has to be really, really fresh (especially the _taco_). Salmon just melts in your mouth and the octopus is just crunchy enough to provide a perfect texture (not rubbery). AT least around here, the standard sashimi you get with a lunch plate is almost always ahi. Which is good, but not up to par with salmon. I’ll gladly pay a little extra to substitute if hey allow it. > > This may sound like “Crazy American”, but I always ask for low sodium soy sauce. Regular is jut too salty for me. Tacos are the Mexican tortilla dish, Tako is the Japanese octopus :). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sushi-newb-questions/696414.md?page=4)