DISQUS

Nathan D · 1 year ago

I too had heard the "hands" thing -- and that you should not put extra wasabi/soy sauce on the pieces because it's an insult to the chef.

Did you have any crazy expensive Toro? In San Francisco you can tell the really serious sushi places because they have more than one grade of Toro around.

Gary Arndt · 1 year ago

Yes. In Ginza I had some O-toro. High grade, fatty tuna. It literally melts in your mouth. If you hold it on your tongue for a few seconds it will fall apart.

Laura · 1 year ago

Gary, I'm so jealous. I LOVE SUSHI. :)

Jen · 1 year ago

Thanks for this post! My parents went to Japan for 2 weeks and I couldn't get a straight story out of them whether sushi was better in Japan or not!

Also did you wonder why no one said anything about you eating w/ your hands?

Gary Arndt · 1 year ago

I'm guessing that fingers and chopsticks are both acceptable ways of eating sushi. I just happened to see people using chopsticks.

Jennifer · 1 year ago

I'm following the Amazing Race on TV and last episode they went to the Tsukiji Fish Market as well. I'm considering this a calling from the great Suhi God to get my ass to Japan ans dine on sushi until I explode. Thanks for the post!

MalHavoc · 1 year ago

Actually, the California Roll is not American, it's Canadian. Chef Tojo, of Tojo's Restaurant in Vancouver, is its creator. I ate there last year. Blew my mind.

http://www.tojos.com/

Gary Arndt · 1 year ago

I guess the British Columbia roll really didn't sound appetizing.

David MT · 1 year ago

Hi, I really enjoy reading you blog and am happy to be able to help contribute.

I have lived in Japan for many years, and my wife is Japanese. One time, in a local sushi place, the chef decided he had to teach me all he could about eating sushi.

He told me that both hands and chopsticks are ok, but what is preferable is to use hands for hand-formed sushi and chopsticks for sushi made by machine. These machines form the rice base and the "chef" only places the fish on top (they can be seen at most kaiten (revolving) sushi places). This was news to my wife but, when she thought about it, it was what she did naturally.

As for using extra soy sauce or wasabi, there was a fashion about 10 years ago called "iki" (means chic or style) in which it was considered rural to do so and city people tended not to. Now it is only in very high end restaurants where that would be the rule.

Jenny J · 1 year ago

Hey Gary, Thanks for the shoutout for Kabuki. I've been meaning to check them out for some time now and will totally go and eat there.

jca · 1 year ago

Enjoyed your post -- I too have always wondered if the sushi was better in Japan just as you have/did. Thanks for answering that question for me. ;)

Bentoist · 1 year ago

I love sushi but knew little about them. Nice post!

Robert-Gilles Martineau · 1 year ago

Dear Gary!
Greetings!
Robert-Gilles of Shizuoka, Japan!
If you the chance, come to Shizuoka Prefecture which contributes a major share of fish at Tsukiji, notwithstanding nearly 100% OF ITS WASABI!
Great Blog!
Cheers, and all that!
Robert-Gilles

Criz Lai · 1 year ago

Wow! The spread of sushi is making me drool now. It was quite a surprise for me to read that even the Japanese agreed that the best sushi is not in Japan. I wondered why.

By the way, nice food sharing you have here. :)

http://crizfood.blogspot.com/