SUSHI -

[melty]

Just gimme all the wasabi. I can't get enough of that shit.

Here's another obnoxious protip no one asked for, Wasabi is never actually Wasabi.
Wasabi root is in the same family as horseradish. 99% of wasabi is horseradish mixed with some other stuff.
Occasionally I will see real wasabi on the menu. You can also buy wasabi roots at some asian markets and grate them yourself.
Real wasabi has a much milder flavor and a more nuanced kick.
I don't dislike horseradish wasabi, actually i like it a lot I'm just really autistic about sushi.

 

[AnOminous]

Do you know what they usually pass off as red snapper? I've never been a fan but whatever it is its usually the same color & texture, so maybe I just don't like it, I don't know.

I'm not sure, but I've read it coming up a hell of a lot.

From one article:

Seafood is even worse. In the largest nationwide study conducted by Oceana in 2013, 38 percent of all restaurants — and a staggering 74 percent of all sushi eateries — mislabeled the species of fish served. While businesses inevitably blamed distributors and wholesalers, it was no accident — the substitute was always less expensive than the one claimed on the menu.

How to avoid that upcharge? Rockefeller University's Dr. Mark Stoeckle, involved in DNA species testing for the Barcode of Life project, gave me this tip: "Just don’t ever order red snapper." The poster child for fraud, the real thing is served up less than six percent of the time.

So just never order it unless you saw the actual damn fish being chopped up. Most places claiming to serve it are just lying, so you should probably take anything else on their menu with a grain of salt.

 

[melty]

I'm not sure, but I've read it coming up a hell of a lot.

From one article:



So just never order it unless you saw the actual damn fish being chopped up. Most places claiming to serve it are just lying, so you should probably take anything else on their menu with a grain of salt.

I've read that study; ime snapper seems like one of the worst offenders; I've probably only had real snapper a few times. Whatever is labeled as snapper is always part red, which is strange and makes me wonder if they are dyeing Tilapia or something. It always looks the same even though it's surely different fish.
The best snapper I've had that was actually real snapper was still just mediocre so it's not something I go out of the way to order.
Escolar is my favorite swap because I usually think it's better than actual white tuna.
I only really enjoy white tuna if I'm having a sashimi dinner or at a good restaurant, it's flavor is so subtle.

 

[XYZpdq]

Near me I've got a pretty good sushi buffet that does take-out, they're pretty good and my go-to for sushi to take home. A "Sus Hi Eatstation" which is basically Chipotle but with sushi. They're okay but I don't usually get their raw fish, I get their fried shit. Then a bit of a drive is a really good sushi joint with good prices and they're open pretty late.

 

[AnOminous]

Escolar is my favorite swap because I usually think it's better than actual white tuna.

I've heard they call it the "Ex-Lax fish" because it gives you the shits.

 

[Coleman Francis]

Ah, sushi I prefer raw fish over cooked fish, because I find the latter to be kind of bland even when coated with breadcrumbs and spices.

Among my favorite are crab, octopus, fish roe, and avocado rolls.

Definitely. I don't think I've ever had any type that was cooked where it turned out to be any good. That octopus is legit, probably one of the best things I've eaten at a Jap restaurant.

The most offensive thing that I see at restaurants with sushi is the imitation crab meat. They should be ashamed of themselves for using that crap. I can understand at a cheapo restaurant or a buffet, but I've seen it in the mid-priced joints too.

 

[AnOminous]

Definitely. I don't think I've ever had any type that was cooked where it turned out to be any good. That octopus is legit, probably one of the best things I've eaten at a Jap restaurant.

The most offensive thing that I see at restaurants with sushi is the imitation crab meat. They should be ashamed of themselves for using that crap. I can understand at a cheapo restaurant or a buffet, but I've seen it in the mid-priced joints too.

That's somewhat misunderstood. It's an American thing to call that stuff "imitation crab." In Japan, it's just called ground meat. So it's not really fake when it's in a California roll.

 

[Coleman Francis]

That's somewhat misunderstood. It's an American thing to call that stuff "imitation crab." In Japan, it's just called ground meat. So it's not really fake when it's in a California roll.

Interesting. But that's not really what we think of as ground meat, is it? Ground meat always refers to ground beef in my experience. What they put on the sushi and list as "crab" meat on the menu is some type of "fish" product, just nothing that ever came from a crab.

So the Japanese put what we'd call imitation crab meat in their sushi on purpose? I did not know that, I thought it was a cost-cutting measure. This only bothers me since crab meat is so delicious, its a shame to have an unreasonable substitute.

 

[AnOminous]

Interesting. But that's not really what we think of as ground meat, is it? Ground meat always refers to ground beef in my experience. What they put on the sushi and list as "crab" meat on the menu is some type of "fish" product, just nothing that ever came from a crab.

So the Japanese put what we'd call imitation crab meat in their sushi on purpose? I did not know that, I thought it was a cost-cutting measure. This only bothers me since crab meat is so delicious, its a shame to have an unreasonable substitute.

They live on an island. Of course they'd eat more fish and call it something generic. It's called surimi, though actually coloring it and trying to make it look more crab-like is more common here.

The California roll, though, was invented in California.

 

[melty]

Do they serve the fake ground meat with limonade?

I had a rare fresh crab meat roll last week. I don't see it much

 

[melty]

I've heard they call it the "Ex-Lax fish" because it gives you the shits.

It definitely has that affect on a lot of people, lol.
Fortunately not for me, it's just buttery deliciousness.

 

[Positron]

Here's another obnoxious protip no one asked for, Wasabi is never actually Wasabi.
Wasabi root is in the same family as horseradish. 99% of wasabi is horseradish mixed with some other stuff.
Occasionally I will see real wasabi on the menu. You can also buy wasabi roots at some asian markets and grate them yourself.
Real wasabi has a much milder flavor and a more nuanced kick.
I don't dislike horseradish wasabi, actually i like it a lot I'm just really autistic about sushi.

Genuine wasabi, after grinding, loses its taste very quickly. If your wait staff don't change your wasabi every 20 minutes or so, you're not served the genuine article.

 

[Brit Crust]

The most offensive thing that I see at restaurants with sushi is the imitation crab meat. They should be ashamed of themselves for using that crap. I can understand at a cheapo restaurant or a buffet, but I've seen it in the mid-priced joints too.

Interesting. But that's not really what we think of as ground meat, is it? Ground meat always refers to ground beef in my experience. What they put on the sushi and list as "crab" meat on the menu is some type of "fish" product, just nothing that ever came from a crab.

So the Japanese put what we'd call imitation crab meat in their sushi on purpose? I did not know that, I thought it was a cost-cutting measure. This only bothers me since crab meat is so delicious, its a shame to have an unreasonable substitute.

I assumed the imitation crab meat was meant to be a kosher substitute. I admit I kind of like the taste, but I'd much rather have genuine crab meat.

Here's another obnoxious protip no one asked for, Wasabi is never actually Wasabi.
Wasabi root is in the same family as horseradish. 99% of wasabi is horseradish mixed with some other stuff.
Occasionally I will see real wasabi on the menu. You can also buy wasabi roots at some asian markets and grate them yourself.
Real wasabi has a much milder flavor and a more nuanced kick.
I don't dislike horseradish wasabi, actually i like it a lot I'm just really autistic about sushi.

I read somewhere that real wasabi is expensive, because cultivating wasabi plants is quite complicated. I even once saw a documentary showing the process of wasabi cultivating.

 

[melty]

Genuine wasabi, after grinding, loses its taste very quickly. If your wait staff don't change your wasabi every 20 minutes or so, you're not served the genuine article.

>Not demanding your wait staff be fired/executed

I have another pro tip for people who want to get better at sushi & expand their palate.
Order TORO. This means tuna belly but it can also mean salmon or Hamachi (yellowtail) etc belly.
This is the softest & most delectable part of the fish, the most delicious sashimi/nigiri. It's more expensive but worth it.
It's fattier, like if you have ever had some nigiri or a roll that seemed unusually buttery you may have had toro.
Sometimes, rarely you will find a place that incorporates toro into their sushi without mentioning it cause the plebs don't know what it is so they can't sell it for more and have to do something with it.
Also you can combine this tip with my earlier advice to look for places which have salmon or Hamachi collar, this is because they will probably have whole (relatively) fresh fish. The collar (kama) is delicious on its own and if they have that on the menu they may have toro.

 

[melty]

I read somewhere that real wasabi is expensive, because cultivating wasabi plants is quite complicated. I even once saw a documentary showing the process of wasabi cultivating.

I've heard the same, whenever I've gotten it it was like $6-$12 for a small root.

 

[DatBepisTho]

Eel Avacado sushi is best sushi. That or sweet potato roll.

 

[Funnybone]

i dont like the fish that much but i love veggie shit prepped sushi style yo

 

[AnOminous]

i dont like the fish that much but i love veggie shit prepped sushi style yo

Not all sushi has fish in it, sushi is a kind of food prepared with vinegared rice, which is the defining feature.

 

[melty]

If your opinion is "I like sushi, but not the stuff with raw fish," your opinion is stupid and worthless. There are adults talking here.

 

[Varg Did Nothing Wrong]

Scallop, eel and tuna nigiri, just a decent slab of fish on a nice hunk of rice for me. It's unfortunate that you just can't get really good sushi where I live at all, unless you are ready to pay out the ass (and even then it's hit or miss). When I visited Hawaii, sushi and other fish dishes were all I fucking ate, freshest and best seafood I ever had.

I was in the states a while ago and at some sushi place in San Fran, they had this great dish of chopped raw octopus and grated wasabi. Super simple, texture like chunky snot, but goddamn it was good.