I have been going to this place where the chef makes the loosely packed
rice and serves the sushi relatively warm compared to most places. I
love spider rolls and he does them the best AFAIK. The rice comes out
of the cooker - not refrigerated - so the rolls aren't cold and the rice
isn't dense. It seems so good and homey compared to other sushi I've
had. He also did something amazing tonight with the fat layers in the
salmon slices - so geometric and artistic - the slices were perfect and
I watched him do it without effort as he was conversing with someone
else. I was mesmerized seeing him do it - so I wasn't talking. After
eating there I always feel more healthy and better off mentally and
physically the next day. They also serve free green tea and miso soup
upon request if you order enough..

On 2006-12-20 16:46:36 -0800, Howard Johnson > said:

> I have been going to this place where the chef makes the loosely packed
> rice and serves the sushi relatively warm compared to most places. I
> love spider rolls and he does them the best AFAIK. The rice comes out
> of the cooker - not refrigerated - so the rolls aren't cold and the
> rice isn't dense. It seems so good and homey compared to other sushi
> I've had. He also did something amazing tonight with the fat layers in
> the salmon slices - so geometric and artistic - the slices were perfect
> and I watched him do it without effort as he was conversing with
> someone else. I was mesmerized seeing him do it - so I wasn't talking.
> After eating there I always feel more healthy and better off mentally
> and physically the next day. They also serve free green tea and miso
> soup upon request if you order enough..

Dang! Howard's getting some good eats these days...
--
///---

Most of the best sushi joints that I've been to use rice that is just
lightly warm much of the time. There is some variation in temperature,
and in density of packing, but generally I like it best when it is not
at maximum density but it still holds its shape long enough for me to
(god forbid) pick up a piece with chopsticks instead of my fingers.
The warmer temperature brings out more flavor from fattier cuts of fish
like toro and salmon.

Of course with maki, the looseness of the rice is less of an issue and
the warmth can reduce the crispness of the nori.

now i'm hungry again.

"Howard Johnson" > wrote in message
...
> I have been going to this place where the chef makes the loosely packed
> rice and serves the sushi relatively warm compared to most places. I
> love spider rolls and he does them the best AFAIK. The rice comes out
> of the cooker - not refrigerated - so the rolls aren't cold and the rice
> isn't dense. It seems so good and homey compared to other sushi I've
> had. He also did something amazing tonight with the fat layers in the
> salmon slices - so geometric and artistic - the slices were perfect and
> I watched him do it without effort as he was conversing with someone
> else. I was mesmerized seeing him do it - so I wasn't talking. After
> eating there I always feel more healthy and better off mentally and
> physically the next day. They also serve free green tea and miso soup
> upon request if you order enough..

Correctly done, nigirizushi should be "room temperature". The neta shouldn't
feel
like it just came out of the fridge.
The shari also should be the same. Although I too have often run into shari
that had a
hint of "warmness". I simply assume they just made it and rushed, which
isn't all unusual
for a popular place. The rice (presumable sushimeshi) should not be in the
refridgerator.
Nigirizushi and makimono (rolls) aren't suppose to be "cold". It's just
ended up that way with
pre-made sushi being preserved in supermarkets.
M

On 2006-12-21 08:56:12 -0800, "Walter Rhee" > said:

> Some, not all, warm-sushi rice-in-a-bin is dictated by the local health
> department. Usually by officials who have no clue about sushi.
>
> Few years back, Toronto sushi establishments were mandated to freeze
> all their sushi fishes by some honcho in the health department. Check
> out:
>
> http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/Frozen_Sushi
>
> and google others if you wish.

That was in the fall of 2004. So I assume they dropped this entire
issue and went back to reading the sports page in the afternoons.

Any follow up articles "Unnamed Idiot in Ontario Provincial Health
Authority Giggles and Apologizes". "Local doofus admits, 'I had
nothing better to do that day, so wrote up a few edicts. I was just
practicising; it was all a big mistake.'"

Anything like that?
--
///---

Hi M

The fish is in a cooler but he slices it delicately and warms it slaps
it5 in his hands before placing it on the crazily delicately flavored rice.

This location for a restaurant has failed at least five times - even as
a grocery store..

I love their food - it is the best around - what should I do to keep
them in business?




> "Howard Johnson" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I have been going to this place where the chef makes the loosely packed
>> rice and serves the sushi relatively warm compared to most places. I
>> love spider rolls and he does them the best AFAIK. The rice comes out
>> of the cooker - not refrigerated - so the rolls aren't cold and the rice
>> isn't dense. It seems so good and homey compared to other sushi I've
>> had. He also did something amazing tonight with the fat layers in the
>> salmon slices - so geometric and artistic - the slices were perfect and
>> I watched him do it without effort as he was conversing with someone
>> else. I was mesmerized seeing him do it - so I wasn't talking. After
>> eating there I always feel more healthy and better off mentally and
>> physically the next day. They also serve free green tea and miso soup
>> upon request if you order enough..
>
> Correctly done, nigirizushi should be "room temperature". The neta shouldn't
> feel
> like it just came out of the fridge.
> The shari also should be the same. Although I too have often run into shari
> that had a
> hint of "warmness". I simply assume they just made it and rushed, which
> isn't all unusual
> for a popular place. The rice (presumable sushimeshi) should not be in the
> refridgerator.
> Nigirizushi and makimono (rolls) aren't suppose to be "cold". It's just
> ended up that way with
> pre-made sushi being preserved in supermarkets.
> M
>
>

rufus wrote:
> Most of the best sushi joints that I've been to use rice that is just
> lightly warm much of the time. There is some variation in temperature,
> and in density of packing, but generally I like it best when it is not
> at maximum density but it still holds its shape long enough for me to
> (god forbid) pick up a piece with chopsticks instead of my fingers.

You and everyone else. Getting the rice ball to the right combination
of cohesive and airy is one of the skills that makes a master sushi
chef, and one of the (many) reasons it takes ten years to become
a good one, and how you can tell a guy in a bonzai bandana from
a sushi chef.

> now i'm hungry again.

Me too.

--Blair

Blair P. Houghton wrote:

> rufus wrote:
>> Most of the best sushi joints that I've been to use rice that is just
>> lightly warm much of the time. There is some variation in
>> temperature, and in density of packing, but generally I like it best
>> when it is not at maximum density but it still holds its shape long
>> enough for me to (god forbid) pick up a piece with chopsticks
>> instead of my fingers.
>
> You and everyone else. Getting the rice ball to the right combination
> of cohesive and airy is one of the skills that makes a master sushi
> chef, and one of the (many) reasons it takes ten years to become
> a good one, and how you can tell a guy in a bonzai bandana from
> a sushi chef.


Right! Not to negate the importance of having good fish and cutting it well,
but to me, the single biggest thing that differentiates a top sushi bar from
an ordinary one is the rice.

This is the main reason why places like Todai are so poor. The fish may be
OK, but they can't come close to getting the rice right.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

Howard Johnson wrote:
> I love their food - it is the best around - what should I do to keep
> them in business?

1. Keep eating there.

2. Talk to people who live close enough to eat there about how good it
is.

3. Buy the place and put your spare change into advertising.

--Blair