"Ken Blake" > wrote in message =
...
> In link.net,
> Can Altinbay > typed:
>=20
> > "Ken Blake" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> In ups.com,
> >> lazrowp > typed:
> >>
> >> > Most readers in this group have been to @ least several=20
> >> > sushi
> >> > restaurants. I am curious about your "pet peeves" when you=20
> >> > are
> >> > in a
> >> > Japanese sushi restaurant. My short-list (not in any=20
> >> > specific
> >> > order):
> >>
> >>
> >> As far I can see, nobody has yet mentioned my single biggest
> >> peeve: having specials listed in Japanese, but not in English
> >> (presumably because they are things they think that Westerners
> >> won't eat.)
> >>
> >
> > This is more common in Chinese restaurants.
>=20
>=20
> True, but it happens in Japanese restaurants too.
>=20
>=20
> > Often, you won't even
> > know that there IS an alternate menu.
>=20
>=20
> True, but sometimes specials are written on signs posted on the=20
> wall, so it's obvious. I also sometimes ask if there's a special=20
> menu, because if I'm lucky it will be in both languages.
>=20
>=20
> > If I find it out, I will ask.
> > Of course, I have that advantage that I read Japanese, so I can=20
> > get
> > an idea of what it might be by looking at the characters.
> >
> > At Sunny China Cafe in Denver, I spotted one of my favorites -=20
> > spicy
> > beef soup. The waiter told us he doesn't usually recommend it=20
> > to
> > people like us, but we insisted.
>=20
>=20
> Reminds me of the time I ate in a small Indian restaurant in NYC.=20
> I ordered a particular curry and the waiter said, "No, that's too=20
> spicy for you." The conversation went something like this:
>=20
> "That's OK. I like spicy food."
>=20
> "But this is very spicy. Only Indians can eat it."
>=20
> "No, I can eat it too."
>=20
> "I can't give it to you. You'll want me to take it back and I=20
> won't be able to."
>=20
> "It's OK. Just bring it."
>=20
> "No, I can't."
>=20
> "BRING IT AND MAKE IT EXTRA SPICY!"
>=20
> He did. It was tough, but I finished it all.
>=20

This story is amazing. It is exactly like my own experience in NYC when =
I was
a college student. Actually it was my friend who challenged the waiter =
and we ended
up eating keema vindaloo. I sweat so much I thought I had malaria.
Not to mention the painful bathroom experience that lasted 3 days.

Musashi

In om,
Musashi > typed:

> One thing I can say from having been to alot of Japanese
> restaurants
> is that if
> the specials aren't written anywhere in English, the possible
> reason
> that
> they didn't have anyone with enough confidence or capability to
> translate it properly
> is right up there with their assumption that the items would
> not be
> of interest to
> a non-Japanese crowd.


That's certainly possible.


> These days, the latter reason is hardly valid
> since a great many
> Americans including non-Japanese Americans of Asian decent know
> enough about
> Japanese foods that it would not be in the restarant's interest
> to
> not have the specials
> listed in English.


You're probably right. To tell the truth, I can't remember
exactly when I last saw specials only in Japanese. It might have
been a good while ago. I've been eating in US Japanese
restaurants for over 50 years.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

In k.net,
Can Altinbay > typed:

> It is really frustrating to have the help tell us we can't have
> the
> food too hot, but I think the blame really goes to the macho
> customer. We all know they exist. "I'm going to show how
> cool/tough
> I am by eating this really hot stuff." They order it, can't
> eat it,
> and inflict their grief on the help. When we subsequently go
> in and
> ask for the hot, the restaurant doesn't know that it is about
> to get
> the same thing.


I disagree, and strongly. I think the blame belongs squarely on
the restaurant's shoulders. Yes there are macho customers, but it
shouldn't matter.

What the waiter should have done in my case is simply say
something like "The dish you ordered is very spicy, and many
non-Indian people have trouble with things that spicy. And I'm
sorry, but if you order it and can't eat it, I won't be able to
take it back. It's your choice, but you might want to reconsider
and choose something else instead."

A waiter should never tell a customer who orders something "No,
you can't have that."

One day, the first time I was in Rome, I ordered coda alla
vaccinara (ox-tails) in a restaurant. Fearing that I would be
unhappy if didn't know what it was and got it, the waiter asked
me, in broken English, "you know what that is?" put his hand at
the base of his spine, and made a waving motion with it. I
replied that I knew and he went away, brought it, and all was
fine. That's appropriate (even considerate). Telling me I
couldn't have it wouldn't have been

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

In article >, Ken Blake
> wrote:

> >> As far I can see, nobody has yet mentioned my single biggest
> >> peeve: having specials listed in Japanese, but not in English
> >> (presumably because they are things they think that Westerners
> >> won't eat.)
> >
> > Most places that have specials boards are in English or both..
>
> That's probably true, but nevertheless *some* do it just in
> Japanese, and I hate it.

I love it when it's only in Japanese. It means that their clientele is
Japanese for the most part. That usually means higher quality to me.
I also have the opportunity to practice my reading, and interact with
the staff as they read and/or explain the items to me.

--
"A Dictionary of Japanese Food, Ingredients & Culture" by Richard Hosking
(Tuttle, '97). All the hints one might need for exploring Japanese food.

"The Sake Handbook" by John Gaunter (Tuttle, '02). An excellent intro and
reference to sake.

In article >, Ken Blake
> wrote:

> Reminds me of the time I ate in a small Indian restaurant in NYC.
> I ordered a particular curry and the waiter said, "No, that's too
> spicy for you." The conversation went something like this:
>
> "That's OK. I like spicy food."
>
> "But this is very spicy. Only Indians can eat it."
>
> "No, I can eat it too."
>
> "I can't give it to you. You'll want me to take it back and I
> won't be able to."
>
> "It's OK. Just bring it."
>
> "No, I can't."
>
> "BRING IT AND MAKE IT EXTRA SPICY!"
>
> He did. It was tough, but I finished it all.

Reminds me of a trip to Laxmi Sweets and Spices. I got a Patak-like
jar of chili pickle. The guy told me it was hot. I said okay. He
reminded me again, very hot indeed. I said I like stuff like this. He
rang up a few other items, apparently unfettered. When he got to the
chili pickle again he barrked, "Oh well LOOK now! This is very HOT, you
see!" I practically had to put him in a head-lock to buy it. When I
got it home I crept up on the jar in disguise, put a single fork tine
in it, and then touched it to my tongue--I had pre-dialed "91" and was
prepared to dial the last "1" as I collapsed.

It had some muscle, but I didn't cry or anything...

--
"A Dictionary of Japanese Food, Ingredients & Culture" by Richard Hosking
(Tuttle, '97). All the hints one might need for exploring Japanese food.

"The Sake Handbook" by John Gaunter (Tuttle, '02). An excellent intro and
reference to sake.

In article >,
Michael > wrote:

> > Asking what is fresh today and being told everything.
>
> Grounds for hitting the door. And normally when I get that answer I've
> already gotten a few bad feelings about the place.

I don't get this. I don't ask which of the food is "off", I assume
they believe all of it is fresh, why else would they be serving it?
And even so, why would they admit it?

I ask what they think is particularly "good" or "different". If they
say everything, I assume it's just because they don't know who the hell
I am. When it's a place I frequent, they always come up with something
pronto.

--
"A Dictionary of Japanese Food, Ingredients & Culture" by Richard Hosking
(Tuttle, '97). All the hints one might need for exploring Japanese food.

"The Sake Handbook" by John Gaunter (Tuttle, '02). An excellent intro and
reference to sake.

In article >, Dan Logcher
> wrote:

> > From then on, whenever I went to the place, I brought my own menu.
>
> It's either that or try and get the waitperson to translate it at the
> table.. and they usually don't want to bother.

It's funny how folks have different experiences. I've asked wait
people or chefs to read menus or specials boards (to me and Nancy),
certainly more than 60 or 70 times. I think I've only had somebody be
uncomfortable or irritable once or twice. And they usually show this by
sending me somebody who is find with it.

Honestly, I don't know whether it's the places (Boston versus SoCal,
for instance) or the customer. I don't imagine you, Dan, are
intimidating or overbearing or anything. I just don't get how we all
have such different experiences at the same thing.

--
"A Dictionary of Japanese Food, Ingredients & Culture" by Richard Hosking
(Tuttle, '97). All the hints one might need for exploring Japanese food.

"The Sake Handbook" by John Gaunter (Tuttle, '02). An excellent intro and
reference to sake.

In ,
Gerry > typed:

> In article >, Ken Blake
> > wrote:
>
>> >> As far I can see, nobody has yet mentioned my single
>> >> biggest
>> >> peeve: having specials listed in Japanese, but not in
>> >> English
>> >> (presumably because they are things they think that
>> >> Westerners
>> >> won't eat.)
>> >
>> > Most places that have specials boards are in English or
>> > both..
>>
>> That's probably true, but nevertheless *some* do it just in
>> Japanese, and I hate it.
>
> I love it when it's only in Japanese. It means that their
> clientele
> is Japanese for the most part. That usually means higher
> quality to
> me. I also have the opportunity to practice my reading, and
> interact
> with the staff as they read and/or explain the items to me.


If I could read the Japanese, I would very likely agree with you.
But unfortunately I can't.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

In ,
Gerry > typed:

> Reminds me of a trip to Laxmi Sweets and Spices. I got a
> Patak-like
> jar of chili pickle. The guy told me it was hot. I said okay.
> He
> reminded me again, very hot indeed. I said I like stuff like
> this.
> He rang up a few other items, apparently unfettered. When he
> got to
> the chili pickle again he barrked, "Oh well LOOK now! This is
> very
> HOT, you see!" I practically had to put him in a head-lock to
> buy
> it. When I got it home I crept up on the jar in disguise, put
> a
> single fork tine in it, and then touched it to my tongue--I had
> pre-dialed "91" and was prepared to dial the last "1" as I
> collapsed.
>
> It had some muscle, but I didn't cry or anything...


Twenty years or so ago, I had a young man who worked for me who
came from Guyana. One day he said to me, "someone told me you
like hot stuff. I have this spicy sauce my mother makes and sends
me. Would you like some?"

I said sure, and thank you very much.

He brought me a jar of it, which lasted forever. My most vivid
memory of it was when my mother (who can eat food even hotter
than I can) asked for some hot sauce for the big plate of
spaghetti I gave her.

Despite her objections that it was far too little, I added to the
spaghetti as little of this stuff as I could get on the very tip
of a single tine of a fork.

She tasted it and said "are you trying to KILL me?"

I thought I could eat anything spicy, and if someone had told me
that there was food that hot, I would have pooh-poohed it and not
believed them; *I* could eat anything. But I was wrong. This was
more than I could handle.

That's why it lasted forever.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

In article >, Ken Blake
> wrote:

> > I love it when it's only in Japanese. It means that their
> > clientele is Japanese for the most part. That usually means higher
> > quality to me. I also have the opportunity to practice my reading,
> > and interact with the staff as they read and/or explain the items
> > to me.
>
> If I could read the Japanese, I would very likely agree with you. But
> unfortunately I can't.

I don't read much of it--as I said I depend on the staff to read me the
menu. It's not that difficult.

--
"A Dictionary of Japanese Food, Ingredients & Culture" by Richard Hosking
(Tuttle, '97). All the hints one might need for exploring Japanese food.

"The Sake Handbook" by John Gaunter (Tuttle, '02). An excellent intro and
reference to sake.

"Italy Anonymous Remailer" > wrote in message
...
> > > Asking what is fresh today and being told everything.
>
> >
>
> > Grounds for hitting the door. And normally when I get that
>
> > answer I've already gotten a few bad feelings about the place.
>
>
>
> I disagree. If nobody there knows you, it's a loaded question,
>
> like, "Have you stopped beating your wife?"


Totally disagree. Sushi chefs understand what is meant by that question. I
don't want passable fish, I want what is the best and freshest. Let the
great flood of the unwashed eat the passable fish. Something in that frig
box is four days old and something came in that morning.

To expound on my statement. When a chef or waitress states "everything is
good" they are not being helpful or are just plain stupid. Nowhere is
everything good not even at Hatsuhana.

As to other items indicating possible problems I will add

"fishy smells"

no Japanese (employees or customers) in the place (not a killer but an
indication of a possible bad meal)

poor sanitation

servers who haven't a clue about four or five questions in a row.

snip

>
>
>
> The "Everything [is fresh]" simply means "Our food is fresh (within
>
> the standard definitions of freshness for each item: fish, salad
>
> greens, herbs, ... salt) and WE DON'T SERVE SPOILED FOOD HERE!"

Some pigs are more equal than others.

I don't want fish that is "acceptable", I want FRESH. This concept is well
understood by a sushi chef. If your fav chef does not understand this
concept I would encourage you to find another chef.

>
>
>
> How else is someone supposed to answer? "The maguro is fresh."
>
> "Oh, so the hamachi must be bad. Thank you, I'll skip the hamachi."

Not bad but older and not so fresh. Exactly the response I expect.

"Toro very good today, just get shipment of uni, please try."

This is what I expect. Of course I temper my expectations with location.
NY is different from Knoxville is different from Wilmington, NC.

>

"Ken Blake" > wrote in message
...
>
> I disagree, and strongly. I think the blame belongs squarely on
> the restaurant's shoulders. Yes there are macho customers, but it
> shouldn't matter.
>
> What the waiter should have done in my case is simply say
> something like "The dish you ordered is very spicy, and many
> non-Indian people have trouble with things that spicy. And I'm
> sorry, but if you order it and can't eat it, I won't be able to
> take it back. It's your choice, but you might want to reconsider
> and choose something else instead."
>
> A waiter should never tell a customer who orders something "No,
> you can't have that."
>

I'm with you. I'm just saying that after a few of these show-off wannabees,
I can understand that a restaurant would start being reluctant. You have an
excellent approach they could take to make the best of it.

> One day, the first time I was in Rome, I ordered coda alla
> vaccinara (ox-tails) in a restaurant. Fearing that I would be
> unhappy if didn't know what it was and got it, the waiter asked
> me, in broken English, "you know what that is?" put his hand at
> the base of his spine, and made a waving motion with it. I
> replied that I knew and he went away, brought it, and all was
> fine. That's appropriate (even considerate). Telling me I
> couldn't have it wouldn't have been
>

Cute. Totally the other direction, but that reminds me of a time I was at a
place in Ankara. My mother and I decided to see if we could get them to
give us Coke floats. They had Coke and ice cream. We of course expected to
tell the waiter what it was. He couldn't get his mind around it, so he said
he'd bring us the two and we can do whatever we want.

> --
> Ken Blake
> Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>

"Michael" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Totally disagree. Sushi chefs understand what is meant by that question.
I
> don't want passable fish, I want what is the best and freshest. Let the
> great flood of the unwashed eat the passable fish. Something in that frig
> box is four days old and something came in that morning.
>

Amen to that, having had fish that was actually OFF at several places that
were highly recommended to me.
If you can't serve it so that it doesn't taste like the little critters have
begun to move in, they don't get my sushi business.

Yeah, I'm picky - I also feel that they ought to be able to make maki
without a gap showing the rice.

"Italy Anonymous Remailer" > wrote in message =
...
> > > Asking what is fresh today and being told everything.
>=20
> >
>=20
> > Grounds for hitting the door. And normally when I get that
>=20
> > answer I've already gotten a few bad feelings about the place.
>=20
>=20
>=20
> I disagree. If nobody there knows you, it's a loaded question,
>=20
> like, "Have you stopped beating your wife?"
>=20
>=20
>=20
> You might intend "What was delivered fresh today, in the last
>=20
> 4 hours?" or something like that but they might think you mean =20
>=20
> "Which items on your menu are not rancid and rotting?"
>=20
>=20
>=20
> The "Everything [is fresh]" simply means "Our food is fresh (within
>=20
> the standard definitions of freshness for each item: fish, salad
>=20
> greens, herbs, ... salt) and WE DON'T SERVE SPOILED FOOD HERE!"
>=20
>=20
>=20
> How else is someone supposed to answer? "The maguro is fresh."
>=20
> "Oh, so the hamachi must be bad. Thank you, I'll skip the hamachi."
>=20
>=20
>=20
> Is your question actually more specific? Or maybe, "What do you
>=20
> recommend today?" "What do you recommend as being particularly
>=20
> fresh today?"=20
>=20
>=20

This is rather interesting. While Japanese even has a word for "degree =
of freshness" (sendo),
nobody would ever ask "what is fresh today?".
The most common response would indeed by "everything is fresh of course" =
since
freshness of the neta is a given in any sushi restaurant.
Probably the most common question from the customer would be "kyou wa =
nani ga osusume desuka?" (what is your recommendation today).=20
Now, the itamae may say that "xxx wa shinsen desu, kyou hairi mashita"
(xxx is fresh, just came in today").
I have always belived that when Americans ask "What is fresh today" that =
they mean
"What are your recommendations" or "what have you most recently gotten =
in?".
In both cases I believe "freshness" is automatically included.
Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.


> And for the rest of us, what does this mean:
>=20
> > > > I approached him and said, "Nihongo ojouzu desune."
>=20
>=20
> > > And he said...Hai, watashi wa furansujin desukara nande mo
>=20
> > > jouzu desu? LOL
>=20
> > Tottemo okashii jyoudandeshitane.
>=20
>=20
> "hanna gaijin"? (gaijin =3D foreigner; hanna =3D ???)

He meant "henna" meaning "strange, weird or unusual".
=20

"Musashi" > wrote in message
om...

"Italy Anonymous Remailer" > wrote in message
...
> > > Asking what is fresh today and being told everything.
I have always belived that when Americans ask "What is fresh today" that
they mean
"What are your recommendations" or "what have you most recently gotten in?".
In both cases I believe "freshness" is automatically included.
Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

Exactly correct

> And for the rest of us, what does this mean:
>
> > > > I approached him and said, "Nihongo ojouzu desune."
>
>
> > > And he said...Hai, watashi wa furansujin desukara nande mo
>
> > > jouzu desu? LOL
>
> > Tottemo okashii jyoudandeshitane.

and even after twelve years as an exec at Itochu Intl I haven't the
slightest idea what that means.
>
>
> "hanna gaijin"? (gaijin = foreigner; hanna = ???)

He meant "henna" meaning "strange, weird or unusual".

My nick name in Japan is Henna Gaijin. Eating that nasty purple squid crap
at bars w/ sake, raw horse meat, and grilled fish testes earned me my nick
name.

Michael wrote:

> "Italy Anonymous Remailer" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>>>Asking what is fresh today and being told everything.
>>>>
>>>Grounds for hitting the door. And normally when I get that
>>>
>>>answer I've already gotten a few bad feelings about the place.
>>>
>>
>>
>>I disagree. If nobody there knows you, it's a loaded question,
>>
>>like, "Have you stopped beating your wife?"
>>
>
>
> Totally disagree. Sushi chefs understand what is meant by that question. I
> don't want passable fish, I want what is the best and freshest. Let the
> great flood of the unwashed eat the passable fish. Something in that frig
> box is four days old and something came in that morning.


My question is usually, "What is good today?" I expect the chef to tell me about
the freshest items, or maybe pull out something special that isn't being served to
everyone. Usually the chef answers with a short list of the best items. Once in
a while I get the "everything" response and I proceed with an elevated sense of
caution. But by asking, the chef is on guard to serve me the best of what he's
got or he will have no credibility with me again.


> To expound on my statement. When a chef or waitress states "everything is
> good" they are not being helpful or are just plain stupid. Nowhere is
> everything good not even at Hatsuhana.


The chef better know his stuff. If the waitperson doesn't, then it's just an
annoyance while they get the information from the chef. This is why I usually
take a quick run up to the bar (when I'm not sitting at the bar), look it over,
and ask my questions. That way I don't have to deal with stupid servers.

--
Dan

In k.net,
Can Altinbay > typed:

> "Ken Blake" > wrote in message
> ...

>> One day, the first time I was in Rome, I ordered coda alla
>> vaccinara (ox-tails) in a restaurant. Fearing that I would be
>> unhappy if didn't know what it was and got it, the waiter
>> asked
>> me, in broken English, "you know what that is?" put his hand
>> at
>> the base of his spine, and made a waving motion with it. I
>> replied that I knew and he went away, brought it, and all was
>> fine. That's appropriate (even considerate). Telling me I
>> couldn't have it wouldn't have been
>>
>
> Cute. Totally the other direction, but that reminds me of a
> time I
> was at a place in Ankara. My mother and I decided to see if we
> could
> get them to give us Coke floats. They had Coke and ice cream.
> We of
> course expected to tell the waiter what it was. He couldn't
> get his
> mind around it, so he said he'd bring us the two and we can do
> whatever we want.


Once, at a sidewalk cafe in Paris, the sign said they had jambon
sandwiches and fromage sandwiches. I tried ordering a jambon et
fromage sanwich.

The waiters response was "NO! Jambon *ou* fromage.

So my wife and I ordered one jambon sandwich and one fromage
sandwich and we made our own jambon et fromage sandwiches.


--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

Michael wrote:

> He meant "henna" meaning "strange, weird or unusual".
>
> My nick name in Japan is Henna Gaijin. Eating that nasty purple squid crap
> at bars w/ sake, raw horse meat, and grilled fish testes earned me my nick
> name.

Ika shiokara. Yeah, that one doesn't work for me either.
But I'd eat it to impress someone I don't know.

--
Dan

"Michael" > wrote in message =
...
>=20
> "Musashi" > wrote in message
> om...
>=20
> "Italy Anonymous Remailer" > wrote in =
message
> ...
> > > > Asking what is fresh today and being told everything.
> I have always belived that when Americans ask "What is fresh today" =
that
> they mean
> "What are your recommendations" or "what have you most recently gotten =
in?".
> In both cases I believe "freshness" is automatically included.
> Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
>=20
> Exactly correct
>=20
> > And for the rest of us, what does this mean:
> >
> > > > > I approached him and said, "Nihongo ojouzu desune."
> >
> >
> > > > And he said...Hai, watashi wa furansujin desukara nande mo
> >
> > > > jouzu desu? LOL
> >
> > > Tottemo okashii jyoudandeshitane.
>=20
> and even after twelve years as an exec at Itochu Intl I haven't the
> slightest idea what that means.
> >
> >
> > "hanna gaijin"? (gaijin =3D foreigner; hanna =3D ???)
>=20
> He meant "henna" meaning "strange, weird or unusual".
>=20
> My nick name in Japan is Henna Gaijin. Eating that nasty purple squid =
crap
> at bars w/ sake, raw horse meat, and grilled fish testes earned me my =
nick
> name.
>=20
>

Did you know that a google search for henna gajin gets 12,400 hits?
It's a great nickname. Don't give it up.
Ika no shiokara, Basashi and yaki shirako?
Sounds good!

"Ken Blake" > wrote in message
...
> In k.net,
>
> Once, at a sidewalk cafe in Paris, the sign said they had jambon
> sandwiches and fromage sandwiches. I tried ordering a jambon et
> fromage sanwich.
>
> The waiters response was "NO! Jambon *ou* fromage.
>
> So my wife and I ordered one jambon sandwich and one fromage
> sandwich and we made our own jambon et fromage sandwiches.
>
>

Cinq pieces faciles?

that's a "sanwiche mixte"

Can Altinbay wrote:
> "Ken Blake" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>In k.net,
>>
>>Once, at a sidewalk cafe in Paris, the sign said they had jambon
>>sandwiches and fromage sandwiches. I tried ordering a jambon et
>>fromage sanwich.
>>
>>The waiters response was "NO! Jambon *ou* fromage.
>>
>>So my wife and I ordered one jambon sandwich and one fromage
>>sandwich and we made our own jambon et fromage sandwiches.
>>
>>
>
>
> Cinq pieces faciles?
>
>

--
*Lienad / Cobray Pepperbox Parts Kit*
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>> Need A Couple of Spare Nokia Cell Phones? <<
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"Can Altinbay" > wrote in message =
nk.net...
> "Ken Blake" > wrote in message
> ...
> > In k.net,
> >
> > Once, at a sidewalk cafe in Paris, the sign said they had jambon
> > sandwiches and fromage sandwiches. I tried ordering a jambon et
> > fromage sanwich.
> >
> > The waiters response was "NO! Jambon *ou* fromage.
> >
> > So my wife and I ordered one jambon sandwich and one fromage
> > sandwich and we made our own jambon et fromage sandwiches.
> >
> >
>=20
> Cinq pieces faciles?
>=20

ahaha..I love Jack Nicholson!

In article t>, Can
Altinbay > wrote:

> "Michael" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> >
> > Totally disagree. Sushi chefs understand what is meant by that question.
> I
> > don't want passable fish, I want what is the best and freshest. Let the
> > great flood of the unwashed eat the passable fish. Something in that frig
> > box is four days old and something came in that morning.
> >
>
> Amen to that, having had fish that was actually OFF at several places that
> were highly recommended to me.
> If you can't serve it so that it doesn't taste like the little critters have
> begun to move in, they don't get my sushi business.
>
> Yeah, I'm picky - I also feel that they ought to be able to make maki
> without a gap showing the rice.

I'm with you, bad restaurants aren't good. Was there some question
about that before...?

--
"A Dictionary of Japanese Food, Ingredients & Culture" by Richard Hosking
(Tuttle, '97). All the hints one might need for exploring Japanese food.

"The Sake Handbook" by John Gaunter (Tuttle, '02). An excellent intro and
reference to sake.

In article >, Dan Logcher
> wrote:

> >>like, "Have you stopped beating your wife?"
> >
> > Totally disagree. Sushi chefs understand what is meant by that
> > question. I don't want passable fish, I want what is the best and
> > freshest. Let the great flood of the unwashed eat the passable
> > fish. Something in that frig box is four days old and something
> > came in that morning.
>
> My question is usually, "What is good today?" I expect the chef to
> tell me about the freshest items, or maybe pull out something special
> that isn't being served to everyone. Usually the chef answers with a
> short list of the best items. Once in a while I get the "everything"
> response and I proceed with an elevated sense of caution. But by
> asking, the chef is on guard to serve me the best of what he's got or
> he will have no credibility with me again.

As upstream, I only get "everything" from somebody who doesn't know who
I am. If I ask what's good and he says tuna, squid and yellowtail, and
I say "EEEWWW, I don't like those!", then he's embarrased.

If I say, is there anything exceptional or fun you have today, and he
says everything, then I start picking away at what he has individually.
Ithink that's fair. Besides, if it's a chef that I know and like I
usually tell hime to BRING me what's good, not chat about what it is.

> > To expound on my statement. When a chef or waitress states
> > "everything is good" they are not being helpful or are just plain
> > stupid. Nowhere is everything good not even at Hatsuhana.
>
> The chef better know his stuff. If the waitperson doesn't, then it's
> just an annoyance while they get the information from the chef. This
> is why I usually take a quick run up to the bar (when I'm not sitting
> at the bar), look it over, and ask my questions. That way I don't
> have to deal with stupid servers.

I can't say how long it's been since I didn't sit at the bar. That's
kinda like missing half the show to me.

--
"A Dictionary of Japanese Food, Ingredients & Culture" by Richard Hosking
(Tuttle, '97). All the hints one might need for exploring Japanese food.

"The Sake Handbook" by John Gaunter (Tuttle, '02). An excellent intro and
reference to sake.

In article >, Ken Blake
> wrote:

> >> One day, the first time I was in Rome, I ordered coda alla
> >> vaccinara (ox-tails) in a restaurant. Fearing that I would be
> >> unhappy if didn't know what it was and got it, the waiter asked
> >> me, in broken English, "you know what that is?" put his hand at
> >> the base of his spine, and made a waving motion with it. I replied
> >> that I knew and he went away, brought it, and all was fine. That's
> >> appropriate (even considerate). Telling me I couldn't have it
> >> wouldn't have been
> >>
> > > Cute. Totally the other direction, but that reminds me of a >
> > > time I > was at a place in Ankara. My mother and I decided to
> > > see if we > could > get them to give us Coke floats. They had
> > > Coke and ice cream. > We of > course expected to tell the waiter
> > > what it was. He couldn't > get his > mind around it, so he said
> > > he'd bring us the two and we can do > whatever we want.
>
> Once, at a sidewalk cafe in Paris, the sign said they had jambon
> sandwiches and fromage sandwiches. I tried ordering a jambon et
> fromage sanwich.
>
> The waiters response was "NO! Jambon *ou* fromage.
>
> So my wife and I ordered one jambon sandwich and one fromage sandwich
> and we made our own jambon et fromage sandwiches.

Once, in a story that is referenced endlessly among my friends, my
buddy Sean got a pepperoni pizza at a local joint across from the
college. It came out hot and had a lot of standing grease on it. Sean
took some napkins and blotted it.

"Hey!" the pizza-man yells from across his counter, "What they hell are
you doing?!"

"I'm just mopping up of some of this grease," Sean says.

"That's not grease! That's the 'natural juices'!"

"Oh, okay, well I'm mopping up the 'natural juices'."

The pizza man wandered off in disgust, muttering to himself.

--
"A Dictionary of Japanese Food, Ingredients & Culture" by Richard Hosking
(Tuttle, '97). All the hints one might need for exploring Japanese food.

"The Sake Handbook" by John Gaunter (Tuttle, '02). An excellent intro and
reference to sake.

In article >, Dan Logcher
> wrote:

> > He meant "henna" meaning "strange, weird or unusual".
> >
> > My nick name in Japan is Henna Gaijin. Eating that nasty purple squid crap
> > at bars w/ sake...
>
> Ika shiokara. Yeah, that one doesn't work for me either.
> But I'd eat it to impress someone I don't know.

I've liked it every time I've had it but it's like onion bhaji at an
Indian restaurant--I've never seen it the same way twice. It's strong,
but the sake makes it "right".

--
"A Dictionary of Japanese Food, Ingredients & Culture" by Richard Hosking
(Tuttle, '97). All the hints one might need for exploring Japanese food.

"The Sake Handbook" by John Gaunter (Tuttle, '02). An excellent intro and
reference to sake.

In article <696055101bba719dac8644af40e67d90@melontraffickers .com>,
A.Melon > wrote:

> > This is rather interesting. While Japanese even has a word
> > for "degree of freshness" (sendo), nobody would ever ask "what
> > is fresh today?". The most common response would indeed by
> > "everything is fresh of course" since freshness of the neta is
> > a given in any sushi restaurant.
>
> This leads to more questions about freshness that all but the
> most astute customers might not know. (I do NOT know!! I'm asking!)
>
> I suppose that many sushi bars get fresh fish daily but do they
> actually empty their refrigerators and get fresh "everything"?
> Of course not. What are the accepted shelf lives of properly
> handled and stored sushi grade fish? I don't mean the bad
> practices of some cheap place that will trim off bad spots in
> order to sell the rest of the flesh. I mean with a good, honest
> not too greedy itamae who is willing to acknowledge the (slow?)
> decline of various fish:

The success of such a business (or any business that sells meat of any
kind at a profit) is related to their ability to buy fresh, sell fresh,
and expire their supply before it is no longer fresh. That's why I
love to go to a restaurant, order a steak or a kind of fish and find
that they have run out. The more often this happens, with a place of
relatively good business, the happier I am that the food I'm getting is
top-notch. This assumes that I can tell up front, and with sushi-bars
it's more easy to actually SEE the amounts of fish, their speed of
usage, etc.

> 1 hour from market: 100
> 4 hours from market: 97
> 12 hours from market: 90
> versus
> 1 hour from market: 100
> 4 hours from market: 85
> 12 hours from market: 60

I don't know what those values above mean. I know that when I first
began eating sushi in Dallas around 1985 a friend who took me there on
a Thursday night made a point of telling me that I shouldn't eat there
on Wednesday's. Thursday morning was when they plane came in with
their supply. That's what I was told. True or otherwise, it point up
the fact that one treats foods different ways.

Sushi/sashimi has a shorter life than the same fish that would be used
for grilling or steaming. So when it rolls out of one category after,
say, 2 days, it hits the next category: fresh enough to grill. Then it
*has* to be cooked and in cooked form can be used as an ingredient in
other foods, or pickled etc. A good chef can work the fish for it's
maximum utility throughout this cycle.

> I don't like uni, but from a.f.s I assume that uni has to be
> the A-number one freshness item. Maybe all the uni I've ever
> had was edible but "yesterday's" batch.

It is a tricky one indeed. In SoCal now the uni-man comes and brings a
few wooden trays of the stuff to various joints. If I'm there in early
evening when it arrives I always order it. And it blows me away. I
assume this speed from ocean to plate is about as good as it gets,
since it comes from up the coast (Santa Barbara, IIRC). I don't
imagine it works as well for Boise.

> I'm more of a "What are your recommendations" person but "what
> have you most recently gotten in?" is also polite and gives the
> staff a chance to answer honestly without undermining their whole
> operation.

I don't like the "what just came in" question, because it seems to
underscore a general fear of eating low-quality food. I don't want to
offend. Generally I assume it is fresh everywhere I go, since
everywhere I go is pretty damn good. On the other hand if it's a new
place, or (forgive me please), run/operated by Koreans or Americans, I
assume that they are cutting corners and will take my cues from a few
selected foods to gauge their freshness factor. Certainly looking
through in the case will tell me something too. How many whole aji are
there--or whole anything for that matter? How much fish is open and
ready for cutting and how much is in plastic wrap. I frequently order
teh saba first (because I like it first, too), and it gives me an idea
of their quality. If it's a tough little bolt, more tart than mild, I
know they don't know how to do it. It speaks ill of other things. But
that's just my little barometer.

It's amazing how many little gauges you get on such things. The
attitude of the waitresses, the ethnicity of the customers, their hours
of operation, the "specials board", all provide micro-clues.

--
"A Dictionary of Japanese Food, Ingredients & Culture" by Richard Hosking
(Tuttle, '97). All the hints one might need for exploring Japanese food.

"The Sake Handbook" by John Gaunter (Tuttle, '02). An excellent intro and
reference to sake.

Gerry wrote:

> In article >, Dan Logcher
> > wrote:
>
>
>>>>like, "Have you stopped beating your wife?"
>>>>
>>>Totally disagree. Sushi chefs understand what is meant by that
>>>question. I don't want passable fish, I want what is the best and
>>>freshest. Let the great flood of the unwashed eat the passable
>>>fish. Something in that frig box is four days old and something
>>>came in that morning.
>>>
>>My question is usually, "What is good today?" I expect the chef to
>>tell me about the freshest items, or maybe pull out something special
>>that isn't being served to everyone. Usually the chef answers with a
>>short list of the best items. Once in a while I get the "everything"
>>response and I proceed with an elevated sense of caution. But by
>>asking, the chef is on guard to serve me the best of what he's got or
>>he will have no credibility with me again.
>>
>
> As upstream, I only get "everything" from somebody who doesn't know who
> I am. If I ask what's good and he says tuna, squid and yellowtail, and
> I say "EEEWWW, I don't like those!", then he's embarrased.


You could just nod and say thankyou for the information, as opposed to a
rude "EEEWWWW". At least you know what he has to offer.


> If I say, is there anything exceptional or fun you have today, and he
> says everything, then I start picking away at what he has individually.
> Ithink that's fair. Besides, if it's a chef that I know and like I
> usually tell hime to BRING me what's good, not chat about what it is.


Fun? Not sure I follow this way. I'd rather know what the chef feels
are the best items he has to offer, instead of what it fun.

>>The chef better know his stuff. If the waitperson doesn't, then it's
>>just an annoyance while they get the information from the chef. This
>>is why I usually take a quick run up to the bar (when I'm not sitting
>>at the bar), look it over, and ask my questions. That way I don't
>>have to deal with stupid servers.
>
> I can't say how long it's been since I didn't sit at the bar. That's
> kinda like missing half the show to me.

I agree. But in some cases I have to sit at the tables, like when I'm
dining with a group of people, say 4 or more. Eating at the sushi bar
kind of excludes the people at either end for large groups.

Unless they make a sushi like how they make the teppenyaki tables. Have
several small rectangular tables so you're only about 6' across from
the other people in the group.

--
Dan

Gerry wrote:

> In article >, Dan Logcher
> > wrote:
>
>
>>>He meant "henna" meaning "strange, weird or unusual".
>>>
>>>My nick name in Japan is Henna Gaijin. Eating that nasty purple squid crap
>>>at bars w/ sake...
>>>
>>Ika shiokara. Yeah, that one doesn't work for me either.
>>But I'd eat it to impress someone I don't know.
>>
>
> I've liked it every time I've had it but it's like onion bhaji at an
> Indian restaurant--I've never seen it the same way twice. It's strong,
> but the sake makes it "right".

Maybe that's my mistake that I wasn't drinking sake. I've had it twice
on two different coasts, and it was the same both times that I didn't like.

--
Dan

In ,
Gerry > typed:

> I can't say how long it's been since I didn't sit at the bar.
> That's
> kinda like missing half the show to me.


I feel the same way, but unfortunately, I often don't sit at the
bar because I'm eating with others who don't like to.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

"Gerry" > wrote in message
.. .
>
> Actually it is pretty rare than I'm dissapointed in Japanese
> restaurants. I understand that it might be because cheap-ass joints
> don't survive long here in SoCal where there competition is pretty
> noteworthy. I'm unsure.
>

I'm not sure I've encountered a truly bad Japanese restaurant, either.
Somehow, the bad places tend to be Chinese. In Boulder, there is one place
where the food absolutely has no taste.
But it's not the worst place in town. There is another place where the food
is actually bad.

In article > , Musashi
> wrote:

> "Gerry" > wrote in message
> .. .
> > In article >, Musashi
> > > wrote:
> >
> > > I am rather surprised that you guys use the saba as a test and eat it
> > > first. First because it can be a fairly oily treat on a par with
> > > toro, and that would affect how I enjoy the lighter fare.
> >
> > I like to start with toro sashimi as well!
> >
> > > Secondly because bad saba can result in anything between a bad taste
> > > experience to scromboid poisoning.
> >
> > Anything can kill you I guess. I'm more confident than that, and
> > experience indicates my confidence was appropriately placed. But it's
> > true I've had some clearly dissapointing saba. So then I know to get
> > the chicken teriyaki plate and leave. Or just leave.
> >
> > > In a crappy place I usually can tell from the other fare that I
> > > shouldn't bother ordering the saba. In a good place, if the lighter
> > > fare meets my standards then I'll try their saba.
> >
> > That actually makes very good sense and if I was ill at ease about the
> > nature of the place I think I probably would start out that way. Most
> > lousy joints don't even have saba. So I guess I use it to gauge
> > something that already looks higher in quality.
> >
> > But which lighter fare do you use as an early point of reference for
> > quality?
>
> I don't have any set formula.
> I'll ask what shiromi zakana they have.
> If they have Tai shipped from Japan that tells me something.
> If they have Striped Bass and it tastes wild rather than farmed
> that tells me something.

All of this tells me something too, but I thought you were referring to
selecting an item with the intent of projecting a places quality or a
chef's skill.

> I may order the Hirame. If I am asked if I'd like the engawa,
> that tells me something too.
> What kind of Hikarimono (Shiny fish) they may have also tells
> me something. Do they have things like Aji? Iwashi?
> Of course they'll have Hamachi. But will they have Kanpachi?
> It's a bit of a game.

These are my games too. But you mentioned ordering Harame. I know I
don't have the precision of palate for the white fishes. I sometimes
think I'd like to concentrate on just that for a while. But they don't
have much fireworks or hoo-hah to accompany. I've long since abandoned
spicy rolls of most any variety (I like the occasional during a quick
lunch). But still the white fishies can be difficult to distinguish.

--
"A Dictionary of Japanese Food, Ingredients & Culture" by Richard Hosking
(Tuttle, '97). All the hints one might need for exploring Japanese food.

"The Sake Handbook" by John Gaunter (Tuttle, '02). An excellent intro and
reference to sake.

Gerry wrote:

> In article > , Musashi
> > wrote:
>
>
>>"Gerry" > wrote in message
...
>>
>>>In article >, Musashi
> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>I am rather surprised that you guys use the saba as a test and eat it
>>>>first. First because it can be a fairly oily treat on a par with
>>>>toro, and that would affect how I enjoy the lighter fare.
>>>
>>>I like to start with toro sashimi as well!
>>>
>>>
>>>>Secondly because bad saba can result in anything between a bad taste
>>>>experience to scromboid poisoning.
>>>
>>>Anything can kill you I guess. I'm more confident than that, and
>>>experience indicates my confidence was appropriately placed. But it's
>>>true I've had some clearly dissapointing saba. So then I know to get
>>>the chicken teriyaki plate and leave. Or just leave.
>>>
>>>
>>>>In a crappy place I usually can tell from the other fare that I
>>>>shouldn't bother ordering the saba. In a good place, if the lighter
>>>>fare meets my standards then I'll try their saba.
>>>
>>>That actually makes very good sense and if I was ill at ease about the
>>>nature of the place I think I probably would start out that way. Most
>>>lousy joints don't even have saba. So I guess I use it to gauge
>>>something that already looks higher in quality.
>>>
>>>But which lighter fare do you use as an early point of reference for
>>>quality?
>>
>>I don't have any set formula.
>>I'll ask what shiromi zakana they have.
>>If they have Tai shipped from Japan that tells me something.
>>If they have Striped Bass and it tastes wild rather than farmed
>>that tells me something.
>
>
> All of this tells me something too, but I thought you were referring to
> selecting an item with the intent of projecting a places quality or a
> chef's skill.

Selection can say many things about the skill of the chef, his skill to
pick special items. Any untrained sushi chef can pickup maguro, hamachi,
sake, and tai.. A good chef will know what is season and try to get
special items for the customers.

>>I may order the Hirame. If I am asked if I'd like the engawa,
>>that tells me something too.
>>What kind of Hikarimono (Shiny fish) they may have also tells
>>me something. Do they have things like Aji? Iwashi?
>>Of course they'll have Hamachi. But will they have Kanpachi?
>>It's a bit of a game.
>
> These are my games too. But you mentioned ordering Harame. I know I
> don't have the precision of palate for the white fishes. I sometimes
> think I'd like to concentrate on just that for a while. But they don't
> have much fireworks or hoo-hah to accompany. I've long since abandoned
> spicy rolls of most any variety (I like the occasional during a quick
> lunch). But still the white fishies can be difficult to distinguish.

The difference are very subtle, but for it's mostly textural. I never used
to like white fish until I had the most tender hirame. I also enjoy stripped
bass, since I often catch and prepare it myself. Tai I can do without, as
it's not very flavorful and the texture is a bit tough.

--
Dan

"Can Altinbay" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>
> I almost forgot that other unforgivable sin - unevenly spread wasabi.

Shouldn't make any difference unless you eat your nigiri in multiple bites
rather than in one fell swoop.

"Dan Logcher" > wrote in message
...

> Tai I can do without, as
> it's not very flavorful and the texture is a bit tough.

I would guess you are not getting real tai . . . many, many sushi bars are
using tilapia and call it izumidai/tai. It's cheap, vacuum pack/frozen and
chewy. True tai (what we see on the West Coast is from Japan or NZ) for
sushi is excellent.

"A.Melon" > wrote in message
news:696055101bba719dac8644af40e67d90@melontraffic kers.com...

> I suppose that many sushi bars get fresh fish daily but do they
> actually empty their refrigerators and get fresh "everything"?

Only the very busiest sushi bars will get daily delivery of fresh items.
The folks they get their stuff from (importers/distributors) don't get daily
shipments from, for example, Japan.

> What are the accepted shelf lives of properly
> handled and stored sushi grade fish?

Depends on how fresh the fish is when received. Tuna, for example, may be
caught off the coast of Vietnam . . spends a couple of days (could be 5 or
more days) on ice on the boat . . shipped to LAX (add in another day) . .
re-iced/re-packed for shipment to a local (to you) distributor - add another
day . . local distributor gets the product on a Wednesday afternoon (for
example), receives/grades the product . . distributors sells off of that
inventory for deliveries out 3-5 days. You want tuna hours old . . . it
isn't going to happen.

> I don't mean the bad
> practices of some cheap place that will trim off bad spots in
> order to sell the rest of the flesh. I mean with a good, honest
> not too greedy itamae who is willing to acknowledge the (slow?)
> decline of various fish:
> 1 hour from market: 100
> 4 hours from market: 97
> 12 hours from market: 90
> versus
> 1 hour from market: 100
> 4 hours from market: 85
> 12 hours from market: 60

Fish, for sushi or otherwise, does not degrade as quickly as you would
suggest. The usable life of fresh fish is measured in days, not hours.

Keep in mind a great chef (sushi or otherwise) earns his keep when he can
take an average (or declining) piece of material and enhance the value and
sell it to you. Trimming to enhance value is part of the training. Every
sushi chef does it. Remember: Any value a chef can get out of trim is 100%
profit. Why? Because the gross profit from the first 70-80% of the
materials (the good stuff) pays for rent, utilities, labor and the chef's
new Lexus.

> I don't like uni, but from a.f.s I assume that uni has to be
> the A-number one freshness item. Maybe all the uni I've ever
> had was edible but "yesterday's" batch.

Uni is best when fresh but if kept chilled in the 33-35 deg. range will last
nicely for 7 days and beyond.

> What about shellfish (clam, abalone), ika, tako? The flesh
> seems like it would last longer once harvested but I don't
> know. (Tako is cooked, not raw. What about the others?)

Shellfish . . . up to 10 days but depends on handling. If somebody along
the distribution chain screws up, somebody at the end of the distribution
chain ends up ill.

> Are tobiko and ikura processed and salted or is that the natural
> saltiness? How long do they stay "fresh" (without being a lie to
> the most demanding customer)?

Tobiko and ikura should be just fine for 7+ days. Again, depends upon how
the product is handled before you get it.

> Is there such a thing as natto that is too fresh?

If it is too fresh, it isn't natto. <g>

> As a CYNICAL American, I wouldn't even ask "What is fresh today?"

Better yet: "Is your hamachi frozen or fresh?" And have a good idea of
what you are interested in before you sit down. Ask the appropriate
questions. Don't ever make the mistake of asking the "fresh or frozen"
question while sitting at the sushi bar. Many sushi chefs like to leave the
impression that all is fresh when, in fact, it isn't. One of my favorites
is this response from a chef to the "fresh or frozen" question: He waved
his hand over the sushi cool case and said "None of my sushi materials are
frozen!" Many of them probably were rock hard just a couple of hours
before.

If you want to increase your odds at getting the freshest possible product,
visit your local sushi restaurant on Friday.

> When you folks buy sushi grade fish for home preparation, how
> long do you keep it "fresh": eat it all at once? one day? two?
> more? Does it depend on the kind of fish?

You will enjoy it more if you eat it the same day you bought it.

In article >, D. Lutjen
> wrote:

> > Tai I can do without, as it's not very flavorful and the texture is
> > a bit tough.
>
> I would guess you are not getting real tai . . . many, many sushi
> bars are using tilapia and call it izumidai/tai. It's cheap, vacuum
> pack/frozen and chewy. True tai (what we see on the West Coast is
> from Japan or NZ) for sushi is excellent.

I usually see red snapper called tai as well. The first time I had
tai, I said, Wow this is tai! The waitress (table dining), said, no
that's red snapper. I said, ask the chef. She came back and said
"it's Japanese tai and just came in today." She was very impressed
with my palate, but the reality was it looked like snapper but tasted
*great*, so I figured it must be tai. Excellent texture too.

--
"A Dictionary of Japanese Food, Ingredients & Culture" by Richard Hosking
(Tuttle, '97). All the hints one might need for exploring Japanese food.

"The Sake Handbook" by John Gaunter (Tuttle, '02). An excellent intro and
reference to sake.

In ,
D. Lutjen > typed:

> "Dan Logcher" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> Tai I can do without, as
>> it's not very flavorful and the texture is a bit tough.
>
> I would guess you are not getting real tai . . . many, many
> sushi
> bars are using tilapia and call it izumidai/tai. It's cheap,
> vacuum
> pack/frozen and chewy. True tai (what we see on the West Coast
> is
> from Japan or NZ) for sushi is excellent.


I agree. I've had tai sushi in Japan, and it was wonderful. I've
had what is called "tai" in the US and haven't liked it at all. I
almost never order it.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

D. Lutjen wrote:
> "Dan Logcher" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>
>>Tai I can do without, as
>>it's not very flavorful and the texture is a bit tough.
>
>
> I would guess you are not getting real tai . . . many, many sushi bars are
> using tilapia and call it izumidai/tai. It's cheap, vacuum pack/frozen and
> chewy. True tai (what we see on the West Coast is from Japan or NZ) for
> sushi is excellent.

I have had real tai in the past, but you're right. A lot of the local places
are using tilapia instead.

--
Dan

"D. Lutjen" > wrote in message
...
> "Can Altinbay" > wrote in message
> nk.net...
> >
> > I almost forgot that other unforgivable sin - unevenly spread wasabi.
>
> Shouldn't make any difference unless you eat your nigiri in multiple bites
> rather than in one fell swoop.
>
>

Usually, it means that within the serving, a piece will have little wasabi,
and another will have a ton. This becomes a particular problem with makis.
You get a rather shocking shot of wasabi on one of the pieces. It is
extremely unpleasant.