Finding a Talented Itamae

Finding a talented sushi chef, an itamae, at a high-quality sushi restaurant is your ticket to sushi paradise. And what is not to love about this delightful light and flavorful dish. Sushi is like the tenderloin of seafood that is so soft it can be eaten raw. This is due to the fact that sushi-grade fish is quickly retrieved from the ocean and killed to reduce the build-up of lactic acid that toughens the flesh. Traditionally, the fish would be spiked through its brain to quickly kill the fish and send it to seafood heaven without the flopping around and suffocation.

Sushi-Grade Flash-Frozen Fish

The only true requirement for sushi-grade fish by the FDA is that it be flash-frozen to kill off any parasites. Clarence Birdseye had famously invented the flash-freezing methodology to preserve vegetables. Although it is very rare, you may become a host for parasites if you do take that vacation to Japan. It may be more profitable for a low-grade sushi restaurant to take the risks without anyone knowing because the Japanese people eat so much raw fish in general. Sushi is a brilliantly delightful word for American marketing purposes that actually comes from the Japanese word for vinegared rice. Because the flavor of the fish is rarely pungent and is used more for texture, the subtle notes only ring out if the vinegared rice is prepared just perfectly.

Clean Food and Great Customer Service

Walking into a Japanese restaurant is a wonderful experience in America. Americans take for granted their sanitation laws and the slim odds of ever getting sick in a sushi restaurant. When you do have a cold, sushi is not the proper dish. Not only will the delicate taste fall on deaf taste buds, but it can also make you feel a little sicker when you consider it is raw fish after all. A good sushi restaurant will give a loyal customer that they like a bowl of carry-out wanton soup to abate the sickness so that the client is cleansed and healthy.

Custom Soy Sauces

The higher-end Japanese restaurants go beyond the basics and make their own feature soy sauces to compliment particular sushi rolls. One rule for eating at a sushi restaurant is to never dip your exotic roll in the soy sauce. The rice will absorb the soy sauce and overpower those delicate flavors that the chef worked so hard to combine in the perfect roll. The better practice is to put a little dab of wasabi on one side of the roll and to add a few drops of soy sauce to the fish in the center. Not only is this much tastier, but it is also healthier for people who suffer from hypertension. Interestingly enough, despite the American tradition of mixing everything all together, the ginger is to be used as a palette cleanser between rolls to keep it interesting rather than applied to the roll itself.

Types of Sushi and Sashimi Available

You will be pleasantly surprised when you find that regional sushi restaurant that keeps it interesting with exotic rolls and sashimi offerings. Some of the most flavorful rolls are the Philadelphia roll that is made with smoked salmon and cream cheese. Everyone is a sucker for tuna. And who can resist a spicy tuna roll that is so soft it melts in your mouth with a hint of an ocean-fresh tuna flavor that rings in your mouth like more of an aftertaste than an alarm. The freshness and the upbeat affair of eating at a sushi restaurant makes it something of an aphrodisiac.

The Sushi Buffet Test

A high-quality Japanese sushi restaurant will also offer other traditional dishes like Hibachi steak and chicken. The Japanese have exceptional tastes in steak and the quality cuts. You are likely to see filet mignon and other prime cuts of beef in their dishes. A popular sushi restaurant will also have a buffet that attracts hungry customers throughout the work week. Ask a sushi restaurant if they have a lunch buffet, and you will usually be able to separate the good from the bad. If you come by at lunchtime and it is dead, you can bet that they are serving leftovers throughout the week.

SushiFork of Tulsa offers made-to-order sushi rolls and a casual, clean and fun sushi dining experience with locations in Tulsa, OK and Dallas, TX Park Cities areas.