[BANGPOD]

Head-Fi'ers --

I had my first piece of this delicacy about one year ago...
Now I cannot eat sushi without having at least one piece!
Considering I eat sushi 5-7 days a week, this is expensive!
I am glad I did not try uni when I started eating sushi...

Anybody else have a dilemma like mine? And while we are at it...
Fugu is incredible -- the tingling of the tongue, oh my! But the risks...

I need to go back so I can experience the magic all over again!

BANGPOD

 

[Jahn]

As I recall, Uni is Sea Urchin, and Fuku is Puffer Fish. Uni is an acquired taste- my mother loves it, I hate it. Fuku is a deadly taste. One wrong slice and you are DEAD! Never had it, I'm a pansy.

 

[grawk]

I absolutely LOVE uni, but haven't had fugu except in fugu-kawa. I can't wait to get to ny next week. I'm having sushi with friends...

 

[mbriant]

I eat sushi at least once a week and haven't yet met a type I didn't like. Uni is one of the least appetizing from a visual and texture perspective, but I love it. I tried Fuku once about 20 years ago while in Japan on business, but I was so drunk at the time, I really don't remember what it looked or tasted like.

 

[jjcha]

Gotta love the uni. I'm still looking for a good sushi place in NYC. Unfortunately 3 years as a lawyer in Tokyo has spoiled me. Sushi Yasuda in NYC was good quality - but a bit too pricy to make it a weekly sushi hangout. I remember Oshii in Boston (used to be a regular) was okay. I didn't have a chance to try Masa yet... Anyone got any suggestions?

Best,

-Jason

 

[Salt Peanuts]

Fugu is great, though I haven't had it since I've left Japan over a decade ago. As for sushi, I love them, too. I've actually never had to pay for them, though - my mother is an amazing cook and I would go over to my parents' place whenever they were having sushi. Of course, this is bit dificult now that they've moved over 5 hours away from my place.

 

[LobsterSan]

I like sushi. And being in Fukuoka, I have ready access to it any time I like!

In fact, there's a good kaiten zushi restaurant about 5 minutes walk from my apartment. kaiten zushi is conveyor belt style sushi, and they often are of the "100 yen per dish" variety (100 yen being roughly equivalent to $1). While the quality pales in comparison to a master chef's sushi bar, it's still pretty good for certain cuts of fish. Sometimes you can find decent uni at these types of restuarants, though it's usually not quite as creamily good as at a top-knotch sushi bar.

I went to a really special sushi place in Hokkaido last March, and the chef there studied under the best-known chef in Hokkaido. The tab was a bit pricey, but the sushi was delicious. Fish in Hokkaido taste a bit different than they do down in Kyushu... a little firmer and a little saltier.

The strangest sushi I've ever had was shrimp that was so fresh it was still kicking! The chef chopped the heads off the shrimp in front of us, then quickly served it -- still twitching. My girlfriend said she could feel the shrimp still moving in her stomach. Later, the shrimp heads resurfaced after being grilled, oozing brains -- that was also a bit tough to swallow. But in the end, my motto is to eat first and ask questions later. And that usually ends in deliciousness. Usually.

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjcha Gotta love the uni. I'm still looking for a good sushi place in NYC. Unfortunately 3 years as a lawyer in Tokyo has spoiled me. Sushi Yasuda in NYC was good quality - but a bit too pricy to make it a weekly sushi hangout. I remember Oshii in Boston (used to be a regular) was okay. I didn't have a chance to try Masa yet... Anyone got any suggestions? Best, -Jason

It's Halloween so you MUST go to Yama at Union Square. It's in the basement of the house of Washington Irving, who wrote the story of the Headless Horseman. The slabs of sushi there are huge, and tasty, and the price is right - I think you'll like it. Don't go to the Yama down in the Village, it has no Panache.

And if you have something to celebrate and a Benjamin to drop, head to Nobu, the old stomping grounds of Morimoto, the Iron Chef. The chef special there is still the best neo-japanese grub in the city.

Want to just pig out? Go to Minado on 32nd and 5th. It's an all-you-can eat with quality sushi, a rare combo in the city. Free Coke refills too!

 

[Orpheus]

uni's not significantly any more expensive than other types of sushi at the restaurants that i've visited, here in los angeles. tastes interesting though.

 

[BRBJackson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orpheus uni's not significantly any more expensive than other types of sushi at the restaurants that i've visited, here in los angeles.

Consider yourself lucky, then. Ay my usual sushi spot in Long Beach, Uni is about twice the cost of an average nigiri order. Nonetheless, I order it pretty frequently. Love that earthy taste.

 

[mbriant]

 

[BANGPOD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjcha Gotta love the uni. I'm still looking for a good sushi place in NYC. Unfortunately 3 years as a lawyer in Tokyo has spoiled me. Sushi Yasuda in NYC was good quality - but a bit too pricy to make it a weekly sushi hangout. I remember Oshii in Boston (used to be a regular) was okay. I didn't have a chance to try Masa yet... Anyone got any suggestions? Best, -Jason

jjcha --

Masa was the best food experience of my life and I frequent many.
The saki, the freshness, the perfect cuts, the rice... WOWWIE...
I wrote a sterling review on it's $500 omakase about a year ago.

It is a restaurant that I will DEFINITELY be returning to.
Easily the best sushi in New York City, maybe the country.

BANGPOD

 

[BANGPOD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn It's Halloween so you MUST go to Yama at Union Square. It's in the basement of the house of Washington Irving, who wrote the story of the Headless Horseman. The slabs of sushi there are huge, and tasty, and the price is right - I think you'll like it. Don't go to the Yama down in the Village, it has no Panache. And if you have something to celebrate and a Benjamin to drop, head to Nobu, the old stomping grounds of Morimoto, the Iron Chef. The chef special there is still the best neo-japanese grub in the city. Want to just pig out? Go to Minado on 32nd and 5th. It's an all-you-can eat with quality sushi, a rare combo in the city. Free Coke refills too!

Jahn --

Places that serve larger cuts of fish on their nigirizushi are usually sub-par.
Nobu is the best for cooked fish (besides Milo), DO NOT go there for sushi.
Any all-you-can-eat sushi place, no matter how chic, will be sub-par...

Honestly.

BANGPOD

 

[Orpheus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BRBJackson Consider yourself lucky, then. Ay my usual sushi spot in Long Beach, Uni is about twice the cost of an average nigiri order. Nonetheless, I order it pretty frequently. Love that earthy taste.

hmm.... what's the name? maybe i'd go later. but if you really want it cheap, Todai has it. you know, that all you can eat place in every mall around here. yeah, it's not the best or freshest... but the good pieces are probably 90% of the taste of the really good stuff.

OR.............. you could even buy the sea urchin yourself. i remember my dad brought home some whole creatures before. that was interesting. and that would be better than what you could normally get in a restaurant.

 

[mbriant]

There are all sorts of pre-made/pre-packaged ready-to-eat sushi cropping up around here in supermarkets and mall kiosks. Not very good by restaurant standards, but the basic California Roll and cooked shrimp types are edible. Also, I'm noticing more and more sushi restaurants run by Koreans. Is sushi native to Korea as well, or are they just getting into the market ..... like Chinese owned pizza restaurants?