Introduction
Sushi is one of the most popular dishes in the world, but there are some secrets that sushi restaurants don’t want you to know. From the fish they use to the way they prepare it, there are some things that sushi restaurants don’t want you to know. In this article, we’ll reveal nine secrets that sushi restaurants don’t want you to know. We’ll also provide tips on how to make sure you’re getting the best sushi experience possible. So, if you’re a sushi lover, read on to find out what sushi restaurants don’t want you to know.
9 Secrets Sushi Restaurants Don’t Want You to Know
Sushi restaurants are a popular dining option, but there are some secrets they don’t want you to know. From the fish they serve to the way they prepare it, here are nine secrets sushi restaurants don’t want you to know.
1. Not All Fish is Fresh
Many sushi restaurants claim to serve only the freshest fish, but that’s not always the case. Some restaurants may use frozen fish that has been thawed out, or fish that has been sitting in the refrigerator for days. To make sure you’re getting the freshest fish, ask the restaurant where they get their fish from.
2. The Rice is Not Always Fresh
The rice used in sushi is often not as fresh as it could be. Some restaurants may use pre-cooked rice that has been sitting in the refrigerator for days. To make sure you’re getting the freshest rice, ask the restaurant where they get their rice from.
3. The Fish May Not Be Sushi Grade
Not all fish is suitable for sushi. To ensure the highest quality, sushi restaurants should only use sushi grade fish. This means the fish has been inspected and approved by the government for human consumption. If the restaurant is not using sushi grade fish, it’s best to avoid it.
4. The Fish May Not Be Sourced Responsibly
Sushi restaurants should be sourcing their fish from sustainable fisheries. This means the fish is being caught in a way that does not harm the environment or deplete fish stocks. If the restaurant is not sourcing their fish responsibly, it’s best to avoid it.
5. The Fish May Not Be Prepared Properly
Sushi restaurants should be preparing their fish properly to ensure the highest quality. This means the fish should be cut correctly, marinated properly, and cooked at the right temperature. If the restaurant is not preparing the fish properly, it’s best to avoid it.
6. The Sushi May Not Be Prepared Safely
Sushi restaurants should be taking the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their customers. This means they should be using gloves when handling raw fish, washing their hands regularly, and using separate cutting boards for raw and cooked food. If the restaurant is not taking these precautions, it’s best to avoid it.
7. The Sushi May Not Be Stored Properly
Sushi restaurants should be storing their sushi properly to ensure the highest quality. This means the sushi should be stored at the right temperature and in the right environment. If the restaurant is not storing the sushi properly, it’s best to avoid it.
8. The Sushi May Not Be Labeled Properly
Sushi restaurants should be labeling their sushi properly to ensure the safety of their customers. This means the sushi should be labeled with the type of fish, the date it was prepared, and any allergens it may contain. If the restaurant is not labeling the sushi properly, it’s best to avoid it.
9. The Sushi May Not Be Prepared Hygienically
Sushi restaurants should be taking the necessary precautions to ensure the hygiene of their customers. This means they should be using clean utensils, washing their hands regularly, and using separate cutting boards for raw and cooked food. If the restaurant is not taking these precautions, it’s best to avoid it.
Going out for sushi can be a real treat. Not only are sashimi, nigiri, oshizushi, and other types of sushi delicious, but it’s also one of those types of foods that most of us really can’t make at home. Or shouldn’t, at any rate, given the challenge of proper sushi preparation and the health risks that can come with consuming certain raw ingredients.
But treat though it may be, not all sushi served at all sushi restaurants is of the same quality, so you should know a bit about what’s happening behind the counter before you order. Or pay. From when to go to a sushi restaurant (and when not to) and what types of fish are always a good choice or never a good bet, we have done some digging into a few of the fishier aspects of the cuisine.
Before you have a seat and ask the chef “Osusume wa nan desu ka?” (What’s your recommendation?) go ahead and read these secrets sushi restaurants don’t want you to know. Plus, check out The Best Sushi in Every State.
(And don’t miss: 8 Worst Fast-Food Burgers to Stay Away From Right Now)
Chef Seki Shi, the owner and head chef at Sushi Seki in NYC told Insider that when sushi (or sashimi or nigiri) is properly prepared, it should require little to no extra flavoring. So why is soy sauce so readily provided at so many sushi restaurants? Because the (Western) tendency to douse sushi in a glut of soy sauce can conceal the off-flavors of lower quality or less-than-fresh fish. If the soy sauce bottle has a large hole that could be a sign that the sushi is of lesser quality, writer and food safety campaigner Hirokazu Kawagishi told Sora News 24.
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The tekkamaki sushi roll is a classic of the cuisine. It is properly made with nothing but sticky rice, nori seaweed, and raw sashimi-quality tuna. But according to Kawagishi, these rolls are often made using tuna mixed with vegetable oil. The resulting roll looks like a higher-quality toro but is cheaper and less tasty. To see if the roll has added oil, give it a squeeze, if it loses its shape easily it likely does.
Those slender, elegant shavings of ginger served beside your sushi may look great, but they are for more than just looks. And you may love the taste of ginger, but if you’re mixing it into bites with fish (or eel or octopus or urchin) you risk concealing the taste of the sea creature beneath the potent ginger—a benefit for the restaurant if the quality is off. According to Chef Seki, ginger is best used as a tool to lightly apply sauces to sushi or as a palate cleanser between dishes.
The so-called inside-out sushi roll is properly termed the uramaki roll in Japanese, though as it happens they are seen much more often in America than in Japan. These rolls feature the rice on the outside of the sushi as opposed to the traditional construction with the seaweed as the outer layer. According to John Daley of New York Sushi Ko interviewed by First We Feast, uramaki rolls often feature much more rice and much less fish or other fillings than a traditional sushi roll, meaning a lower-cost item that is still charged at full freight.
Many sushi restaurants are banking on the fact that customers won’t know all that much about fish. According to Daley, so-called “white tuna” is almost always cheaper escolar. “Don’t ever eat anything that says white tuna… It’s not in the tuna family and it’s got as high or higher mercury content than swordfish.” Also, kampachi is not baby yellowtail, most red snapper is suspect, and always be suspicious of toro.
According to New York Daily News, when you order a spicy roll at a sushi restaurant (or buy them from a store), chances are good that you are selecting the worst fish (and other ingredients) the place had to offer. Spicy rolls use ingredients like hot sauce and excess mayo to stretch fish trimmings and conceal other flavors, hiding the bad and ruining the good.
According to Daley, most sushi restaurants stock up on fresh fish on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so by the time it’s Sunday afternoon or Monday, you’ll probably be getting seafood that’s not fresh. This is not to say it will be unsafe, but it will be less tasty and of less value to be sure.
No one wants to wait for an hour for a table, but a good sushi restaurant is moving its fish quickly and confidently, says Daley. Not only will you get the best quality ingredients, but you’ll also likely pay less because the volume is there.
Cooked shrimp is one of the worst bargains on the menu, says Daley. “You can buy a cooked shrimp for 4 cents and sell it for $7 because you boiled it and put it on a piece of rice. That’s offensive,” he says. High-end spots cook high-quality kuruma ebi shrimp moments before you walk in the door.
Plus, don’t miss: 8 Secrets Steakhouses Don’t Want You to Know
Steven John