Sushi Yasuda

There is no right or wrong way to eat sushi. The important thing is to enjoy your meal. However, some of the customs that have evolved will enhance your experience.

"a meal at his bamboo counter is an initiation into the secrets of sushidom"

– Anya von Bremzen, Travel + Leisure, "America's Best Sushi," March 2001

Sashimi
Traditionally, a sushi meal consists primarily of sushi (fish with rice). However, you may start with sashimi (fish without rice) to awaken your mouth to the pure flavors of the fish.

Clean your hands with the warm, moist oshiburi (hand cloth). Begin by pouring a small amount of shoyu into your murachoko (shoyu bowl). If you like, take a little bit of wasabi (the mountain-grown Japanese horseradish) between the tips of your chopsticks, and then pick up a single slice of fish. Dip only the edge of your sashimi into the shoyu and eat in one mouthful.

With sashimi, enjoy a bite of seaweed or tsuma (paper-thin ribbons of daikon—giant white radish). The daikon, which Yasuda slices by hand, provides a refreshing, subtle, peppery-note flavor.

"Yasuda's impeccable sushi is traditionally pure and pared down"

– Time Out New York, Eating and Drinking 2004

Sushi
When you are ready for a more rounded-out and classic taste, move on to sushi, which Yasuda will present on a fresh Hawaiian ti (pronounced "tea") leaf. A new bowl for shoyu and a yubifuki (a small, moist finger cloth made of sarashi—fine Japanese bleached cotton) will be provided, for cleaning between bites.

Delicately take each piece of sushi with your index finger and thumb (chopsticks are fine if you prefer) and eat the entire piece of sushi at once. While this might seem awkward, remember that Yasuda structures his proportions for your individual mouth. Taking the whole piece at once means the flavors, textures and aromas intersect at their best. Some sushi, such as eel and tamago, the sweet egg omelet, are more easily taken in two bites.

Since Yasuda typically applies a delicate topping such as a sheer coating of his special shoyu, it is best to take the sushi "straight" without dipping it in your bowl of shoyu. Maki—fish and rice rolled in nori (a thin sheet of dried seaweed)—will sometimes arrive without shoyu. For these pieces, dip the edge of the roll into the shoyu, only applying a small amount as an accent. Don't let the rice become saturated with the shoyu.

Since Yasuda applies wasabi to the rice, it is not necessary to add more. However, if you want extra wasabi, you can add some with your chopsticks before picking up the sushi.

Shoyu, Wasabi and Gari
Shoyu, wasabi and gari are intended to be used in moderation. The flavors of the sushi and sashimi may initially seem subtle, but they will soon emerge in the most pleasing ways. More than a touch of shoyu, for example, upsets the delicate balance of tastes. Also, avoid mixing the wasabi in the shoyu—allow the distinct flavors of the fish, rice and condiments to "meet each other" rather than blend.

If you like, occasionally take a small piece of gari—the sharp, slightly sweet pickled ginger—to occasionally refresh your palette for the next kind of fish. (When the tender "first-harvest" ginger is in season, Mr. Yasuda pickles it with his special homemade marinade to create his own shin-gari). Use the ginger sparingly and resist mixing it directly with your sushi or sashimi as it wipes out the flavor of the rice and the fish.

We invite you to enjoy this transcendent food and some of these customs. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Yasuda, Shige or Scott.