I was in Des Moines, IA. and had this tempura fried salmon sushi. It was great. This is all.

That's the best, but usually most expensive, way of eating sushi. But make sure you're at a good place first.

all that **** sure looks disgusting
sushi = for whimps

Says the guy who is too scared to even try it.

Man, I see all of the love in this thread for sushi and I really, really wish I was into it. I love love love eating, and can relate to the near-fanatical devotion you guys have to this stuff.

But, at the end of the day, I just don't really like fish that much. Things that taste "fishy" or "like the sea" kind of turn me off.

WTF is wrong with me? Why does eating fish eggs make my stomach turn, but you guys will float away on a river of drool when presented with this stuff?

Obviously I wasn't immersed with fish when I was a kid.

Is there any hope for me? If I really went to a top-end sushi place and got one of those tastings-style menus that was completely chef selected, would I find enlightenment?

Grow up and eat some fish IMO

Sushi tastes and smells a lot less "fishy" than cooked fish, imo at least. I think not liking the texture of raw fish is totally understandable, though.

Also, I've had tuna rolls and other lame tempura roll type stuff and like that pretty good. But that's mostly for the rice and stuff - not getting a ton of fishtown there. The kind of sushi (nigiri? who knows lol) that is a lump of fish on a wad of rice is more scary.

Anyone have experience with being fishmeh and just "growing up and eating some fish" and loving it?

If you don't like it, that's fine, no need to force yourself to like something. I don't like red wine and I see no need to force myself to like it just because other people do.

SPICY TUNA ROLL is the only sushi I will eat. melts in your mouth its soo good

That is a good point, and I totally agree. But man, you guys _love it_. It's like, I know that doing coke must be so good, because why else would Darryl Strawberry flush everything down the toilet for it, etc. **** it, I gotta do this thing.

Some good yellowtail or tuna nigiri is actually really good. I think youd be surpised. Now the other stuff thats wierd is hard for me to eat but good rolls and basic nigiri I like.

I used to hate sushi fwiw.

I always assume they use their oldest tuna for spicy tuna. I have no idea if this is actually true, but since they mince it and mix it with mayonnaise and ****, I always just assume it's made with fish that's on its way out.

It's true memento, and why I never get it.


To the person asking about Boston sushi, there's Zen Sushi just to the right of the Statehouse if you are facing it. Nothing upscale, but good enough for a few Best of Bostons and whatnot. Upstairs better than downstairs.

the chinese and japanese have a philosophy about fish. the older it is, the more you do to it to prepare it. older fish in a chinese restaurant is battered, fried and served with some strong sweet sour sauce or blackbean sauce. the freshest fish in a chinese restaurant (the on you see swimming in the tanks) are usually served steamed with some scallions, ginger and hot oil.

similarly, the older the fish, the more you have to do to it in a japanese place. the tempura fish? probably from a couple of days ago. the stuff on the nigiri? usually the freshest (in theory, at least). the spicy tuna roll? you make the call, but the chef, at some point, decided that he couldn't serve it as sashimi.

I grew up afraid of fish. I started off liking fried shellfish and the like, and moving on to denser fish like swordfish and salmon.

When I was first introduced to sushi I started with cooked items like crab and shrimp, and really liked tuna and salmon, which are pretty 'meaty' by fish standards. I've gradually added more white, oily and fishy selections like albacore, yellow tail, freshwater eel, and something with silver skin. And ever since i tried salmon roe I can't wait to get my own order of it.

My taste for sushi has grown so much since I went to Japan that I can't wait to go back and try some of the more interesting items.

Just went to lunch at Sushi Tomi in Mountain View, CA.

Saw on the board that they had Tsukiji special for $18 for 6 pieces of sushi or $24 for sashimi. I got the sushi. These are fish that I've never had before at any places around here. I didnt get a chance to ask the chef Michi-san what they were but they were all clear flesh kind. I know one of them was a type of mackerel called Sawara (Spanish Mackerel). I think that was my favourite one. Also got some fried salmon skins from what I assume was the underbelly. So fatty and good!

Also got order of hamachi and scallop. The scallop had to be detached from the other parts. It was super creamy and good!

Got out of there for $35 including tax and tip so not so bad.

BTW, if anyone in the South Bay know where I can get other kinds of fish besides the standard ones (standard = Toro, Kanpachi, Aji, etc.) please PM me!

Thats a very good deal, DrNo if that is in fact freshly flown from Tsukiji which I think it is since there are really very few other sources of Sawara.

This will probably be of limited usefulness, but they have a sister restaurant in Saratoga (called Tomi Sushi, of all things).

If Kanpachi and Aji are "standard", then the only suggestion I can give you (that I've tried) is Sushi Ran in Sausalito. I've heard/read good things about Kaygetsu in Menlo Park, but have never been.

One thing that our guy in SF makes that has a great, delicate flavor is halibut fin. We also had it seared at Sushi Den in Denver, and it was good, but I still prefer it raw.

OT,

Tomi Sushi is my favorite. We live by Santana Row so go there almost every weekend. I wish they have other stuff like Sushi Tomi does tho. You get better value at TS for same items at TS. They always give extra items for the plates such as some negi-toro or stewed mackerel with the sushi/sashami lunch/dinner or chirashi. I really like the special Chirashi at TS.

The things about spicy tuna and the fish in those maki is that its not always older fish. When you fillet a bit hunk of fish there are always parts that you scrape off the skin and in between bones that would otherwise be wasted.

Yeah, its not older fish. More like smaller pieces that they can't make nigiri out of.

If you don't like it, it isn't the end of the world. Most Japanese Restaurants will have cooked food & other items besides sushi. If you do go with a group of friends to a Japanese place you don't have to eat fish.

Attempts Made to Enjoy Sake

Speaking of which, the only sake I like is Nigori. Warm/hot sake tastes like water in which medicinal gauze has been soaked.

I never have sake with sushi, I think the flavours don't match. I just drink the hot green tea.