Manners & Mischief

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A beginners guide to sushi: Part 4 (How to order and eat at a sushi bar)

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Now you know your maki from your chirashi, can read the list of ingredients like a true Japanese native and even remember that it’s bad form to mix wasabi and soy sauce. But there is still one level of intimidation left: sitting and ordering at the sushi bar. Here, you have none of the anonymity of hiding behind a menu. Decisions have to be taken quickly and dining becomes a public venture.

But it’s also a chance to watch sushi-making in motion (which is often a form of art!), interact with other connoisseurs get the top choices of the menu. And it’s really not that difficult – as long as you mind a few things.

The Sushi Bar at Nobu Hong Kong

The Sushi Bar at Nobu Hong Kong

1. Interact with the itamae (sushi chef): When sitting at the sushi bar, always order directly from the itamae. Ignoring him is considered disrespectful and the best way to strike up a rapport is by asking for a recommendation.

2. “Is the fish fresh?”: You can ask which fish is the freshest? But NEVER ask if any given fish is “fresh”, since this implies it might not be fresh. Which is rude.

3. Ask the itamae ONLY for sushi: And sashimi. Any other items and beverages, including soup, edamame or other side items, should be requested from a server.

4. Order carefully: And inform the itamae of any allergies or dislikes. It is impolite to leave food on your plate after a meal or turn up your nose if you don’t like a particular item.

5. Order one at a time: It’s polite to order only one sushi roll at a time. If the bar is busy, you can order up to three at one go but never more. When in a rush, order chirashi sushi – it’s faster to make and eat.

6. Don’t dawdle: Never let fresh sushi sit for too long as this will degrade the temperature, texture and moisture – all of which impact the taste.

7. Repeat, please: Feel free to ask for a repeat of anything you especially liked.

8. Rinse your fingers in the “canal”: Most sushi bars have a small stream of water running between the itamae and diners. This is to rinse your fingers when they become messy.

how to order at sushi bar9. Be gracious: It’s just good manners to thank the itamae. If you want to go the extra step, try some Japanese. Domo arigato means “thank you”, while oishikatta desu translates as “it was delicious”.

10. Time to tip: Many sushi bars have a tip jar as the itamae will never touch money (since he touches food). The wait staff would be tipped separately.

11. Try omakase dining: Finally, consider omakase on your next visit. In this, the itamae chooses dishes for the diner as well as the order in which these dishes will be served. It’s a way to compliment the chef AND ensure that you get the freshest, choicest sushi. So, this means a win-win for all. But remember, it also gives the itamae free reign to serve you anything, including strange items like live shrimp!

Also read:

The different kinds of sushi

Reading the sushi ingredients

How to eat sushi the correct way

When wine meets cheese: A quintessential guide to creating the perfect pair

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When time is at a premium, every good host looks for delicious shortcuts. And here is a perfect solution: why not build a glam soirée around a few great cheeses paired with some good wines?

Or maybe you are at a fine restaurant. Or at a wine tasting. Or at a gallery opening. Or… you get the point. Fact is that wine and cheese are popping up everywhere.

There is just one problem. Both cheese and wine are intricately flavoured substances, so get it right and you have a sheer sensory experience, where the flavours dance together. However, get it wrong and you will find the wine tasting bitter or the cheese tasting sour.

So,  if the thought of matching the myriad cheeses and wines curdles your confidence, here is a quick checklist.

pair wine and cheeseHow does this work?

Pair light wines with light cheeses and heavy wines with heavy cheeses: A light cheese is typically a fresh or semi-soft cheese that is aged less than a month. And a young wine is defined as crisp, higher in acidity, lower in alcohol (10-12%) and exposed to very little oak. As the alcohol percentage goes up, the wine develops more body and needs an older, more complex cheese. For instance, a fresh goat cheese will work with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, while an aged goat cheese goes well with a full bodied red.

Match the texture of the cheese and the wine: For example, a brie, with its fluffy, whipped cream texture, pairs well with a champagne or other sparkling wine. On the other hand, a dense cheese like a vintage gouda requires would totally overwhelm a light sparkler. Instead, get a full bodied “heavy” like Zinfandel or Syrah.

Look at the notes: Going further, match cheeses rich in butterfat flavours with fat-flavoured wines – Chardonnay, with its vanilla and toffee notes, goes nicely with a gouda or brie.

Ever tried and wine and cheese pairing? What’s your favourite combination?

What is organic wine? And why is it all over the place?

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A glass of red wine a day is said to be good for your heart. But if you needed even more reason to be tempted, try some organic wine.

Produced from organically grown grapes, these wines contain no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, chemical fertilisers, or synthetic chemicals of any kind. From using organic biopesticides to vermi-compost and drip irrigation, our agriculturists are going healthy with a vengeance.

organic wineIt also means that organic wine contains absolutely no sulfites – chemical substances that are normally used to stabilise regular wines. However, they may have naturally occurring sulfites but the level has to be less than 20 parts per million in order to receive organic certification.

As for variety, you will be spoiled for choice – take your pick from Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and wines infused with exotic herbs and spices.

So go ahead, raise your glasses in a toast to health!

Christmas around the world: The greetings and the food

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It’s Christmas time and if you are holidaying away from the madness (I for sure am – in Salzburg, Austria!), it’s always nicer to know the correct way of saying “Merry Christmas” to the natives. And who in their right mind would pass up the chance to enjoy their holiday country’s traditional Christmas delicacies, many of which are now cooked up only during this time of the year? So, read. And learn.

christmas-around-the-worldWhere’s YOUR christmas happening this year?

A beginners guide to sushi: Part 3 (How to eat sushi the correct way)

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Now that you know your maki from your nigiri and aji from aayogi, it’s time to take a seat at the sushi table. But what’s the best way to eat this Japanese delicacy? Can you eat it with your fingers? Should wasabi be stirred into the soy sauce or spread directly on the roll? One mouthful or two?

Add to this the famed Japanese penchant for fusing form with function, which means the flavor and experience of sushi is influenced not only by how it’s prepared, but also by how you eat it.

Suitably challenged? These guidelines will help you thoroughly enjoy your next sushi adventure.

how to eat sushiHow to eat sushi

1. Clean your hands: You may be offered hot, wet towel (oshibori) before the meal. This is to clean your hands. NOT your face.

2. Use your hands: Sushi actually began as finger food. So yes, it’s PERFECTLY all right to eat it with your fingers. In fact, most sushi masters prefer using fingers as this allows you to experience the texture and helps keep everything together. Plus, it is hard to properly dip the fish using chopsticks.

3. Know your condiments: Typically, a plate of sushi includes some pungent wasabi – Japanese horseradish – which looks like green paste. Soy sauce is called murasaki, which means”purple” and comes in a shallow dish. Then there is pickled ginger (gari) placed in thin, pink slices on the side of the plate

4. Don’t mix the condiments: Aka, don’t pour wasabi into your soy sauce. Wasabi should always be spread directly on the fish.

5. Dip your sushi fish-side first: Turn your sushi upside down, then dip only the fish into your soy sauce – never the rice. Else the rice may soak up too much soy sauce, ruining the balance of flavours. Plus, the molded rice will disintegrate if it’s dipped directly into soy sauce.

6. Do not dip elaborate sushi: If the sushi has a glaze or sauce on top (usually the case with nigiri), do not dip it in the soy sauce, as this will mess up the flavours.

7. Be careful with the wasabi: Dab just a small bit onto your sushi, so you don’t overpower all other flavours. If you are eating nigiri, the chef may have added wasabi between the fish and the rice, so try a piece before adding more.

8. Eat from lightest to darkest: Start with the mildest fish (like flounder) and work towards the heavier tuna. If it’s a platter of different kinds of sushi, begin with nigiri and maki, followed by more elaborate rolls or temaki. The milder flavors come first, so they are not overpowered by the bold flavors.

9. Rice follows fish: Sushi pieces should be placed in the mouth upside down so that the fish lies against your tongue. This allows you to taste the fish more than you taste the rice.

10. Eat the sushi in one bite: Traditionally, each piece of sushi should be eaten in one bite. If you really can’t eat the piece in one bite, hold it with your fingers until you are ready to finish. It is poor etiquette to return a half-eaten piece to the plate.

11. Cleanse your palette with ginger: The ginger is never meant to be eaten in the same bite as the sushi. Instead, use it refresh your mouth between bites, especially between different types of sushi. Think of it as a taste bud reboot!

Plus, how to pair your sushi

Just a roll of sushi does not a meal make. So, here’s how to pair it with the right beverages and other dishes to create the perfect menu.

1. Starters: Popular pre-sushi starters include miso soup, suimono (clear broth), a mixed salad and edamame (boiled soy beans).

2. Beverages: Typically, experts avoid drinking sake with sushi, since they are both rice-based and may interfere with each other. Green tea, water and a mild beer make the best pairing, while wines and soft drinks will overpower the subtle flavors of sushi. However, this is really a matter of personal taste.

3. Rounding it off: Many sushi restaurants serve agari – green or brown roasted tea – at the end of a meal. Or you could opt for miso soup, which is traditionally enjoyed at the very end of the dining experience.

Also read:

The different kinds of sushi

Reading the sushi ingredients

How to order and eat at a sushi bar