Any sushi lovers? Tell me about your wasabi usage.

[_MementoMori_]

I love sushi dearly, though I don't get to enjoy it as often as I'd like because A.) I'm a poor college student, and B.) my wife is none-too-keen on it.

When I am lucky enough to have it, I will at least once during my meal place too much wasabi on a piece and breathe fire for 10 minutes. I try to use a dollop no larger than a small pea. How do you guys use it? Am I overly sensitive? I love spicy food in general, but there's something about wasabi that just cuts to the quick with me.

**Also, I realize that I am probably referring to fake or "western wasabi." I hear the real thing isn't quite as murderously spicy.**

 

[superbleu]

Pea size dollop per piece of Nigiri/sashimi? That is way too much. You are overpowering any flavor the fish might have. Might as well eat a wasabi riceball and save yourself 3 dollars.

 

[eyeguy]

I've always mixed mine with soy sauce until I get it just right. That's the only way I've been shown so I don't do if I'm even doing it right. Is there a right or wrong way?

 

[_MementoMori_]

I don't use it at all on sashimi or nigiri. I only use it on rolls. I suppose I should've clarified that.

 

[KeNd0]

I've always mixed mine with soy sauce until I get it just right. That's the only way I've been shown so I don't do if I'm even doing it right. Is there a right or wrong way?

+1. This is how I've always done it as well, but the wasabi rice ball does sound good. My wasabi/soy mix usually looks like pea soup. I like it hot.

 

[Luc]

I usually make sure that I eat all the wasabi they gave me with the sushi. I paid for it after all!

You could enjoy sushi more often if you would make it. You wife might not like it but if you would go with vegetarian sushi (avocado, cucumber, daikon) she might enjoy those as you don't require wasabi! Unless she doesn't like rice at all.

Making them yourself is not difficult, it takes time and the ability to roll the rice as compact as you can.

 

[PatrickL01]

I mix a small amount of wasabi to a little soy sauce, and then only for Nigiri and Sashimi. I don't use any on the rolls, just a little plain soy.

I too enjoy sushi on rare occasions, but only because there is only one good place that is within a 3 hour drive!

 

[dpm802]

I love Sushi, too ... if you're watching your budget (aren't we all?) the best time to eat it is lunchtime. Many restaurants offer specials where you can pig out for half-price.

I usually order Chirashi. Literally, it means "scattered," and consists of a lot of different types of Sashimi served on a bed of rice. You get a lot of bang for your buck that way. During lunch, its $10.95, and you get about 12 pieces of six different types of fish, along with egg, shrimp, eel, and vegetables, along with a bowl of Miso soup and a salad.

As for the wasabi, I usually mix it in with soy sauce in the little bowl on the side, then dip each piece in the mixture, take the piece from the mixture and swipe it over the pieces still on the plate. This lets the next few pieces of fish marinate for a little bit before I dunk them in the wasabi/soy.

Since Octopus is so tough to chew, I will let that sit in the wasabi/soy for several minutes to soak through.

I usually save my favorite pieces for last. This would be Tuna, Hamachi, Eel, and when I can afford it, Uni.

Here's a little trick you can use to impress your friends. Take a big, honking chunk of wasabi, and swallow it whole. You can do this easily, because the taste buds that react to the heat are all on the front of your tongue. If you place the wasabi on the back of your tongue, you won't taste anything, and can swallow it whole.

 

[_MementoMori_]

I'm clearly a small town hick.

I've never used this soy sauce/wasabi mixture that you all refer to. There's a sushi place not 10 minutes from my house that isn't bad... I think I need to go there ASAP and try this mixture thing.

I'll be sure to swallow a big glob of wasabi while I'm there.

 

[DavyRay]

+1 to all who wrote to mix wasabi with soy.
I got that advice from a waitress at a local asian buffet which has sushi.
It works very well. I love sushi.

 

[DavyRay]

I'm clearly a small town hick.

My town is smaller than your town. Just talk to the people in the restaurant. They will help.

 

[blantyre]

I add wasabi in inverse proportion to the quality of the sushi. In Tsukiji add none, in an airport stand in Minnesota, add as much as possible. Everywhere else, add as needed. If the sushi or sashimi is really good, you don't want to drown it out with too much wasabi.

 

[renoles]

When I use it I mix it in with my soy sauce to dip pieces in. Of late I haven't been using it - just a little plain soy.

 

[dpm802]

I got that advice from a waitress at a local asian buffet which has sushi. It works very well. I love sushi.

I've found that the buffet and all-you-can-eat places don't serve very good sushi. The rice is very dry, and the fish in each roll are miniscule. They do this on purpose, so that you fill up on dry rice and are more likely to order extra drinks to wash it down.

This is not to say that a place that serves a buffet-style lunch is going to make a bad dinner, where you order a-la-carte. But as I noted, I usually eat Sushi for lunch, since the price is much, much better.

Also, I tend to stay away from places that call themselves "Chinese-Japanese-Korean" (in any order.) If you want authentic Japanese food, go to a place that only has that on their menu.

A friend of mine explains it this way: "Don't expect an Italian restaurant to be serving a good plate of Fish and Chips."

 

[DavyRay]

I've found that the buffet and all-you-can-eat places don't serve very good sushi. The rice is very dry, and the fish in each roll are miniscule. They do this on purpose, so that you fill up on dry rice and are more likely to order extra drinks to wash it down.

This is not to say that a place that serves a buffet-style lunch is going to make a bad dinner, where you order a-la-carte. But as I noted, I usually eat Sushi for lunch, since the price is much, much better.

Also, I tend to stay away from places that call themselves "Chinese-Japanese-Korean" (in any order.) If you want authentic Japanese food, go to a place that only has that on their menu.

A friend of mine explains it this way: "Don't expect an Italian restaurant to be serving a good plate of Fish and Chips."

I do agree. I have a more discriminating taste for sushi now than I had then. Most of the generic asian buffets do have mediocre sushi. The better sushi is more and more available. The quality of the rice is the key.

 

[TonyH]

I actually used to be a Sous at a sushi restaurant, and I don't use wasabi at all any more. I prefer the taste of the fish/rice alone. There's a lot more to the rice than just steam!

 

[MikeyAces]

+1 on the sushi at lunch. I grab lunch at a sushi place in my area once or twice a week. I get two rolls with a salad and miso soup and a green tea for a meager 9 bucks. I'm lucky enough to live on the shore, and there is an abundance of great places in my area, including an incredibly good buffet. The buffet is very popular and the turnover on the sushi is crazy, rolls are being remade every 10-15 minutes. During dinner, there are 5 or 6 chefs making sushi at a bar behind the buffet. For 15 bucks, (20 on the weekends) it can't be beat. But I digress, back to task. I love wasabi, and typically put a nickel sized amount of wasabi into about 1/2 oz. of soy sauce. Just enough to get a little bit on each piece. I only use it on sashimi, because most of the rolls I get have a sauce on them already, probably a spicy mayonnaise .

 

[Uncle Erik]

Another sushi lover here. I usually mix soy with my "western" horseradish wasabi. I'll vary the amount depending on how adventurous I'm feeling. I've had real wasabi a few times, and there's a world of difference.

 

[MikeyAces]

Another sushi lover here. I usually mix soy with my "western" horseradish wasabi. I'll vary the amount depending on how adventurous I'm feeling. I've had real wasabi a few times, and there's a world of difference.

That's another thing to consider. I'd say three or four out of every five places use dyed horseradish, and even the strength of that differs from place to place.

 

[TheChefs]

The proper Japanese way to eat wasabi is to mix Wasabi with soya sauce. That's from my Japanese friends and from travelling to Japan. One thing that I miss is fresh Wasabi, it's a lot more potent then the powdered mix that's sold in the restaurants in Australia.

Also I usually use lots of wasabi in my mix, I like it strong. Except when I eat Toro tuna, I use very little.