I was going after Sushi Zone, one of the famous sushi places in San Fransisco, but they were unfortunately not open for lunch. From some fellow sushi fans at the next door bookshop I got a tip about this little, hidden sushi bar on the corner between Sanchez and 16th Street called Eiji.
Takara seemed to be a family run restaurant, with a lot of Japanese customers, which was a promising sign. I liked the place, very down to earth and everyday kind of sushi bar, but I did feel like they had lost some of what’s special about Japanese food culture.
I guess it is me wanting also the everyday place to be a gem. It had good food, great offers and quite speedy service, but it did feel a bit too… I am not sure… mechanical? Like none of the people working there really wanted to really be there.
Just arriving in San Fransisco and I had no clue where to go for good sushi I unfortunately ended up eating bad sushi again… I know I should have left when I came in the door, but I am still bad at that.
>> Continue reading ‘Sushi Factory - Chinatown, San Fransisco’
In Sacramento, I hear that the Mikuni restaurants have become somewhat famous - also outside of the typical sushi fans community. This might lead to that a lot more people get exposed to it. Great!
But eating sushi is about so much more than just eating food. It is about having a memorable experience, both visually and taste wise. Here - you have a menu longer than some books and the food come served as in a regular fast food place; in huge amounts and drowned in different sorts of dressing.
Proper maintenance of your Japanese knives will ensure a lifetime of enjoyment. Here are some tips that will help keep your knives in good shape.
Cleaning your Japanese and Sushi Knives
Keeping your Japanese knives spotless is just as important as sharpening them. Apply cleanser on a sponge or wet cloth to clean and polish. You may want to use a little brush on the joint area where the blade and handle are connected. Pour hot water on both sides of the sushi knife to disinfect it. Do not use bleach. Use a clean dry cloth to wipe and dry it. For less frequently used knives, apply oil very thinly after the knives are sharpened, cleaned and dried. Wrap the knives individually with desiccant and paper towels or newspapers.
Sushi Gen just a couple of days ago, and now this!? Ahh. I feel so lucky. Asanebo has a reputation for being sort of a hidden gem. I read in another review that the owner has been trained by the more famous Matsuhisa - so I was eager to see what this strip mall restaurant was all about, and wow - were we blown away!
Did you know that there was a Church of sushi!? I can’t really make out whether or not he is just joking, but I am pretty sure he is. I also think he is trying to make money on this! He is even trying to sell you video blessings. Up for one?
“A cool alternative to religions, diets and designer fashions! Everyone is welcome to our cyber-ashram, seminary and monastery - including nerds, geeks, beardy weirdos, surfers, oddballs, geisha girls and top fashion models - who really shouldn’t be eating anything else (sushi that is, not nerds or geeks). For those in search of the true path, or a light in the darkness - armchair surfers and fishy gourmets everywhere!”
The design of the page reminds me of what we made back in the days, blinking images and scrolling text, but it was worth a visit. You should take a look: HolySushi.com
Across the street from the Coronet Theater on La Cienega, there is a sushibar called Mubee. We were actually going to see Eddie Izzard at that theater! Unfortunately he did not do his “Cake or Death“-skit that this websites name was inspired by, but he still was incredibly funny. I love that guy. Well - food. So Mubee was just there, and it happened to be a very pleasant surprise!
I read about this place before I went there, it was one of the favorites of a sushi magazine editor. He should know his sushi, and I am a follower… 
The restaurant is located in a Little Tokyo strip mall, and the sushi bar has like 8 chefs working and yelling “goodbye” and “thank you” when you enter or leave, a bit scary for me going by myself that day. Since I did come by myself, it was not that har do get a seat at the sushi bar, but if you are in a group and want to sit at a table at lunch time, you’ll have to compete with a lot of people. They were waiting in lines outside! Impressive and very Japanese. A good sign for a great place!
>> Continue reading ‘Sushi Gen (鮨元) - Little Tokyo, Los Angeles’
Sen Nari Sushi is located close to several Japanese car companies headquarters in Gardena, LA. Proper Japanese businessmen needs a good place to get their proper Japanese food, and I have heard that this is their preferred choice in this neighborhood. We went there on a Sunday, and it was full of people waiting in line for sitting at the sushi bar.
>> Continue reading ‘Sen Nari Sushi (千成鮨) - Gardena, Los Angeles’
Written by: Felix K., London
This restaurant, located in North London’s Camden Town, was long recommended to me by a friend and one warm day after work I jumped on the Northern Line and went up to Mornington Crescent to meet my friend and to check out this tip. One thing I instantly liked about the place was that it is not your standard stylish, hip and trendy sushi place with minimalistic interior and posh menus but a small (and a little shabby) family run restaurant. I was also amazed by the tight door they operated: I don’t recommend going there without a reservation.
Written by: Snorre M., London
Updated August 2007: “Sad to say that Ikkyu closed on the 27th July 2007. Only found out this evening after i trekking from soho in the pouring rain. More words on this fantastic place very soon. IKKYU R.I.P. ”
Ikkyu is one of the best-kept secrets of the London sushi scene. If you’re not a fan of the Yo! Sushi-style conveyor belt restaurants, head to this little family-run restaurant frequented by Japanese expats.
We had a hard time to decide which sushi bar we should visit in Little Tokyo, and ended up at the Frying Fish. This turned out to be a guru-guru (kaiten) sushi place, with a really old looking and noisy system. From the belt you had to help yourself with wasabi and ginger, which was a great benefit for me, since I practically eat more ginger than sushi… (addicted and weird - according to my boyfriend). They were a bit cheap on the fish that actually were being served on the belt, hardly any fish came around. A lot of salads and edamame, but the fish were few and far between.
>> Continue reading ‘Frying Fish - Little Tokyo, Los Angeles’
Ike Sushi is not easy to find, and if you do find it, it is everything but inviting. It hides in this strip mall just on Hollywood Boulevard and we hardly dared to enter, but when we did, we felt almost like we were back in Japan. It is not a fancy restaurant, it feels very much family run place and they smile and laugh at you when you try to order things like tempura maki, rainbow roll and fancy sushi…
“Only Japanese sushi is served here” they reply and you kind of feel glad and a bit embarrassed at the same time.
I found this beautiful sushi website the other day! This girl, Allison, makes wonderful sushi at home and shares her recipes with the rest of us. You should go and check it out. She writes about it in detail and takes great pictures of it. I get hungry every time I go there! She is the one that says that every day is a sushi day! We so agree…
I gathered some links to some recipes that I will try myself… Mmmmmm.
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