Ikura no Gunkan-maki

This is a salmon roe sushi.
Ikura means salmon roe.
It has a rich taste.

Gunkan-maki(gunkanmaki) is a style of nigiri-zushi.
Hand formed sushi rice is surrounded with nori.
And Ikura is toped on the rice.
Nori works just like a wall, so ikura is set on the rice.

Kazunoko no Nigiri-zushi

Kazunoko means herring roe.
It is dried under the sun, or pickled in salt.
Those roes are very small, but adheres and became lump.
It has a pleasant unique texture.

This photo is herring roe sushi.
Herring roe is put on oblong shaped sushi rice which is formed by hand.
And those are bound with nori.

Ooedo Sushi near Ameyoko

Every few weeks we pop into different kaitenzushi. Shinji-san will write out our order and hand it to the sushi chef who makes up our order. Naturally he orders seasonal seafood. This shop, Ooedo, near Ameyoko, was mentioned in Tokyo Calendar for being famous for having seasonal fish at reasonable price. You see here some shirako, tuna, kinmedai and buri.

Snacks for the Sumo Tournament

We celebrated my birthday with "masu seki" seats at the January sumo tournament. These are small boxes, just big enough to seat four adults on pillows, close to the sumo ring. As a snack I made three types of inarizushi (deep-fried tofu that have been marinated in a sweet syrup) stuffed with shiso and sesame seeds, pickled takana leaves and sesame seeds and yukari (dried purple shiso leaves) with pickled myoga.

Meharizushi

Meharizushi is a rice ball covered with pickled takana leafe.
"takana" is a variety of the leaf mustard.
Pickled takana (with salt) has a nice flavor.
This is a country dish of kumano rigion(a part of wakayama prefecture and a part of mie prefecture).
But I think it is getting known in kanto area(Tokyo and surround) in these days.

Celebrating our Wedding with Guys from Tsukiji

Some of the guys that Shinji works with at Tsukiji took us out to celebrate our wedding. This was the main course, the sushi course. My favorites was the anago, kohada and uni. One great benefit of being married to a Tsukiji guy is the great seafood we are exposed to. And, the guys from the market are very down to earth and passionate about fish.

Dangerous Drink

The house drink at this sushi shop is a green tea shochu. It was like drinking iced green tea, no sense at all of the shochu. The staff would increase the amount of green tea (strong or weak). Then again, maybe they were referring to the amount of shochu they were putting in the drink. Regardless, it was a nice match with the sushi and the other courses.

Courses at the Sushi Restaurant

The top photo is grilled scallops served with yakinori to wrap it with. The makizushi rolls are uni and toro. The last photo is one of the best dishes of the evening, slow simmered anago eel served with a side salad if thinly sliced cucumbers sprinkled with sesame seeds. This is one of the signature dishes of the restaurant.

The Sashimi Course

A gorgeous plate including tuna, chutoro, ootoro, hamachi, scallops, shrimp and more.

The Sushi Chefs

Inarizushi

It is also called "Oinarisan".
Inarizushi is a pouch of aburaage stuffed with vinegared rice.
I have alredy post the article of aburaage on this blog. please check it.

Usually cut in halves aburaage are simmered mildly sweet taste.
Pulled open pouch shaped.
And stuffed with vinegared rice.

Some time, we mix some ingredient such as carrot, shitake-mashroom with vinegared rice.

Sustainable Sushi Bar in San Francisco

Great concept where all of the sushi served at this bar is "sustainable".

Oshizushi

Oshizushi is a type of sushi which is made by putting sushi-rice and ingredient into wooden mold, pressing them , and cutting into a bite, or two bite size.

If you have a oshizushi-mold, you can make oshizushi at home.

Oshizushi is popular in kansai region (western part of Japan).

Salmon no Nigiri-zushi

This is salmon sushi.
Sushi rice is formed into an oblong shape by hand. and placed thinly sliced raw salmon on it.
Salmon is oily and has nice taste.

By the way, "salmon" is "Sake" or "Shake" in Japanese.
But we rarely call salmon as ingredient of sushi "Sake" . we usually call it "samon" as ingredient of sushi. ( actually we pronounce like "SAAMON" )
Why?
I suppose the reason is that salmon sushi is new comer.
Traditionally we didn't eat salmon as raw. because, generally wild salmon is not good to eat as raw.
But nowadays, we can eat raw salmon which is cultured raised.

Ebi no Nigiri-zushi

This is shrimp sushi.
Sushi rice is formed into an oblong shape by hand, and placed shrimp on it.

Japanese like shrimp.
And it is popular as ingredient of sushi.

Shrimp is rich in protein, low in fat.
And it is also rich in taurine.

Yariika no Nigiri-zushi

These are Nigiri-zushi of spear squid.

"Nigiri-zushi" is a typical sushi dish.
Sushi rice is formed into an oblong shape by hand.
Usually place thinly sliced seafood on it.

"Yariika" means spear squid.
It is good for Sushi and Sashimi.
Yariika in this photo is small Yariika which is befor grow up.

Genji Deli

Genji Sushi is opening a deli in midtown Manhattan (the Little Tokyo area near the New York Public Library).

三崎港マグロ 小田急