Foodie Chronicles - Takeout Sushi is my Guilty Pleasure
Sushi combines many of my favorite flavors in one dish. Raw seafood, wasabi, ginger and avocado are a killer combination. If money was no object, I could probably eat sushi everyday! Generally speaking though, I don't eat a lot of rice because I try to focus more directly on meat, fruits and vegetables and less on heavy, starchy foods. That being said, the rice is a perfect carrier for all of that soy sauce and wasabi flavor. I've tried eating "naked sushi" (no rice, just wrapped in seaweed) before, but it just doesn't absorb nearly as much of the wasabi flavor.
Ps... I dont know if "naked sushi" is a real thing, or just what I call it. I might be on to something...
Why does good sushi have to be so expensive? Okay, I get it... sashami grade seafood is not exactly cheap. I have experimented a bit with making my own sushi. To get a basic roll is not too difficult, but it definitely takes a bit of trial and error to get the best filling to rice ratio. By the time you purchase all of the ingredients (the seafood being the most expensive), I wonder how much money you are really saving. Truthfully, you can save money by making sushi at home, but it takes quite a bit more effort to make that happen.
When I say takeout sushi is my guilty pleasure, that implies that I want as little effort as possible. Don't get me wrong... I love to cook, but there is something about just ordering one of my favorite foods and have it exactly the way I like it, ready for pickup in 20 minutes. Can I also divulge that part of this guilty pleasure is is to watch some TV while consuming my takeout delicacies? Judge me if you will, but I love enjoying a good show while eating a good meal!
When you find a sushi restaurant that perfectly nails your preference on filling vs. rice and can consistently deliver this superior product - don't ever let them go. Seriously, every time I travel, I am reminded of how much I love my local sushi joint and how much they just "get me". Perhaps this would be different if I visited Japan. Ooohhh.... now that's an idea. A sushi tour of Japan? I'm in. 1000% I would be there. (100% didn't seem like enough of an endorsement)
My favorite local spot is a place called Blue Fin. They are a small, unassuming shop located in a small strip mall. The service is spotty, and sometimes downright rude, but the sushi is always prepared with care and precision. It is a husband and wife team and usually they are the ones physically preparing the sushi. If someone else is behind the sushi counter, they are usually still working with one of the owners and are rarely allowed to make rolls completely on their own. This may be frustrating for the employees that work there, but as a customer, I appreciate the consistently high quality rolls.
I discovered this place because I once met a guy who works in our local seafood market and actually supplies most of the local sushi joints. I asked him what his perspective was on the various sushi shops and what kind of insights he got from delivering fresh seafood to them. Let's face it... fresh seafood is a really important factor to consider when ordering raw fish in a restaurant. He let me know that Bluefin got seafood deliveries many times per week and he witnessed a very technical approach to preserving the seafood.
I was sold and decided to give them a try. The combination of fresh seafood, great flavor, and a consistent product keep me coming back. Call me a "fake sushi" person, but I always ask for extra ginger and wasabi. For me, these two flavors are so integral to the whole sushi experience, and I don't like to skimp on them.
I like to keep things fun and not take myself too seriously. That being said... I might have gone a little overboard taking photos with chopsticks!
I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read through my post! I could literally talk about (and eat) sushi all day. My general life philosophy is that if you aren't obsessed with sushi... you just haven't been exposed to excellent sushi yet. Is my logic flawed? Tell me why in the comments!
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I hate to say it but its been ages since I have had sushi myself! However being allergic to shell fish pretty much limits that lol. Do you have any recommendations of sushi that are not shell fish ?
Ahh a shellfish allergy can make a sushi restaurant a tricky spot to eat. I would say that sticking to either salmon or tuna would be a good bet. I personally love Philadelphia rolls, which is a combination of raw salmon, cream cheese, and avocado. I found an article by Business Insider on the best rolls to order if you are allergic to shellfish. I hope that helps!
Philadelphia sounds amazing Avocado makes everything better thanks
looks really grat bon appétit
Glad you enjoyed the post! I’m a little obsessed with sushi ... 😝
My FAV :)
Sushi for life. ✌🏻 Thanks for stopping by @stackin!
Naruto is another way to order rolls with seaweed on the outside and no rice. I'd never partake in such sacrilege.
My standard order (impressed to see it on your dish), is 2 Philadelphia rolls and 1 chicken tempura. Every time, without fail. If the salmon is smoked, then it's game over.
The next time your get you boyfriend out, challenge him to a spoonful of wasabi and let us know who's tougher. He won the ice cold water challenge, but it's best 2 out of 3.
Omg... he would win for sure. I love a good scoop of wasabi in my soy sauce, but I don’t think I can handle it straight! 😆
Philadelphia rolls are one of my favorite, and I am 100% with you on the smoked salmon debate! I have seen more and more restaurants sub smoke salmon for raw in this roll, and it is a real shame. I made the mistake of trying it once... never again!
I haven’t tried a chicken temperature roll yet. For some reason, chicken seems weird to me in sushi. I would probably love it if I actually gave it a chance though!
The first time I every ordered sushi at a restaurant on a date over a decade ago, we didn't understand what a roll was. Was also didn't know how to drink sake.
As a result, we each ordered 6 rolls thinking we'd get 6 intricate pieces. When the waiter showed up with 12 plates and a grin, I wanted to body slam him for not guiding us. The leftovers were disgusting, but I had to eat them out of spite.
I also thought sake was to be taken as a shot, so chugged my entire glass of it thinking that was how it was done. Never again.
Hahah sounds like an interesting date to say the least! Crazy that the waiter didn’t question you ordering so many rolls! Sounds like he got a kick out of the whole thing. Some sushi rolls fare better than others as leftovers, but in general it is not the best leftover food.
I wish I could get used to sake... but I have never really enjoyed it. Now that you know it isn’t a shot, do you enjoy drinking it? 😜 Maybe I just need to give it another chance. I might have to go out for a chicken tempura and sake night, just to switch things up. lol
The chicken tempura is worth it. It's not always on the menu, so you'll seem like a sushi black belt for asking to see if they'll make it for you.
As for sake, it's ehhh at best. I don't enjoy it much, but it's hard to say no when it's usually something people share at the table.
Even if the sake isn't good, you live 1 second from where fresh fish are caught, so your sushi is probably baller.
Yes, I’m spoiled. We have some pretty great sushi here. If I head up into Vancouver, Canada - I can find some pretty incredible sushi too. Well, if I ever end up trying the chicken tempura... I’ll let you know what I think!
I love my take away sushi too. Though with my Avocado allergy (booo!), I have to find places that do either primarily Cucumber instead, or are willing to make it fresh with Cucumber/Lettuce/some other suitable replacement/just without the Avocado.
But then my favourite sushi tends to be the nigiri style, so doesn't (usually) have the issue as it's just rice, wasabi, seafood (sometimes other things...)
Oh no! Sorry to hear that you are allergic to avocado. 😞 Nigiri would definitely be a good way to go on the sushi front then. I love it too... getting a big piece of raw fish is a real treat!
Do you have to worry about cross- contamination at sushi and Mexican restaurants? Both just have so much avocado flying around.
I don't usually. The strength of the allergy is enough to make me sick if I have a bite, but not sure that cross contamination would cause enough of a problem. The discovery of this allergy was when a deli decided that just removing the avocado from a sandwich was enough, but it was smeared into the bread. half a sandwich later and I had all the warning signs.
I'm quite adept at spotting them since I'm very allergic to Walnuts (and a few other related nuts at a lesser strength)
Allergies suck quite a bit
Wow... I can’t believe that deli would do that! If someone says they have an allergy... that should be taken very seriously.
At that point, I didn't know I was allergic. Just that I didn't like it, so asked for it 'with no avocado'. I'm still not happy with how they did that, since it obviously wasn't no avocado, and I may have not used allergy, but they don't know what my reasons for not wanting it are. (I never went back to them again)
I used to get pissed off at Hungry Jacks when my "no tomato" would be ignored, and then when I take it back they just take the slice out and re-wrap it. If that's all I wanted done, I'd have removed myself... I don't have an 'allergy', but I do have a tolerance issue with raw tomato, where it will make me sick if I have it too regularly/often/much. Now I pretty much don't go to their entire chain thanks to the constant failures.
Always Upvoting sushi 👍
Hahah I like your philosophy! 🙌🏻
That looks great!
Mmmm it was! Glad you enjoyed the post. 😊
I have been fasting for two days, trying to do 3, and sushi is a huge favorite. I'm doing keto anyway, so I can't have rice. But it's all about the seafood for me anyway. Hmmm I wonder if wasabi is keto... Anyway this post is killing me. Looks so good!
Oh man, fasting is hard work. Sorry to tempt you with pictures of sushi! Are you doing a full-on fast, or some form of intermittent fasting? Either way, two,days is really impressive.
I did a quick google search to see if wasabi is Keto friendly. There wasn’t a super apparent answer - but this Keto food blogger mentioned putting straight wasabi in the seafood.
Good luck with the rest of your fast!
Hehe thanks. Still on track. :)
Full on fast, which I still consider intermittent, because I have been doing it twice a week for 2 months so far. But last week I tried the 4 hour eat window instead. I prefer the two day thing. Not sure why. Just seems easier.
That makes sense. Sometimes it’s easier to eat no food than to have a little bit and make your body crave it more. For a while I was doing the 5:2 fast where two days a week you only ate 500 calories. My body actually felt really good from it, but it was really hard for me. I don’t do well with absolute rules, and so telling myself I “couldn’t” do something made me want to rebell against it even more. This conversation has kind of inspired me to maybe try it again though!
I've tried to make my own sushi at home too! Definitely not restaurant quality though. I'd much rather go to a sushi place and get their custom rolls. And of course, I love love love all you can eat sushi nights! :D
Wait... all you can eat sushi nights?? 😮 I don’t think we have those where I live. I would literally eat SO much sushi.
Right?! It's so awesome! It includes all you can eat miso soup, gyoza, sashimi, hand rolls, and other side dishes. It's amazing!
Lovely