why do you love sushi?

11/27/2007 Jackie L. says:

Its got all theelements of any perfect food.

1)Visual Appeal-Thye're small, they're pretty, they're bite sized, you can eat them with your fingers.
2)Carbs aka Rice make anything good.
3)Crunch-from cucmbers and th snap thta happens when you bite through the seaweed
4)Creamy-from the avocado and the sauces
5)Indulgent-Tuna, Shrimp, Fatty delicious eel, salmon, lobster, caviar
6)Its healthy-I mena sure everythign in moderation but its no hamburger thats for sure.
7)and its expensive (quality sushi that is) meaning you have it infrequently and makes you wnat it more and is therefore aluxury.

11/27/2007 Liiisa "Klein Bottle" C. says:

It's healthier (in moderation -- watch those mercury levels -- I started a thread about that awhile back) than a lot of other options & you can feel full/satified without that heavy feeling in your stomach.

11/27/2007 Liiisa "Klein Bottle" C. says:

Eating Sushi in New York = High-Risk Sport

http://www.yelp.com/to...

11/27/2007 Diana B. says:

It's raw

11/27/2007 Rey "Dorkier Than Thou" P. says:

The ritual involved in it's prep and it's consumption. It's an entire eating experience. I do miss it... (went from pescatarian to full on veg 7 years ago).

11/27/2007 Danielle O. says:

They're like little bite-sized bursts of flavor :) I love seafood, eating with chopsticks is fun and sexy, and the presentation is usually gorgeous.

11/27/2007 Nathan "A Real Person with a Real Review" I. says:

I love that its something off the beaten path!!!!

11/27/2007 Julia "hiatus in random parts of Europe" N. says:

I don't. I feel like I'm missing out. Wahh.

11/27/2007 Victor "Light My Country Music Award On Fire" L. says:

It's one of the few foods I can eat with my hands. And that's a traditional way of doing it.

11/27/2007 Joolie "mzjoolz if you're nasty!" T. says:

it's hot to eat off of naked people.
too bad no places in NYC have "Naked Sushi".
http://www.cnn.com/200...
gosh... i sure miss my hometown Seattle... *sigh.

boo.

11/27/2007 Jeff "Veal Armstrong" O. says:

This stuff is good. I am going to think more next time I am eating it.  Presentation, I don't care for much, but process is something that is very cool sometimes. not that important to my mouth, but still cool to be in.

But what I am going to concentrate on is the feeling of being full as Liisa C said. I never really tried to describe the feelings in my stomach after I ate sushi. I mean, its not the typical mushy fullyness. Its like a solidity of your stomach. Maybe there are less gases in the raw food than in cooked food? which make it more condensed in your stomach. I will have to get my books out.

Also, maybe I should think about the seperate feelings in my mouth - how jackie mentioned the crispy cucs and creamy avocados. I never felt like it was a coming together of ingredients, do you think it is?  or should it be more like a distinctive taste for each?

I am by no means inexperienced at all with sushi. I just am trying to reach that higher level that I see so many people claim to have with sushi.  I can see if you think I'm getting heavy with tthis thread, but Im just trying to get down to it. to the gut of a sushi lover. thanks for the help. Is this all?

and Victor, If I eat with my hands, is that rude?  or is it the case where some people may consider me rude, and some refined for the same thing. Is it better to be respectful to the creators or your peers?

The philosophy of sushi...

11/29/2007 Mel F. says:

I like sushi because it's incredibly healthy (in moderation, as stated above).  And tastes good!

11/29/2007 Alex "Jando" S. says:

I could sushi every day for the rest of my life.  Its that good.

11/29/2007 Joan H. says:

flavor blasts says it... just the way it all comes together in one bite in my mouth makes me happy.

11/29/2007

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11/29/2007 Caroline A. says:

It's light and delicious.
I also love the feeling of a wasabi burn in my sinuses.
They are like mini orgasms. Having the ginger after the wasabi burn is like having a cigarette after sex.

11/29/2007 Ted S. says:

Sushi is almost the perfect food because of it's versatility... relatively light, yet filling (at least at first).  It is a big category so there are tons of variations in flavors colors and textures which is what makes eating pleasurable and interesting.  It has great condiments... everyone likes soy sauce.  It can be a cheap weekday takeout meal, or a crazy blowout of epic proportions.

On a personal note I love fish, fishing, butchering fish, and eating fish.  I have a lot of equipment and high end knives soley devoted to these tasks.  Sushi is just wonderful.

11/29/2007 Chelsea J. says:

It gives me an opportunity to eat avocado throughout the year.

But in all seriousness, because it's delicious. I too could eat it every day.

11/29/2007

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11/30/2007 Carl "CB" M. says:

it helps me get in touch with my inner carnivore

raw....meat

11/30/2007 Tony C. says:

I love the whole sushi restuarant experience,
- miso soup = yum
- salad = yum
- shrimp tempura, edamame, soft shelled crabs = yum, yum, yum

Then there's the pre-fabbed rolls of wonderful sushi. Yummy.

11/30/2007 Danielle "Sky*" C. says:

i feel like im eating healthy and for once enjoying it
its a great guilt-free food

11/30/2007 BLAKTINO "jive ass turkey" G. says:

wasabi, no doubt
especially when i put too much.

11/30/2007 H T. says:

definitely the flavor... sweet salty sour and um, whatever flavor category wasabi is in. lol.

11/30/2007 A "Let Me Be Great!" A. says:

Because it's delicious.  Try unagi and spicy salmon.  It's orgasmic.  I'd probably give up sex for it (if by "give up," I mean continue not having any).

11/30/2007 BLAKTINO "jive ass turkey" G. says:

i think it's in the pain category
i'm wasabi's bitch
thank you mistress, may i have another

12/1/2007 Natalia "Tsunami" M. says:

Caroline A. says:

It's light and delicious.
I also love the feeling of a wasabi burn in my sinuses.
They are like mini orgasms. Having the ginger after the wasabi burn is like having a cigarette after sex.

-----

My thoughts exactly. Yum.

12/1/2007 Maritess "I didn't say stop" Z. says:

This is a bad city to fall in love with sushi. I'm from the West Coast where I've eaten sushi in shopping malls that was better than MOST of the sushi in this city.

I'm in love with sushi that is done well because if it's done right, it is sliced correctly and fresh, it tastes like what you think an aphrodisiac should taste like, all flavor and freshness and light and physically satisfying because it is pure protein, so good for you!

Sushi is addictive because if you keep eating it for long enough, you can tell the difference in gradation in sushi quality. Here in the burbs, there is ONE really amazing sushi place in White Plains where the sushi chef/owner is a master who used to be the sushi chef at Masa in NY, the most expensive restaurant in the city. Here in the burbs, his sushi is affordable and AMAZING.

You just have to be exposed to the good stuff, that's all. I understand if peeps in NY aren't crazy about sushi as great quality is not common out here, even in the famous places like Nobu. Ick.

12/1/2007 Alex "Jando" S. says:

Maritess, written (spoken) like a true connoisseur :P

12/1/2007 Maritess "I didn't say stop" Z. says:

Thanks my insomniac friend! ;)

12/1/2007

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12/1/2007 Joolie "mzjoolz if you're nasty!" T. says:

omg Maritess! bwahahahahaha.
i agree with you 101%!!!!

people who have only discovered sushi in New York is crazy, son! they don't know what they're missing. if you think the sushi here is good... oh man, i only wonder what i can teach and show you. some REAL F*CKIN DELICIOUSNESS, foo!

Nobu sucks balls, yo. seriously. meh!!!!!

what most people don't know about sushi.. is that it's a mastery of the art. from cutting to freshness... it's also about body temperature and other requirements to meet the true standard. in Japanese culture, women cannot make sushi because their hands are too warm and that will ruin the fish. also, even the way a chef behaves behind counter affects the perfection of sushi. i feel like places in NY really don't think about these kinds of things. they make Mexicans, High School Girls, and straight up un-edu-macated mofos making sushi for me. ummmm, no thanks!

gosh... i miss me some good ol' Seattle sushi. *sigh.

12/1/2007 Kate "bendy straws make drinks great" F. says:

I love the quick protein fix. And the simple strong flavors. And the differences in texture. And the fact that there is little opportunity to fake quality with easy taste great fixes like salt, oil, etc.

12/1/2007

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12/1/2007 Lauren "the CRABITAT" C. says:

Oh God.  Where do I start? Satisfying yet light and healthy!  Visually appealing! Smooth yet full of texture and burrrrsting with different flavors!  Sexy!

I find sushi very sexy.  Maybe I've taken the love of sushi wayyy too far.  But I mean, after I made the sushi list and continually add to it... Who is really surprised? Side note:  Though I am about to turn 24 and far FAR from this stage of life, I am already concerned with how I will survive 9 months of pregnancy sans sushi.  I am a sick, sick girl.

Maybe to up your love, you could sample some of my favorites: http://www.yelp.com/li...

12/1/2007 J O. says:

Jeff, check out this thread from awhile back for sushi etiquette:

http://www.yelp.com/to...

12/1/2007 Jessica G. says:

I like the fact that you can eat the rolls and sashimi and get full but satisfactory full, not "oh my gawd, is there a brick in my stomach?" full.  

Plus it is almost always fresh.

12/1/2007 Jessi "Jersey" T. says:

It's a symphony of texture, flavors, and colors.
I don't even really know how to describe it.. it's just.. fantastic.

I have a picture in my profile of the best sushi I ever had. It was beautiful, it melted in your mouth, and it had so much flavor.

12/1/2007 David B. says:

Food of the Gods.

4/28/2008 Jeff "Veal Armstrong" O. says:

Here's an update: I am a full fledged sushi addict.

I read Zen of Fish and now The Sushi Economy.  I gave myself an interactive education, reading a few chapters then going to sushi and applying what I learned.  I love eating at the sushi bar, and definitely gained a preference away from rolls. Just as I look for those hole in the wall restaurants, I love the hole in the wall sushi joints. The less signage the better. the older and grumpier the chef, the harder to break - I love the challenge.

As for the rules, it's hard to convince people that eating with your hands is usually okay.  If no one knows the rules, is it still a rule? who reigns?

Also, now I am learning not to eat so much. 2 reasons -  I saw my friend throw up from too much sushi and the other weekend I had such a big breakfast (my least fav meal) that I didnt eat for the entire day - what a bummer!

I had a great experience the other day where the chef gave me 2 pieces at a time and took me for a wild ride after seeing me down sweet shrimp then the heads. you can't get that at a trendy shop.

Rereading this thread makes me want to go to the west coast and see what they have to offer.

Something I noticed recently after having a bit too much sushi... Sushi (esp tuna) gave me this weird familiar feeling in my mouth, like a fleshy, texturey feeling - I realised it feels just like makeout mouth.

Thanks for the encouragement

4/28/2008 matthew "rehab is for quitters" h. says:

looks good and tastes good

and the protein buzz is fun

4/28/2008 Michele "with one L" D. says:

Jeff O:  I just HAVE to ask:  what is makeout mouth???  I BUST out laughing at this one!

4/28/2008 Michael "Weatness  ® ™  2009 All RIghts Reserved" F. says:

Tuna is toxic.  It's loaded with mercury and you should limit your intake. It's also drastically overfished because of our increasing appetite in this hemisphere for ... SUSHI.

I love sushi too, but our fishing practices are ravaging our oceans, and for that reason, I've given it up. They're projecting no fish in the oceans by 2050 at the rate we're cleaning them out.  Just something to keep in mind.

4/28/2008 tara g. says:

i dont eat rice so my only option is sashimi and i csnt do it i feel liek im eating bait

4/28/2008 Jeff "Veal Armstrong" O. says:

Michele, do you want to get sushi and compare?

Michael, now I ask for no bluefin. I see it as saving the tuna one step at a time and also challenging the chef. It is crazy how 80 percent of meals come with tuna, no wonder it's endangered. Maybe people will learn from me and they will start making combos with no tuna.
A large problems with fish is all the pesticides. Where do you think all our lobsters in the LI sound went? Lobsters are big insects basically, so pesticides kill insects. bastards. There are a tremendous amount of fish in the ocean, I think it may be just as important to expose people to different types of fish. Who even knows what we will eat in 50 years. before 1950, people didnt think tuna or salmon was so great at all. Although, I really feel things are so sped up with this whole information age thing that it will be interesting to see if we can keep up this pace of knowledge growth.

I am still going to eat fish though - Might as well, while it's still around. I'm not going to sacrifice so everyone else can have fun.

4/28/2008

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4/28/2008 Michael "Weatness  ® ™  2009 All RIghts Reserved" F. says:

Jeff O. says:

I am still going to eat fish though - Might as well, while it's still around. I'm not going to sacrifice so everyone else can have fun.

===

While I agree with much of what you said, this is exactly the attitude that will clean the oceans out of fish. We have to demand fish that is sustainably caught, then there'll be fish around forever. If only one person does it, it won't matter, if LOTS of people do it, it will make a difference.  30% of the fish caught are thrown away as "bycatch" (fish that are not commercially viable, i.e., too small, wrong kind, etc).  If we hunted for our food like this on land, people would be up in arms as cats, dogs and all name and manner of inappropriate and domesticated animals were caught by "accident". The way we treat our oceans is a travesty, and it doesn't just affect our food supply. We are dependent on the oceans for life itself, so we can't have a cavalier attitude about it, and expect to survive. 70% of our oxygen comes from the plankton in the ocean.  If we upset the balance, we are the ones that suffer.  

I feel especially strongly about it because most people who eat sea food have never been under the ocean. I have, and I see what's happening.

I'm getting off my soap box now. :-)  If you're interested in sustainable seafood, you can read about the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program here:

http://www.mbayaq.org/...

You can also download the regional seafood guide (fits in your wallet) here:

http://www.mbayaq.org/...

4/29/2008 Michele "with one L" D. says:

Jeff O:  Yes.  I challenge you to a comparison.  I don't know how we'll do it, but yes.  I would totally challenge you to a comparison.

4/29/2008 Kate "Allergic to Babies" B. says:

Michael, that guide link is awesome!

And phew, everything I've eaten in the last year is on the sustainable list, with one exception. (No more sea scallops. *sigh*)

4/29/2008 Jeff "Veal Armstrong" O. says:

good list. id like to create some mnemonic devices out of it, but I am having trouble making sense of it.  They do have the labels at markets, but at the sushi restaurants they don't usually tell you if it's alaska wild caught or farmed.
but okay, no more dogfish shark for me. promise.

4/29/2008 Chris "Film by Uwe Boll" H. says:

Fine, i'll give up atlantic Cod and farmed Salmon but you'll have to pry my cold dead fingers from my bald eagle and florida manatee

4/29/2008 Justin "big noise" C. says:

Tuna stocks are in severe danger. The issue is that purse seining and tuna farming, though technically illegal, goes unenforced. There's a massive fleet of boats off of the spawning grounds and they just rape the stocks as the fish return to spawn. This could and must be regulated; I really do not see a demand side solution having an effect on all of this.

4/29/2008 Theresa "oh so lovely" L. says:

Sushi? *floating on cloud9*

dreamly thinking....

-instant attraction
-warm feeling within
-mouth watering flirtatiousness (is this even a word? lol)
-you wanna see it, feel it, taste it, every single day without getting bored
-its too pretty to even touch sometimes...*giggles*

Enough said, its love at first sight. Or in this case...love at first bite? lol

I admit, I'm obsess about Sushi. I can't help it, I'm a sushi addict! But I'm not going to any meetings!!!! lmao

4/29/2008 allie "GOoD money" c. says:

fresh sushi rolls are the bomb. not all places are good. but the ones that are are banginnnnnnnnnnnnn

4/29/2008 Michael "Weatness  ® ™  2009 All RIghts Reserved" F. says:

ustin "vouchebag" C. says:

Tuna stocks are in severe danger. The issue is that purse seining and tuna farming, though technically illegal, goes unenforced. There's a massive fleet of boats off of the spawning grounds and they just rape the stocks as the fish return to spawn. This could and must be regulated; I really do not see a demand side solution having an effect on all of this.

====

Only way there's going to be regulation is if people demand it. Saying there's no demand-side solution is saying we have no ability to control what we do, what we think, what we eat.  I happen to disagree with that.  The way there's a demand-side solution is building awareness.  There are several people on this thread who have now looked into what they're eating. It doesn't take as much as you'd think.  Of course there are some people who will ignore this and just think about how good it tastes.  That's unfortunate.

The other problem with regulation is, sure, we can regulate, but we're one of only a few countries that does regulate fishing in any serious way, and we're only 5% of the population. There are no borders on the oceans, unfortunately and the regulation chain chain is only as strong as the weakest link.  Meanwhile, sharks, tuna, Chilean Seabass and many other fish are being cleaned out of the water. There's no Cod left for fish and chips in the UK. Why? Because they've cleaned the ocean out of them. There's been an ongoing mentality on the planet that the oceans are limitless and we can take from them as we please. Truth is, we're learning the hard way that this is not true. If we don't care for the oceans, we ourselves are in grave danger.  People can do cancer walks, AIDS walks and raise money for innumerable other charities related to disease or hunger (and this good, of course), but the oceans are our life and saving them will mean saving more people than all those charities combined.  

Think about what you're eating and demand some action. :-)

4/30/2008 Adrian "Give me a Valium, I'm getting the FEAR!" B. says:

I'm not all that bothered about tuna from the flavor perspective. I prefer the mackerel, octopus, especially baby octopus and the unagi. I also like to stick to a mainly sashimi fix, to keep the carbs down.

4/30/2008 Joe "shop smart, shop S-mart" O. says:

well I love it because as a kid I was ridiculed constantly for eating "raw fish" and how gross it all was but now all those same idiots think its fantastic.  I also like it because its trendy, because places like Morimoto or Nobu can charge whatever they want and silly roundeye will pay it.  lastly I like it because to cater to the aforementioned white folks they "create" absurd rolls with cream cheese and avacado because so many people don't "really like the idea of raw fish" and would rather have expensive fish wrapped with shit to lessen the taste.  umm, umm.

4/30/2008 Rebecca "the Claw" H. says:

Because of The Breakfast Club.  I always wanted to be Claire, even though it's a fat girl's name.

4/30/2008 Joe "shop smart, shop S-mart" O. says:

it's a FAMILY name

4/30/2008 K O. says:

love love love sushi

And because its naturally low in fat and I need my Omega-3 oils.

4/30/2008 Rachelle "Truly Outrageous" R. says:

because it tastes good

4/30/2008 Michael "Weatness  ® ™  2009 All RIghts Reserved" F. says:

Yeah, and some of it is loaded with mercury too! ;-)

4/30/2008 Rebecca "the Claw" H. says:

Dear Michael F.,

I wrote this song for you, goes a little something like this:

Party pooper
pooper dooper
every party has a pooper that's why we invited you
party pooper
pooper dooper.

The End.

Love, Claw

4/30/2008 Kate "not yet published" K. says:

First time I tried sushi, I liked the taste, but the texture didn't quite work with me. I tried it again a little later and enjoyed it, but didn't really get into it until friends in Atlanta took me to a place that had three pieces of maki for a buck. It turned into an adventure, what could I try this time? For only a buck a taste, it's a lot more fun to experiment. It was easy to explore from there.

I love the freshness of the fish, especially tuna, mercury be damned. I love the taste of vinegar, sesame, the saltiness of roe (though salmon roe is a little strong for me). The flavor combinations are endless and even if I don't like an individual piece, I've enjoyed trying something new.

Watching the plates get made is fun and fascinating to me. It's an art all of its own.

Fun thread!

4/30/2008 jeff "walking.Yelp.com" c. says:

cuz it's ORGASMIC!
http://www.yelp.com/li...

4/30/2008 Joolie "mzjoolz if you're nasty!" T. says:

i STILL want to eat it off people!
=D

4/30/2008 Diana B. says:

consistency like lox

4/30/2008 MCLOVIN L. says:

Joolie "mzloolz...if you're nasty" T. says:
i STILL want to eat it off people!
=D
************
lets have a sushi party...you can eat it off my body.

4/30/2008 M.Josephine J. says:

I like the flavor especially good rice.  And I enjoy the experience - its nostalgic.

and sushi isn't raw fish - sushi is the rice so you can eat sushi without eating the fish.