Kelly - Where do you usually go in our hood? There's a joint down the street from us called 'Asaka' that's quite good but not cheap and the service isn't great. I'll often order takeout but they've got a great patio with a 180-degree ocean view. I'd say that place is my usual place.
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Stu - Man, you're gonna have a blast! I was only there as a kid but I do remember it was a little different. I'm sure others will chime in about their recent experiences but expect to see some strange things on the menu. One such strange item was horsemeat sashimi. Frankly, it tasted like a cooked steak. Not sure how. It was pretty darn good.

I'd start with sake (salmon). Very mild, buttery fish. The good stuff just kinda melts in your mouth. And if you like smoked salmon (lox), you're gonna love this. It's 10x better.

Hamachi (yellowtail) is also very tame. Same with Maguro (tuna).

I'd start with those. Have a great trip!
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I'd strongly recommend toro (daisuki) tuna. I find it to have a meaty buttery flavor that's absolutely delicious. :-)
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Absolutely....and even better....Bluefin Tuna!
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That's what my immediate family use to when I was growing up in Hawaii. We'd go fishing, catch the fish, and slice a few up for sashimi. Shoyu and a bit of dry mustard (back then we didn't use wasabi) and it's "ono kine grinds" time while the other fish cook over a hibachi... :-)

Also tako (octopus) sashimi. Fresh or smoked. Plain, shoyu/mustard, or a miso sauce. Another great childhood memory.
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Stu, you are going to have a great time I'm sure. Where in Japan are you going? I'm envious because Japan is one of those places to visit before I die and I've never been.

Anyways when I was first introduced to sushi I started with the traditional types. And I started with Nigiri Sushi (the fish on an oblong ball of rice) as Sashimi just seemed to exotic at the time. I started mild with Unagi and Ebi (Eel and Shrimp) as both had cooked fish on top of the rice. Kind of got me used to the format. Then I moved on to Maguro and Hamachi (tuna and yellowtail) which has the raw fish and then branched out into the more exotic Nigiri Sushi. I then made my way into rolls and then finally into Sashimi. By the time I reached Sashimi I had a very healthy appreciation for sushi.

I would suggest for your first order at a restaurant or Sushi bar you order an order of Unagi, Ebi and Maguro. Two cooked styles and one raw style. You will get a good sense of what Nigiri sushi is all about and it is an easy introduction. Then if you decide sushi is something you can enjoy as your traveling companions or the sushi chef for their recommendations on what you should try. A good sushi chef will steer you in the right direction and give you a greater appreciation for the art of Sushi.

Enjoy my friend, you will have a blast!
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A different style of sushi that I thought looked interesting :-)


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Maybe I'll make you some then........:-)
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I do love me some sushi... mostly sashimi though!!! I had a roommate in college in the late 70's that was from Hawaii. He go me into it. I've been eating it ever since. I have never had anything I hated... but I am not a huge fan of salmon used in sashimi. I usually just tell the chef to start bringing it, to not back off of the eel and sea urchin, and to leave off the salmon.
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OBDG style Sushi????? :-)
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Just don't drag em in the sushi.
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Fantastic!
Thanks guys.
I didn't mean to hijack, but figured it was kinda on topic.

I will report back my Sushi Virgin experiences in a couple weeks.

Now I just have to learn how to pronounce some of it so I don't look like an even bigger ass than normal!
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Not a thread jack at all my friend :-) All things Sushi are discussed here!
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St Lou Stu, i will agree with LasciviousXXX about trying sushi first a a GOOD local restauraunt first. unless you are an adventurous type eater. I grew up eating a lot of different foods thanks to my dad.

you mentioned that you like tuna, how do you usually eat, i like the seared on the outside raw inside. if you are the same way try tuna first. try some the cooked stuff first, like uni.

i went to japan about 5 years ago, as far as dinning experiance goes, basically i ordered by pictures. not to bad, but then again i eat most anything.

best thing i had there was the mini soup and noodle places by the train stations. every thing was fresh cooked right in front of you. and even paying for it was a kick, vending machine style. pop in 50 - 100 yen (about $5 or $10) push a button and out comes a ticket, give it to the cook and they just whip it up right in front of you. best part is the bowls are pretty big, i'm a big boy and i got nice and filled up by these simple meals even walking around all day.
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thanks for the tip sonic_mike
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The secret is fresh ingredients ( & how you flavor the rice :-))
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Stu, that "fish taste" arrives when heat is applied. I think that you'll find a serious lack of it with sushi. Enjoy the trip!
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what's OBDG?
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not to step on 'ya but I think you meant unagi (eel) and not uni....don't think you wanna cook that sea urchin! :-)
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Except mackeral. Raw mackeral is very fishy in taste.
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