DaytonDailyNews.com

site web

The sushi bar can be a bit intimidating for the beginner — those towering, knife-wielding sushi chefs cut quite an imposing figure, not to mention a mean tuna filet — but don't let any such conjured-up culture shock prevent you from enjoying one of the finest warm-weather cuisines available.

And we do mean available: The sushi craze has infiltrated the Miami Valley's restaurant scene and extends to grocery stores and the online world, as well. Some of the recently launched Asian restaurants — Sakai in Troy, Mr. Lee's in Vandalia, Sima in Kettering — have added new destinations and choices to an established sushi restaurant landscape.

We picked the brains of local sushi connoisseurs, pored over the printed word and combed cyberspace to come up with a Sushi 101 Guide of sorts — along with a few tips for even the savviest of sushi veterans.

But first, the basics.

How to order

You have two options of ordering: From the regular menu, you'll usually find sushi combination and sashimi combination dishes — essentially, a sampler platter — or there may be a chef's special. Or, you can order a la carte from the sheets of paper that show the individual "by-the-piece" choices. You mark the quantity of each or nigiri or sushi rolls, building your own customized sampler platter.

How to eat it

Sushi is served with soy sauce, the green horseradish paste called wasabi and slices of pickled ginger. Most sushi diners pour a small amount of soy sauce into the dipping bowl, then mix a small dab of the wasabi paste into the soy sauce. Careful! The wasabi can be sinus-clearing hot, and some sushi chefs use a dab of wasabi to anchor a piece of sashimi to the rice in nigiri, so there may already be some wasabi hidden in your nigiri or your sushi roll.

Some diners smear a bit of wasabi directly onto the sushi roll rather than mixing the paste with the soy sauce. Either way is perfectly acceptable.

Now, you're ready to feast. If eating nigiri — the fish-on-rice form of sushi — dip the top-side (or fish-side) of the piece into the soy sauce to avoid absorbing too much sauce — and watching your rice crumble into pieces.

If you're adept at chopsticks, by all means, show off your prowess. If not, it's perfectly acceptable to use your fingers to eat nigiri. Try to eat the roll in one bite — it does tend to disintegrate if you try to eat it in stages.

The pickled ginger? It's there for you to refresh your mouth between different types of sushi rolls or flavors. If the sweet-spicy pickled ginger flavor is not to your liking, just leave it on the plate.

Beginner to pro

Still leery of the whole raw-fish concept? Start with a California Roll, a distinctly Americanized form of sushi roll that features imitation crab meat, cucumber and avocado wrapped in sticky rice and perhaps sesame seeds. Or try a boiled-shrimp nigiri — a mini-shrimp-cocktail over rice — or the conger (eel), usually served with a sweetened soy glaze.

For intermediate sushi enthusiasts who have embraced the uncooked, some sashimi-topped choices include tuna, salmon, flounder, yellowtail, mackerel and octopus, as well as the caviar-like flying fish roe and salmon roe.

For advanced sushi pros, there are choices with, shall we say, different textures and flavors, such as sea urchin, surf clam, giant clam, squid and "sweet" shrimp (uncooked) that can and should include the fried heads served separately (they're crunchy and delicious). Or ask for Ankimo — monkfish liver that some sushi enthusiasts call the "foie gras of the sea."

What to drink

The traditional accompaniment is sake, of course, and you'll find a dizzying array in all price ranges. Don't be afraid to try the unfiltered versions that are milky in appearance from the rice milk left in the fermented mixture — it adds a creamy hint of sweetness to the saké, and makes it look like you're drinking a White Russian.

Japanese beers such as Kirin, Sapporo and Asahi taste a bit drier than American-brewed beers and seem to be made for sushi. Wine enthusiasts should look to fruity, oak-free wines such as Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, pinot gris or dry rosés. And champagne and other dry sparkling wines can work wonders.

Akashi Sushi Bar

2020 Harshman Road, Riverside

(937) 233-8005

I-Zu Japanese Restaurant

5252 N. Dixie Drive, Harrison Twp.

(937) 277-9596

Mr. Lee's Fine Asian Dining

7580 Poe Ave., Vandalia

(937) 898-3860

Sakai Japanese Bistro

2303 W. Main St., Troy

937-440-1302

Sake Japanese Restaurant

(2 locations)

7260 Miller Lane, Butler Twp.

(937) 898-9834

2146 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Miami Twp.

(937) 435-7882

Sima Korean & Japanese Restaurant

1771 Woodman Drive, Kettering

(937) 258-7040

Sushi Café

108 Byers Road, Miamisburg

(937) 859-6011

Thai 9

11 Brown St., Dayton

(937) 222-3227

Glossary of sushi terms

• Sushi: The term refers to the boiled rice flavored with a sweetened rice-vinegar mixture, but it has evolved into a catchall phrase that includes specialties such as:

• Sashimi: The slices of raw fish that people most equate to sushi.

• Nigiri: A sushi presentation in which sashimi is served over rectangular sticky rice.

• Maki: Sushi rolls in which fish and/or vegetables are wrapped in rice and a dried-seaweed wrapper to form a roll, which is then sliced into bite-sized pieces.

• Nori: The dried seaweed that is pressed into very thin sheets, then used to wrap the Maki, or sushi rolls. It's perfectly edible and has a neutral flavor.

• Miso soup: A traditional Japanese soup often served while the sushi chef is preparing your order. It's made of a rich soup stock and miso paste — fermented soybeans with barley or rice. It's light, but satisfying.

Other sources of sushi

Grocery stores such as Dorothy Lane Markets, Jungle Jim's and Kroger have packaged sushi available for purchase, and some have sushi chefs on staff; or check with seafood specialists such as Foremost Seafood and Midwest Seafood for fresh and frozen fish that can be used for sushi. Some local Asian markets, including Koyama Shoten Japanese Grocery Store at 5256 N. Dixie Drive (next to I-Zu), Harrison Twp., also offer sushi-grade frozen fish. Or order online from sushi purveyors such as Catalina Offshore Products, www.catalinaop.com.

Contact

this reporter at (937) 225-2258 or mfisher@DaytonDailyNews.com.