How to Order Sushi at a Japanese Sushi Bar

Have you ever wanted so badly to go eat at a classy Sushi Bar with your friends but were afraid of ordering? There are so many varieties of sushi nowadays that people who have never eaten sushi would not know what to order. I will give you the Sushi Ordering 101 to make your social life easier & fun!!!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Your Memory

1. 

   Raw - The first question to ask yourself is "Are you willing to try the RAW stuff?" If you are, then good for you! In Japan, all they have are the raw stuff. They don't even make all the millions of crazy sushi rolls they make here in the U.S. "Sushi" really only consists of the "Nigiri" Sushi variety which is just a slab of raw fish on top of sushi rice, which is sweeter than regular rice. The easiest Nigiri Sushi you can eat is called "Maguro", which is just tuna really. This is very mild and easy to eat for beginners. "Hamachi" (Yellowtail Tuna), my personal favorite is more for the brave Sushi Eaters, because it has a strong fish taste to it. Once you become an amateur, though, "Hamachi" will become your favorite for sure! Some other white fishes, such as "Hirame" (Halibut) and "Tai" (Red Snapper) are delicious and perfect for the beginner. Once you had your share of the "Regular Fishes", it's time to try the more bold variety of Sushi, such as "Sake" (Salmon), which is pretty fishy and "Hotate" (Scallop), which is actually very good.

2. If you answered "no" to eating raw fish, then you MUST first try "Unagi" (Fresh Water Eel). "Unagi" is cooked and marinated in a sweet teriyaki-like uni sauce and is just delicious! A few other cooked ones are "Ebi" (Shrimp), "Ama-Ebi" (Sweet Shrimp) and "Mirugai" (Giant Clam), which is a bit crunchy.

3. 

   Then comes the Rolls. "California Roll", which is the most common roll usually has avocado, cucumber, imitation crab meat combined with a mayonnaise based sauce. Sounds weird to the beginner but it's quite good. Trust me. "Spider Roll" is my personal favorite. This is made with deep-fried soft-shell crab. My next favorite is the "Caterpillar Roll". This is made with Eel and Cucumber with Avocado on top. Sounds good, right? I can go on and on with rolls but most restaurants have their own special rolls so you have to ask the Sushi Chef about those.

Tips & Warnings

• Tip #1 - Don't be afraid; Order with confidence.
• Always eat sushi at a nice Japanese Restaurant, where the fish looks fresh.

[sushi1975]

on 6/12/2009 I would stay away of the Rolls that include imitation crab. because that is what they are "imitation crab" and not real seafood.
They do taste good....but are they worth the money!?

[ddare8]

on 4/8/2009 nice little explanation for sushi!

[MSmith]

on 2/4/2009 I love sushi. I can't even name anything other than California Rolls. I usually like to sit at the bar where they have the little boats flowing in the water. I just pick whatever looks good. If you keep an open mind, you will be surprised how good they are! 5* and I recommend you for all the work you've done to get the names straight.

[FrazzledNanny]

on 2/4/2009 I've never had sushi before. Thanks for the article. I might have to be brave and try some (I'll probably start with the Ebi or ama-ebi. 5*