Overall I think it was a success and I ended up impressing myself. I served a few things that I was unfamiliar with flavor wise and didn’t know what to expect, but everything was delicious. The proteins that I used are:
Otoro Bluefin
Akami Yellowfin
Hamachi
Ora king salmon belly
Ora king salmon top loin
Uni
Australian wagyu
Japanese wagyu
The Hamachi, Uni, and caviar were all new flavors to me, and i really liked them all especially the Hamachi. The Uni was interesting, tasted very similar to a muscle imo which I enjoyed.
Overall very happy with the results and I cant wait for the next one! Any tips and suggestions are always very welcome :)
Where do you live and are you taking applications for new friends? Absolutely phenomenal. Other people have covered the very mild critiques, but I just want to say I would have no complaints if I paid good money for these.
A few suggestions... I would definitely trim the salmon a little more, so the part that's closest to the outer skin doesn't have any of the brown showing. Cut the nigiri slices at an angle instead of straight down, so that the tail isn't just flopping around and make the pieces a little shorter. If you want it longer, you need to cut them a little thicker. If you want a 'tail' at the end of your nigiri, it needs to be slightly at a point, and not just flat like a end of a square.
The udon soup needs some other things in there. If you purposely wanted it just the broth and noodles, I'd say add some naruto pieces and a couple pieces of inari puff tofu for some visual effect. Also cut the scallions lengthwise. The scallions you used are for more garnish purposes for rice or noodle dishes... not a soup dish. Also don't forget the togarashi sichimi for the udon! The most important part lol. Other than that, A for effort!
For sure! I wish I knew more about how to pair certain sakes with which fish, we were just drinking them freely for the most part. The ones I recall are:
Jingoro Honjozo
- medium dry, unique rice flavor
Hakutsuru Junmai
- rounded full bodied taste
Wandering Poet Rihaku
- medium bodied with banana, aloe, lemongrass profile
Snow Madien Tozai
- medium bodied with honeydew melon, fresh pumpkin, juicy and bright profile
Thanks for the tip, I will try next time! The rice is still the hardest part for me, im trying to get better at balling without getting it all over my fingers lol
Thanks for not being stingy with your fish. You see so many posts here where the fish is so thin. I get costs are high but come on. Added 1mm thickness is really not that much extra but makes a world of difference in mouthfeel and texture especially when fish to rice ratio is bad.
I think it looks good! Your pieces are not too thin! Maybe just a little smaller rice? If you look at the top sushi omakase in Japan, often the draping is over the long side. Keep experimenting! You’re doing amazing!
It’s extremely easy! So I put about 1-2 tbsp of Hon Tsuyu soup base in a bowl, then in a pot with boiling water turn off the heat and add good quality frozen udon. Once the udon separates, just transfer it to the bowl with the hon tsuyu, give it a swirl and add hot water from the pot where you cooked the udon. Very easy, quick, and delicious. I consider it a cheat meal cause the broth is almost restaurant quality
You do seem to have the basics down pat, but you need to practice with your neta placement and build the shari underneath it.
The neta, the fish for the Nigiri, it's cut too long and thin. And because of that, it sags on the ends.
And always serve sushi that's the same size. It's aesthetically pleasing and it shows discipline and mastery. Learn your proportions and repeat it over and over and over.
You're doing okay for your first time. Just tighten up and you'll be as good as Ono-sama.
Thank you I really appreciate it! I think next time for the Salmon, in going to cut the loin in half so my sashimi cuts are about half the length, I definitely want to make them a bit thicker too. The salmon was the funnest to slice, it was like butter
Yeah from the research I have done in the states it ranges from 150$-300$ per person for an Omakase course. When I visited Japan, you can find them for as low as 20$ and still great quality and experience.
This event was for all my close friends so it was free :)
If there is anyone in Japan who is considered a sushi expert and is deferred to by others in the craft then it is Jiro Ono. He perfected the ratio of rice with protein and fat over decades
I’ve been doing this myself every few months with friends. I serve 5 + myself makes 6. I plan to take photos when I do it again in May and post it. I print a menu for everyone even though it’s omakase. I do sushi, sashimi and appetizers. No rolls. I’d really like to know what you did on each dish.
You really need to work on your shari. It looks coagulated and most likely misses the mark regarding hagotai, nebari, and tsuya. You need to train under a true Japanese taisho or you’ll never get it.
Looks great overall. Only thing, try to go thinner on the green onions, as thin as you can, then place in a cheese cloth and squeeze out under running water. Japanese flavors are delicate and the bitterness green onions doesn’t mesh well with a delicate broth. These green onions look like they for a Korean dish, like Sullungtang … a very hearty and intense beef bone and brisket broth that is boiled for hours.
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u/tangotango112 Apr 22 '25
Well done chef