Sushi — shaped, vinegared rice crowned with a wide variety of delectable toppings — has enjoyed increasing popularity in America over the last ten years. A taste sensation that was once the exclusive province of conoisseurs is now widely available in restaurants, grocery stores, and even sports arenas.
The prevalence of sushi shows that this finger food is here to stay. It can, however, be daunting to walk into a sushi restaurant and order for the first time. There are a wide variety of types of sushi to try, another language to consider, and new rules of etiquette imported from overseas.
Luckily, this brief guide takes the guesswork out of restaurant etiquette, provides suggestions for your meal, and will leave you satisfied with your first sushi experience.
ENTERING THE RESTAURANT: Greetings and Seating Arrangements
When entering the restaurant, be sure to acknowledge your host or hostess. He or she will offer you a greeting (the traditional greeting is “irasshaimase,” which means, “please come in”), and ask where you would like to be seated.
You and your party have two choices: the sushi bar, or a table. If you are dining in a small group, are interested in interacting directly with the sushi chef, and will be dining mostly on sushi, you may wish to sit at the bar. For a large group or a group that plans on ordering hot food items, a table will be the best choice.
ORDERING: Who to Order From
How you order depends on where you are sitting. If you are sitting at the table, ordering is easy: speak directly to the waiter or waitress. If you are sitting at the bar, order sushi from the sushi chef, and all other items from the waitstaff. Feel free to chat with the sushi chef when he or she is experiencing a lull, or ask for recommendations; it’s all part of the experience of sitting at the sushi bar.
ORDERING: A Primer on Basic Types of Sushi
Sushi comes in many varieties, and ordering it for the first time may feel overwhelming. Luckily, the majority of sushi and sashimi offerings can be broken down into the following types:
Sashimi (pronounced sah-shee-mee): Slices of raw fish without rice. The ultimate in a Japanese seafood experience, but not necessarily a good choice for beginners.
Maki (pronounced mah-kee, also called Maki-zushi): A rolled sushi. Generally, maki consists of a topping rolled up in sushi rice, and a sheet of seaweed (also called “nori”) rolled around the outside.
Nigiri (pronounced nee-gee-ree, also called Nigiri-zushi): Small, hand-formed morsels of sushi rice, covered with a slice of raw fish or some other topping.
Other types you may wish to be aware of include: Temaki-zushi (or hand-roll; a conical roll of seaweed stuffed with toppings and rice), Chirashi-zushi (a bowl of sushi rice with raw fish and other toppings), and Inari-zushi (fried tofu packets stuffed with sushi rice).
ORDERING: Specific Recommendations for Beginners
For beginners, I recommend starting the meal out with a bowl of miso soup, some hot finger foods (such as shumai dumplings, skewers, or gyoza) , or pickled cucumbers.
If you would like to drink alcohol with your meal, order a Japanese beer or sake. However, it should be noted that sake is not generally considered a good accompaniment to sushi. It is traditionally drunk only at the beginning or ending of the meal, or with sashimi. If you prefer non-alcoholic beverages, the restaurant will probably provide green tea.
The sushi you order depends on your personal taste. There are several delicious varieties of sushi that do not include any raw fish at all, such as:
- California rolls, or California maki: Always a popular choice. These rolls consist of crab or surimi (imitation crab, made of flavored Alaskan Pollock) with cucumber and avocado.
- Tamago (pronounced tah-mah-go) nigiri: Sweet egg omelette on shaped rice.
- Unagi (pronounced oo-nah-gee) nigiri: Grilled, fresh-water eel with a sweet, teriyaki-like sauce. One of my personal favorites.
- Kappa maki (pronounced ka-pah): Cucumber rolls. Cucumber wrapped in rice and seaweed.
- Philadelphia roll, or Philly roll: Smoked salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber wrapped in rice and seaweed.
- Inari (pronounced ee-nah-ree, also known as Inari-zushi): Fried tofu pouches stuffed with rice. I have also, on rare occaisons, seen this called “Kitsune sushi.” I like these at lunch, but they’re not for everyone.
- Ebi (pronounced eh-bee) nigiri: Cooked, sweet shrimp on a morsel of rice.
Sushi that includes raw fish, but that I have always found palatable to beginners, includes:
- Tekka (pronounced teh-kah) maki: Raw tuna roll. Extremely mild and a perfect introduction to raw fish.
- Sake (pronounced sah-keh) nigiri: Raw salmon on a shaped morsel of rice. Salmon does not deviate significantly in flavor whether raw or cooked, so if you like cooked or smoked salmon, you will probably enjoy it raw. Salmon maki is also very good.
- Hamachi (pronounced hah-mah-chee) nigiri: Raw, young yellowtail. Mild and buttery without a strong “fishy” taste.
- Ikura (pronounced ee-koo-rah): Salmon roe on rice, with a seaweed covering. If you enjoy salmon caviar, you’ll love this sushi. Personally, I get kick out of the texture. Be forewarned, however, it does have a strong “fishy” taste.
ORDERING: Wasabi and other Condiments
Wasabi is Japanese horseradish, and adds a spicy kick to the meal. Generally, most nigiri will come with a small dab of wasabi beneath the topping. “Small rolls,” like tekka maki and kappa maki, also often come with wasabi. Larger rolls, like the Philly roll or California roll, generally do not.
If you would prefer your sushi without wasabi, let the sushi chef or waitstaff know. If you’re not sure if you like wasabi, you can order your sushi without it, then add a little yourself later. Generally, a small dollop of extra wasabi will be placed on the side of every order, or you can request extra wasabi from the waitstaff. The sushi will also come with a side of ginger, or on rare occaisons, a lemon slice.
ORDERING: How Much Should You Order?
When ordering sushi, please take into account that it is common practice, especially at the bar, to continuously order sushi throughout the meal. Don’t feel like you have to order a large amount of sushi at once so you have enough to eat.
When deciding on how much sushi your party will need, take into account that an order of nigiri will net you two pieces of sushi at most restaurants, and one order of maki will include 6 to 8 pieces of sushi. Most people will be more than satisfied with 8-10 pieces of sushi.
SUSHI ETIQUETTE
Sushi etiquette is a long and complex subject, but the following tips should help you get by with grace and poise. Please note that American sushi restaurants are extremely forgiving! If the following list makes your head spin, just eat the sushi any way that you choose. The real purpose of going out to eat is to enjoy sushi and have fun!
SUSHI ETIQUETTE: Before the Meal
You may be offered a hot towel to wash your hands with. Use the towel to gently wipe your hands, then fold it and place it back on its tray. When you break your chopsticks apart, refrain from rubbing them together; it is a slight breach of etiquette, and at good restaurants there will not be any splinters. If you are concerned about what to do with your chopsticks when they are not in use, place them on the soy sauce dish or on the holder, parallel to your plate.
SUSHI ETIQUETTE: During the Meal
If you chose to order miso soup, you may or may not be given a spoon. In traditional restaurants, you are expected to pick up the bowl and use your chopsticks to guide the tofu and seaweed to your mouth. It is okay to eat nigiri sushi with your hands, but rolls and sashimi should be eaten with chopsticks. Most pieces of sushi should be eaten in one bite, but don’t worry if the piece is too big to be able to do this comfortably.
When your sushi arrives, pour a little soy sauce into your soy sauce dish. For nigiri sushi, you may enjoy your soy sauce in one of two ways: either remove the topping and dip it in the soy sauce dish before replacing it on the rice (preferred), or place the sushi upside-down in the soy sauce dish. Then, place the nigiri sushi, topping-side-down, on your tongue.
This is not only polite, it makes the sushi taste much better! Some diners also like to mix some wasabi in with their soy sauce — although technically incorrect, you may want to try this if you enjoy spicy foods.
If you switch to a different type of sushi, feel free to place a tiny slice of pink or tan ginger in your mouth between pieces. It will cleanse your palate and make the next piece of sushi taste that much better.
SUSHI ETIQUETTE: At the End of the Meal
If you sit at the bar, be sure to thank the sushi chef at the end of the meal. A simple, English thank you should suffice, or, if you would like to try your hand at a Japanese farewell, try “Domo arigato” (pronounced doh-mo ah-ree-gah-toh), which means, “Thank you.”
You will also want to tip the chef for the sushi and the waiter or waitress for the drinks and hot food separately. The chef will probably have a tip cup on the bar. If you are seated at a table, you may consolidate the tips.
Hopefully, this guide has taken some of the guess work out of trying sushi for the first time. With these etiquette tips and dining recommendations, you can eat sushi with poise and confidence, impress your dining companions, and have a great time doing it.
