A.Melon wrote:
> Long article in the LA Times. Mostly for beginners, despite the title.

I read it in the Times on Wednesday and thought it was enjoyable, but
certainly a lot of fluff. The author is clearly still very much a
beginner. My wife thought the author was just an idiot and the article
below trivial.

However, she is certainly right that having an almost personal
relationship with your sushi chef really changes the experience. The
head chef at my favorite place, Yama-san, will shake his head "no" (for,
"you don't want that today") when I ask him about something that I've
just seen him prepare for someone else. In other words, it's not
horrible, but not something he wants to give me because he knows I'll
know the difference.

Bruce

"A.Melon" > wrote in message =
news:def1c084f2b22335d910c93ebc6a5581@melontraffic kers.com...
> Long article in the LA Times. Mostly for beginners, despite the =
title.
> Some of it sounds like it came from a.f.s !! =20
>=20
> http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-sushi9
> feb09,1,351924.story?coll=3Dla-home-headlines
>=20
> Advanced sushi
> To have a transcendent experience at one of L.A.'s extraordinary=20
> sushi bars, you just have to know a few tricks.
> By Carolynn Carre=F1o Special to The Times
> February 9, 2005
>=20
> It was a life-changing moment: The sushi chef presented my friend and=20
> me with wine glasses filled partway with sake; tiny live crabs crawled =
up=20
> the sides. Back into the kitchen the glasses went, and soon the crabs=20
> returned as very crisp, tiny, perfectly crab-shaped snacks.=20
> [...]
>=20
> After dozens of interviews with sushi chefs and sushi bar devotees - =
the=20
> kind who know to ask for fresh wasabi and what kind of shiny fish is =
in=20
> season - and an obscene amount of raw fish consumed around the city,=20
> I'm happy to report that it is possible to enter a sushi bar for the =
first
> time,=20
> and just by knowing how to behave and what to order, to get something=20
> very close to the best experience the sushi bar is capable of =
providing.=20
> Goodbye, California rolls; hello, shima aji (baby yellowtail).
> [...]

I wonder who misinformed her that shima-aji was baby yellowtail...