Order for Nigiri
 

Is there a special order the Itamae follows when serving single
nigiri? I'm familiar with milder fishes before stronger flavored fish
but is there more to it. Like snapper after fluke or vice versa to
help accentuate the next piece? Suggestions?

Order for Nigiri
 

JoanOfArc wrote:
> Is there a special order the Itamae follows when serving single
> nigiri? I'm familiar with milder fishes before stronger flavored fish
> but is there more to it. Like snapper after fluke or vice versa to
> help accentuate the next piece? Suggestions?

That's the idea, to start with lighter flavors and move to the stronger
ones as the meal progresses. That's kind of how I eat my sushi, but
only because I save the best for last. Saba and uni are usually my
finishing pieces.

--
Dan

Order for Nigiri
 

Dan wrote on Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:18:40 -0400:

> JoanOfArc wrote:
>> Is there a special order the Itamae follows when serving
>> single nigiri? I'm familiar with milder fishes before
>> stronger flavored fish but is there more to it. Like snapper after
>> fluke or vice versa to help accentuate the next piece? Suggestions?

> That's the idea, to start with lighter flavors and move to the
> stronger ones as the meal progresses. That's kind of how I
> eat my sushi, but only because I save the best for last. Saba
> and uni are usually my finishing pieces.

An interesting idea! However, I've never thought about doing that and
just ordered as inspiration struck! As a technique, it's worked fine for
30 years. I usually eat sushi at lunch and don't order enough to have a
game plan :-) I do know that I happily move between different fishes
with chef's choice sashimi and don't finish, say, all of the tuna at
once.
--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Order for Nigiri
 

On 2008-08-13 07:18:40 -0700, Dan Logcher > said:

> JoanOfArc wrote:
>> Is there a special order the Itamae follows when serving single
>> nigiri? I'm familiar with milder fishes before stronger flavored fish
>> but is there more to it. Like snapper after fluke or vice versa to
>> help accentuate the next piece? Suggestions?
>
> That's the idea, to start with lighter flavors and move to the stronger
> ones as the meal progresses. That's kind of how I eat my sushi, but
> only because I save the best for last. Saba and uni are usually my
> finishing pieces.

That seems to make logical sense. Nevertheless I start almost every
meal with saba sashimi. It's just my favorite starting point. The
reality is that between each serving of sushi I dring a little beer or
sake, chat with my companions, maybe have some accompanying items,
edomame perhaps or a little gari.

So after the saba might be tai. It's never occured to me that there
should be a logical order to the items. Though I know with kaiseki
dinners there is a rigid methodology that governs not only the order of
dishes but their placement on the dish.
--
Dogmatism kills jazz. Iconoclasm kills rock. Rock dulls scissors.

Order for Nigiri
 

On Aug 12, 6:24*pm, JoanOfArc > wrote:
> Is there a special order the Itamae follows when serving single
> nigiri? I'm familiar with milder fishes before stronger flavored fish
> but is there more to it. Like snapper after fluke or vice versa to
> help accentuate the next piece? Suggestions?

I assume this is when the chef does omakase, and serves you singles at
his whim and pace?

It depends on the chef. A vast majority of the time of places in my
area, they start off with white fish, with a few exceptions that I got
tuna and toro to start one time (a big no no for me but what can you
do).

The order of white fish for example shouldn't matter. I've had tai
first and then hirame, and some places did hirame and hirame no engawa
followed by tai.

The more adept chefs would pair up similar flavored or family fish
together for side by side comparisons. Yasuda in NY comes to mind (and
never mind the infamous 7 kinds of toro he supposedly offers, the guy
is a tuna and eel specialist).

Ideal progression for me is white fish, silvery shiny marinated/
vinegared fish, red meat fish (whether it be tuna, salmon, bonito),
clams and shellfish, sauced stuff like sea eel or unagi, and whatever
you like at the end (in omakase maybe a handroll or a cut roll). The
ending piece varies depending on personal preference, some like to
finish with tamago as it is sweet, some end it at anago as the brushed
sauce could have a bit of sweetness, but the uber professionals have a
umeshiso yamaimo hosomaki that is a great palette cleanser.