Catalina Offshore Products
I’d like to start out by saying this is not a paid advertisement but a personal endorsement, Catalina Offshore Products is an amazing source for both the the armature and professional sushi chef a like. Reasonable prices and a wide selection makes this my number one choice for my sushi grade fish needs. Please look them up next time your planing a sushi party.
State of the Blog #1
It’s always been my plan to make this blog a main focus in my life and as a way to help me keep focused on moving forward toward my dreams of owning a sushi bar.
There is an old adage that says nothing is worth doing if there is not passion behind it, and those words couldn’t be any truer. Cooking is my passion and sushi doubly so, that is why from here on forward I am doubling my efforts to get out there and make this dream of mine come true how ever possible I can. My first attempts at school didn’t go well and I can say there was a lot of my plate at the time and being young I might not of been able to prioritize everything the best I could of been, and as soon as my student debts are out of the red I shall move forward in my schooling, I’ve been looking at The Culinary Institute of America and The Sushi Institute of America as places good to start my endeavors at.
I know that it will take a lot of hard work, time and money but this is what I really want to do with my life and there is nothing wrong with trying to reach for the stars, as they say you’ll miss one hundred percent of the shots you never take so take ever shot that comes your way and in the end you can at least say you tried. I’ve got the ambition, the drive and the passion all that is left is the proper training and like most things in this world the hardest part The money but I trust in God of all things that things will work out for me in the end. Just looking at my wife my daughter and my friends I know that life isn’t as unfair as it seems when your downtrodden and that little pit in your gut tells you it’s not worth all the trouble.
My ambitions are not anything huge, I’m not out to own one of those sushi bars with dozen locations, a simple one location shop is ideal to me and going forward in that it’s something a lot of people don’t understand, but as I see it the more locations you have to less you can really stand out as that one place that stands above all the others.
I’ll be expanding my postings to this blog more and more in the coming months with things like person reflections upon the topic and share with you some of the pressing issues that effect the world of sushi today and for the future, and who knows maybe if I can get some exposure and backing a summer trip around Japan to learn more about the culture and history of Sushi on a personal level first hand could be in the cards.
Until next time. I bid you a good day and leave you with these words of wisdom that anyone who’s ever had a hot cup of green tea should recognize.
10 WAYS TO GOOD HEALTH
Less Alcohol, More Tea
Less Meat, More Vegetables
Less Salt, More Vinegar
Less Sugar, More Fruit
Less Eating, More Chewing
Less Words, More Action
Less Greed, More Giving
Less Worry, More Sleep
Less Driving, More Walking
Less Anger, More Laughter
An evening at KUMORI
The truth be told, it is few and far between the number of sushi bars but that never deters me from venturing outside my comfort zone and trying a new restaurant now and then. I’ve never been one to thumb my nose up at the offerings of any place that offers sushi. Be it a local sushi bar who’s got a bad wrap over the years to the one that’s got a hour’s wait for a table.
The establishment I recently visited is one of those places that seems to always have a short wait for a table, in my recent experience the wait was only a few moments and I can honestly say, this is the first time I’ve ventured to this particular establishment with the intention of writing a review, other times I’ve gritted my teeth and smiled when others wanted to dine here, things on the menu like fried cheese have always been a major issue in my book, I’m all for making a menu more palatable to children, but the idea of things like prawn stuffed fried mushrooms just never sat right with me in a sushi bar.
prejudgment aside, lets get down to the grain of things, and to keep a level of full disclosure, money has been tight over the past years and this venture was partly founded by a twenty-five dollar gift certificate.
Finding the time to make it out to KUMORI Sushi & Teppanyaki has been our to-do list for the better part of a month and we ( my wife our nine month old and myself ) finally found it. Upon arrival to Kumori we were promptly greeted and after a few moments wait we were seated at a small table the sounds of a lively dining room around us.
Our server was attentive and willing to give us as much time as we requested to pursue the menu. Hot green tea flowed like water and every page six page menu had something that would just leap out at you screaming ” Eat Me! ” no not him ” I’m the one you want ” we looked things over and found a few items that sounded good, me I tend to venture out a little more my wife likes to play it safe and normally gets close to the same thing where ever we go, only trying something new off my plate.
Things like spicy mayo, eel source and miso soup aside as they tend to be the same, I’d like to move forward to the main meal.
California Special Roll - $6.29
The California Special Roll, your common fair for any American sushi bar, Crab (imitation), cucumber, avocado, cream cheese with masago on the out side. little more needs to be said about this roll it’s as uniform in it’s preparation and it’s presentation.
Cosmos Roll - $8.29
The Cosmos Roll, an offering of a maki roll fried consisting of Octopus, shrimp, crab, cream cheese, avocado and then tempura fired and covered in a sweet sauce. For those looking for something different and might not want to venture to far into raw fish it’s always a good place to start.
Golden Dragon Roll - $10.29
The Golden Dragon delectable and according to our server a popular choice, the offering includes Shrimp tempura, cucumber and cream cheese topped with grilled fresh water eel (unagi), eel sauce, red tobiko caviar ( flying fish roe ) scallions and sesame seeds. makes for an enjoyable first roll on a two roll lunch or dinner.
Kumori Special - $8.59
The name sake roll, the Kumori Special Roll is a crisply fried offering of crab, fresh water eel (unagi), cream cheese and salmon, breaded fired and covered in a sweet sauce. always best eaten hot, this is a very tasty roll for the cold winter months and a still light enough for the summer months.
KUMORI Sushi & Teppanyaki located at 400 Nolana Suite E, McAllen Texas 78504, in the Nolana Tower Shopping Center. with three other locations in the McAllen area and expanding to the San Antonio area to better serve those looking for an enjoyable fusion stile sushi bar. and visit they’re website at http://www.kumori-sushi.com/
In conclusion, it is the opinion of this reviewer that KUMORI Sushi & Teppanyaki is a prime example of quality sushi on any budget.
Life Update: Six Months in and I’m still at a lose for words
Dear Readers of TR2O
I’d like to first take a moment and say how much I miss writing here, I’m still as passionate about sushi and of this blog, but there have been some things in live that have take up a large chuck of my time, That being fatherhood.
Currently I’m taken up the full time role of stay at home father, my daughter is currently six months, as noted to in the Title line of this post. I’m loving every sleepless night, and even more every sleepless day, My wife and I are truly blessed by our healthy, bright eyed little onigiri.
With the state of the economy today my dream of owning a sushi bar is for the time being, just out of reach money is tight all over, and finding people to invest in a start up is even harder then it was when I started down this road, and by the time I reach my destination I might even recognize the person I was when I took my first steps, and that’s kind of the reason for this blog so that I have a record of my growth and of all the things I’ve learned on my journey.
I was once asked by a mentor and local business man, ” Why? Why Sushi? ” to which I replied, Why not, it’s what I’m passionate about and it’s a challenge, some people are called to the service of the lord, others are called to serve they’re country and still others are called to serve the hungry masses.
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and that the nature of knowing to much about something leaves not room to learn something new, Ah, Knowledge the double edged sword of the cooking world, I’d be the first to admit I have my firmly held views upon sushi and it’s preparation and that’s fine for when I’m making my own at home, but in a paying customer setting, I know that I’d have be able to adapt to market demands and be capable of bending to the needs of my customer base.
Well that’s about it for today readers, I look forward to writing here more often, and if I’m not out visiting sushi bars, I’ll try and write more about my personal insights about Sushi and might mix in a little Japanese and pop culture posts from time too.
A Night Out at Tokyo Japanese Restaurant Sushi Bar
Those of you who have read this blog even once will know I’m not stranger to this establishment, That being Tokyo Japanese Restaurant
Sushi Bar located at 500 N 10th St
McAllen, TX 78501, it’s my de facto sushi bar in the Rio Grande Valley, No other purveyor
of the culinary art that is sushi has been able to sway me from flocking back to this quiet little oasis of guilty pleasures.
Itamae Jay Ortiz
Itamae Jay Ortiz, a Rising Star in the Sushi world seems at home behind the counter, preparing the day’s finest, a true artist with rice, fish and a knife. Always with a friendly smile Jay Ortiz is a credit to his trade and is always looking for ways to breath new life into the restaurant.
Owner and local businessman Moon Geon Kim “Mr.Kim” to many is by far the nearest
Owner Moon Geon Kim
thing to a perfect master of the costumer satisfaction arts as can be, It is not strange of find Mr.Kim out in the dinning area, personally greeting guests and showing a true interest in they’re lives. The Insight and wisdom of his many years in the Sushi Restaurant and Asian Market business are a inspiration to this would be sushi bar owner, and on occasion Mr. Kim has expressed a willingness to give guidance if ever I get the ball rolling on getting my dream started. Not much more can be said about Mr. Kim besides that no other local owner has ever been as welcoming and willing to reach out to his costumer base and make them feel like family, or at least in my experience that is.
California Maki
The California Maki, a staple offering of most American Sushi bar’s, this roll is primarily comprised of imitation crab, cream cheese, cucumber, avocado and rice and can be topped with either toasted sesame or verity of small fish eggs like Masago or Tobiko, Capelin and flying fish roe respectfully, a safe place to start for those whom wish to try sushi but might be a bit weary of the raw Sashimi-grade fish used in many other rolls offered at a sushi bars. Pictured here with Masago and a garnish of pickled ginger and a dab of wasabi.
The Unagi Tamaki,
Unagi Tamaki
a hand formed roll wit
h an offering of grilled freshwater eel,
avocado
and other veg and a sweet eel sauce. Unagi offers a very clean creamy flavor upon
the palate and has been known to dominate my order when needing a bit of comfort food to pick me up.
Unagi Nigiri
The Unagi Nigiri
The Nigiri style of Sushi, One of the most common forms of sushi, this is truly the Japanese equivalent of a street-cart hot dog, a fast meant to be eaten in one bite offering of sushi. Here we have a filet of Unagi over a lightly pressed pillow of rice and held in place by a thin strip on nori or pressed and roasted seaweed and lightly drizzled with a sweet eel sauce.
Samurai Maki
The Samurai Maki
This is another favorite of mine, with crab,
avocado, cream cheese and the grilled fresh water eel and then breaded in panko and fried to a golden crisp, the Samurai Maki is top notch menu item and another friendly place to start for those first time sushi triers.
Super Roll ( Custom)
The Super Roll ( Custom)
Here we have a custom order, and my wife’s number one favorite. The Super Roll, a crab, cream cheese and avocado roll, topped with salmon and then breaded in panko and deep fried to a crisp, The custom part of this is the addition of tako or octopus, which gives this roll a slight springyness when eaten.
Steamed Rice with Ebi Furikake
Steamed Rice with Shrimp “Ebi” Furikake
The Mac-n-cheese of the sushi bar, steamed rice with a liberal topping of Furikake, a rice seasoning made up of a mixture of things like roasted seaweed, toasted sesame and dried Ebi or Shrimp flakes. a enjoyable little dish, quick an easy and can be a meal whole onto to it’s self for those on a tight budget, but still satisfy that craving for sushi. Furikake comes in a wide verity of flavors that range from the sweet as you get with Ebi to spicy like you get with the wasabi flavored mix to savory as you can get with salmon or the plain flavored offerings.
So Next time your in the mood for a bite of sushi and happen to be in the McAllen area, even if your clear across the other side of the valley, you should swing by Tokyo Japanese Restaurant Sushi Bar located at 500 N 10th St McAllen, TX 78501 for a bite to eat. If It’s your first time or your a regular, let them know you heard about them from me, I don’t get any kind of kickback for it but it will go a long way to let them know that the word about them is being spread in all good faith. Also Stop by Tokyo Asian Market Located at 2112 N. 10th St., Ste. A for all your at home sushi making needs, from fish to rice and everything in between.
photos by Daniel Saylors all rights reserved. The Road 2 Osaka Media.LTD 2011
A new year is upon us and TR2O will is making a come back.
Sushi and your baby. What to order when your expecting
Up ’till now I’ve not talked about my personal life, but I figured this might be a good time to start. My wife and I are expecting a little one.
We’re seven weeks along and we could not be more excited, yes it’s our first and like a sushi roll you’ve never tired but a friend ordered saying you have to try it it’s an exciting and rewarding thing.
For those whom are expecting they say that you should avoid raw fish, no matter how fresh it is they are right, but doesn’t mean you have to go without when your friends want to go out for sushi.
Some alternatives would be things like veg roll, primarily cucumber, avocado and cream cheese; another such roll is the dragon roll made with avocado and grilled unagi a barbecued fresh water eel.
As with everything in life moderation is key, avoid fish with high mercury and take what life throws at you with a grain of salt.
See you all next time, and till then; keep an open mind, and if all else fails ask your sushi chef what he recommends.
One Man, One Dream: Sushi
Spicey Tuna and California Maki. to offer or no to offer.
The widely known, often ordered and purest hated items on almost every sushi menu across this wide world.
The Spicy Tuna Maki – often a made from the scrap from more tuna heavy rolls or that where not good enough a nigiri. This roll is a huge no-no by some in the sushi world, a bit of rice tuna scraps and mayo with a little seven spice added for a kick and you’ve got your self a some what tasty roll.
Ok, so should one have this roll on there menu? Well that is the call of your head chef, and one should also take into a count who your market is.
Will your consumer base be the kind of diners that would expect to see such a thing on the menu or are they the kind that tend to walk out and never look back because of it.
Do your market research and get a feel for what sells best, take a poll and get as much feedback as you can. At the same time stick to your guns and don’t let anyone pressure you into putting anything on your menu you don’t agree with.
The california maki, a tasty blend of krab, mayo, cream cheese and cucumber, rolled with the rice on the outside and covered with either toasted sesame seeds or a small roe like smelt or flying fish eggs. This roll dose have it’s followers and it’s haters in the sushi world, but who am I to judge what some one likes or dislikes.
The california roll has been a gateway roll for a lot of people just entering the world of sushi. Not as treating as a chef’s selection of sashimi as all the ingredients aren’t raw. Krab (imitation crab meat, mostly a mix of minced fish,food coloring and binding agents) basically the same you find in the fish sticks from the local freezer section.
I have had my fair share of cali rolls and spicy tunas, they are quick filling rolls that tend to run on the cheap side and in my personal views help bring in those who might need a little more time to work up the nerve to try a little something more daring.
I say offer them or don’t your bound to offend someone no matter what, just know your market and learn to adapt to a changing market.
One Man, One Dream: Sushi
Sushi and good health: physical and psychological
The benefits of sushi are many and they truly transcend the physical and psychological lines. Now these are my personal views and your welcome to disagree with me.
As with all food, freshness is key. Canned veg and fruits do not have all the same beneficial nutrients that they’re fresh counterparts have.
For those landlocked areas that can’t get fresh fish right off the boat, flash freezing is best the extreme cold kills off any bacteria and locks in the nutrients
Sushi has show to have a positive effect upon mood more so in men, but ladies can gain the benefits as well. I for one have found that two pieces of barbecued unagi (fresh water eel) nigiri and I’m a happy camper. Truly a bit of good sushi can snap me out of almost any funk I tend to be in.
A truly fresh bit of sashimi grade fish can be the difference between a night out on the town and a night laid out on an ER stretcher.
Now I’m not saying a diet comprised entirely of sushi (a man can dream, can’t he) is the best route for anyone, but too much of anything can be bad even if it’s something good.
One Man, One Dream: Sushi
wasabi! real or horseradish that’s green with envy!?
Wasabi, a tip to the unwise, that glop of green chalky stuff on your sushi plate is nether your friend or real wasabi. 9.5 out of 10 sushi bars in the starts serve a blend of a horseradish, mustard powder and green food coloring, which is then dried and packaged as “wasabi”. The flavor and heat is something more akin to being racked really hard.
Real wasabi has a more creamy flavor followed with a mild heat. A purest would say that there is no reason to use the fake stuff for any reason, and I would have to agree with them, and if you can get your taste buds around the real stuff go for it every time.
Reasons why the fake stuff is so widely used is simply a matter of two things, cost and availability, out side of japan and in limited locations in california, wasabi needs a controlled growing environment and can cost upwards to $200/lb. Which brings us to cost a sushi bar can save a lot a money by using the fake stuff, but only if we let them.
Now I’ve eaten more than my fair amount of “wasabi” powder over the years and it’s not always been pleasant, as it is a alkaline substance and in larger amounts can lead to a very nasty effect, think dropping a teaspoon of backing soda into a glass of vinegar and slapping a lid on it.
Gross and unappetizing imagery aside. Powdered wasabi is a fact of life in a sushi bar and all one can do is hope that the chef keeps a private stash of “the good stuff” just for those whom are wise enough to ask for it.
One Man, One Dream: Sushi
