Sushi Singularity Stateside

[Mulboyne]

Charlotte Observer: Sushi, yes; raw fish, no

How many times have you cast aside a craving for sushi just to appease a raw-fish-repulsed dining companion? Or perhaps you've protested gingerly when everyone else is eager for maguro and hamachi? Gourmet retailer Dean & DeLuca has developed a new line of takeout sushi from its SouthPark-area store with hopes of ultimately bringing even squeamish customers to sushi coolers in its 18 stores and cafes nationally. Sushi American Style is made without raw fish, which also addresses concerns about parasites and excessive fishing of some species. Three of the retailer's five new sushi rolls also have no seaweed wrappers. They're rolled in bright red, orange or yellow wrappers made from tomato, carrot or corn. All of the rolls are based on popular flavor combinations or American sandwiches. There's a BLT Roll, a lobster roll, a cowboy roll with skirt steak and blue cheese, a chicken roll with roasted free-range chicken, and a vegetarian Green Goddess Roll.

Charlotte Executive Chef Andres Moncayo expects the new line to soon generate 5 to 7 percent of sales at the Phillips Place store, compared with 2 percent for traditional sushi produced by an outside vendor. "We have no competition," Moncayo said of putting popular American flavors in colorful sushi wrappers. "It's so unique." The Wichita, Kan.-based chain's recipes were created by Tracy Griffith, a California Sushi Academy grad. Customers often asked her for sushi without raw fish when she worked for a Beverly Hills restaurant. Griffith, the younger half-sister of actress Melanie Griffith, began developing an odd array of sushi recipes. She published them in "Sushi American Style." The book includes sushi rolls made with fried catfish, grilled pork chops, and green eggs and ham. There's also an Elvis Roll, made with peanut butter, bacon and banana. Of course, it's dipped in batter and fried, as the King would have wanted. Yes, this is still sushi, as long as the recipes include rice mixed with vinegar, said Toshi Sugiura, a sushi chef for 35 years and founder of the California Sushi Academy. Sugiura doesn't take a purist view of Griffith's recipes. Sushi restaurants are breaking with traditional sushi recipes even in Japan, he said. In Charlotte, restaurants such as Ru San's offer extensive sushi menus. Now Dean & DeLuca is diversifying the takeout sushi market. "I think this is a great opportunity for the American sushi industry," Sugiura said.

Dean & DeLuca's 11 New York stores will introduce the line this week. All 18 locations, including two others in Charlotte, will carry the brand by the end of January. Prices range from $6.95 to $9.95 for eight pieces. Sales so far are promising. Phillips Place has been packaging and selling 50 units daily since the launch on Dec. 7. In January, Moncayo expects to increase production to about 150 daily units to be shared among three Charlotte stores, with about 80 going to Phillips Place. Carole Brake made a special trip to the store for a chance to sample sushi made with cooked foods after a co-worker e-mailed her and others about it. The SouthPark resident and Realtor doesn't eat raw fish or seaweed, but this type of sushi has more appeal. "It has the low-calorie component and it's very fresh," she said. Some of those who do eat traditional sushi were also excited to give it a try. "We certainly like raw fish," said Ashley Hall, a Plaza Midwood resident who bought lobster rolls during a lunchtime visit with friend Holly Bundy last week. "It's something fun and different."

[Taro Toporific]

[Taro Toporific]

[INDENT][SIZE="3"]Hmmm. Sushi.[/SIZE][/INDENT]

This and more via the semi-NSFW art sites:
http://www.borishoppek.de/full-service/2010/4/7/lv03-exclusive-sneak-preview.html
http://heliumcowboy.squarespace.com/blog/2010/4/13/lavagina-3-coming-soon.html

[Taro Toporific]

[SIZE="4"]The Sashimi Tabernacle Choir[/SIZE]

...
[YT]kYlSTvAW1Po[/YT]

[Marked Trail]

[Christoff]

via
" ---DailyEmerald.com -Oregon, USA

Can someone tell me on what planet you find "Crunchy Avocado"?

[Doctor Stop]

I don't want to know what secretions Victoria's been secreting or where where she's secreted them. All I know is that this roll smells fishy.

[IkemenTommy]

I don't want to know what secretions Victoria's been secreting or where where she's secreted them. All I know is that this roll smells fishy.

Ah huh! Now that's where the "chef's special sauce" comes from.

[Taro Toporific]

Sushi cupcakes...

[BigInJapan]

Chef's special sauce you say?



No thanks, I'll pass...

[Samurai_Jerk]

[IkemenTommy]

Jack in the Bento (Jack in the Box)

Kinda like the American Yoshinoya Bowl (tm)

[Samurai_Jerk]

Kinda like the American Yoshinoya Bowl (tm)

I've never had it in the US but the Japan version ain't nothin' to write home about either.

[Taro Toporific]

Kinda like the American Yoshinoya Bowl (tm)

I've never had it in the US but the Japan version ain't nothin' to write home about either.

American Yoshinoya Bowl is not much different than Japanese Yoshinoya Bowl except the American outlets are vastly more enjoyable after they stopped screaming "IRASHAIMASE!" at each new customer.

As far as the Popeyes' "Spicy Chicken Sushi" goes, it must be like Japanese pizza---If they just didn't call it "Sushi"[color="Silver"] (or "Pizza")[/color], it would be an ok snack.

[Samurai_Jerk]

American Yoshinoya Bowl is not much different than Japanese Yoshinoya Bowl except the American outlets are vastly more enjoyable after they stopped screaming "IRASHAIMASE!" at each new customer.

As far as the Popeyes' "Spicy Chicken Sushi" goes, it must be like Japanese pizza---If they just didn't call it "Sushi"[color="Silver"] (or "Pizza")[/color], it would be an ok snack.

Japanese pizza makes me want to kill.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Japanese pizza makes me want to kill.

Twinkies do that to me...

[Dragonette]

American Yoshinoya Bowl is not much different than Japanese Yoshinoya Bowl except the American outlets are vastly more enjoyable after they stopped screaming "IRASHAIMASE!" at each new customer.

Sorry, I really can't believe that.
The one that was near us didn't "IRASHAIMASE!" scream (although they could have done "Bienvenidos!" with no trouble), but the food was truly inedible!
The veggies were cooked into a formless, tasteless gray mass with some kind of tough gray/brown meat on top, no flavor at all. I don't think the rice was even Japanese, just very soggy. Even dousing it with shoyu didn't help.

To my city's great credit, it closed soon after. In Japan the ninja (or at least 2chan) would have gotten them.

[Mulboyne]

OC Register: Sushi and cheesesteaks under one roof

We've all heard of Asian fusion, but a little mom-and-pop shop called Newport Fresh is taking it to new heights, serving up eel sushi and pork katsu alongside footlong Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. The visual appearance of the menu makes the combo even more striking – panel after panel on a wall describes familiar treats from the Orient, and then suddenly, at the very end, blammo, cheesesteaks. For the most part, Japanese and American flavors stay separate, with the exception of the teriyaki chicken cheesesteak, shown above.

My first reaction to this teriyaki torpedo is that I'll need a bib, as it oozes with sauce and cheese, but it actually holds together quite admirably inside a soft, chewy roll. Onions are lightly caramelized, green peppers are al dente and the poultry remains juicier than a Georgia peach.

Next, let's have a look at the raw stuff – I go with the spicy yellowtail roll ($6). With the caveat that this sort of roll doesn't let the seafood speak for itself, I'm impressed. The heat of the chili paste finds a foil in the cool cucumber, and the fish is silky smooth, dissolving on the tongue without any hint of fibrous striations.

Finally, a traditional cheesesteak with beef, onions, peppers and provolone (not the usual white American). The beef is more tender than a Michael Bolton album that's been brined and whacked with a mallet (not a bad idea), and it's at this point you can't believe you're eating in a sushi joint – this sub stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best local cheesesteak spots, including John's Philly Grille.

Slow service is a concern, as everything is cooked to order by a small staff, so call ahead if that's an issue. As for the offbeat menu, I ask the chef for an explanation, and he explains that "some people don't like sushi," so the owner added options."We know the American people," he said. Yessir, you sure do.

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

Epic Meal Time
[yt]jXjxHQQxcLw[/yt]

[Taro Toporific]

[SIZE="1"]info[/SIZE]

[Samurai_Jerk]

Epic Meal Time
[yt]jXjxHQQxcLw[/yt]

I can't wait till misuse of the word "epic" becomes passe.

[Mulboyne]

"When it comes to food, sushi has always been considered a romantic food," says owner Kevin Jiang. "With its mix of colors, texture and essence it's definitely an aphrodisiac that brings lovers together as they sample the exotic flavors."

Source

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Who dooes Kevin Jiang think he is? Yoko Ono?

[Mulboyne]

[Taro Toporific]

via: January 27, 2012 | Danger Room | Wired.com
America's Most Dangerous Mall: Going Shopping at the Pentagon

[Taro Toporific]

...
[SIZE="3"]Art student creates world's first shipshape sushi[/SIZE]
CNNGo.com | 3 April, 2012

[Taro Toporific]

alien maki?

alien-ham-maki.png

details...

[matsuki]

[Taro Toporific]

sushi-animations_250.gif

[omae mona]

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/maggo ... 2ydwd.html

Three bites into a sushi roll she had just bought and her stomach lurched to her throat.

Chloe McSaveney, 22, was staring at two halves of a maggot crawling across the crispy chicken filling, centimetres from her lips.