Battle Sushi - Methodology

Becoming a true sushi master in Japan is a decade long achievement, filled with strict and disciplined teachings from the masters who precede masters. From handling the knife to knowing the delicate temperatures, life spans, spawning habits and even the proper angles of slicing the fish to release or trap its essential oils, a student must dedicate their lives to the art. In Japan the sushi master's tenure with the craft results not only in a great product, but also demands great respect for the care and tradition in which they bring this food to the plate. Here in Canada, however, they offer a two hour course at Superstore which can pretty much get you going with the basics you need to know.

So comparatively is it worth it then? Does all that training pay off on the plate and on the palette? Well, to be honest with you I'm not sure if I know. I mentioned before that I've eaten fair shares of sushi, but I don't know that I've ever had it prepared by a master, though I'd like to think that the difference would be obvious to me if and when that happens. With that being said, what I have experienced pitted against what I haven't, their are processes that remain the same, and while I've witnessed the spectrum of pretty to disheartening, and oh what a difference the aesthetic can make for taste, we don't need to dwell on the bad. Instead, I'm going to quickly touch base with what exactly it is that appears in front of you so prim and proper on the plate; colourful and curious, that painters palette to be methodically enjoyed...but how?

First, the obvious star, the sushi itself. It is layered with texture, colour and flavour and is the Mona Lisa on the plate and therefor should be front and center, never in my opinion to be outshone by anything else on the table; simple as that. I'd love nothing more than to give you a lesson on preparing the sushi, but that kind of thing is left best for hands on learning.

In compliments to the Da Vinci, you will likely find a small dab or rosette of some pretty green paste. If you've never eaten this before, don't go picking this up with your chopsticks and shoving it whole into your mouth, as I can promise you will be sorry if you do. It is wasabi paste, and if prepared honestly, it is made from the root of the wasabi japonica plant, taken from the same family as horseradish, and it is hot. Not in the way you may find, say a jalapeno pepper that lingers on the tongue for long periods of time, the wasabi paste penetrates through the nasal passages, and though it doesn't last nearly as long as the capsaicin component of the pepper, it can still have you cursing and crying for a short while. In fact, the effects of the odours of wasabi are so strong that Japanese scientists have invented a "smoke alarm" for the deaf which releases streams of wasabi essence into a room, waking the denizens from potential danger; the testing for this device as proven quite successful. In other words, tread lightly to start, you can always add more.

OK, so now you know what it is, but what do you do with it? Well, mixing the wasabi in with soy sauce will dilute both the intense potency of the wasabi* and the saltiness of the soy. Since salt quite literally opens up the taste buds and wasabi does the same for the nasal passages, this well balanced condiment into which you would dip your sushi or sashimi, actually rounds out and heightens the flavours and aromas, bringing them to life and culminating in an exalted dance for the palette.

*Note - if you find the wasabi too intense, the best way to cut back the heat is with water, not like peppers where milk is the best suppressant.

Finally, there should be one more item on your plate, light pink in colour, these somewhat translucent slices are actually pickled ginger. The purpose for its place is to cleanse the palate between bites of sushi so that the flavours don't blend and mask one another. Personally I am not a fan of this item, no matter how many times I've tried I just can't acquire the taste, so instead I will often ask for sliced radish, which I find does the job equally as well, although I'm sure the true masters would scald me for my trespasses.

And that's it, the seemingly very basic and very simple construct of a sushi platter. It is colourful, appealing to all the senses, and put together with distinct and well thought reason. These items on your plate are not just pretty garnish, they are a part of the dish, a puzzle without missing pieces. While it may look like an easy thing to just throw together, remember that the people behind it may have been perfecting its balance for the past ten years, so savour the everything in front of you, stop to enjoy the craft and the flavours should speak for themselves.

Chapter Three - Hockey Sushi

We went out for dinner in search of a restaurant to help me place the previous experience behind me. Having heard of another well reputed place in the Grange and Victoria neighbourhood, we sought out redemption within its walls. When we pulled up I will admit to two things: first, that Hockey Sushi is an odd name (whose meaning I still can't seem to track down) and second, they had a banner out front advertising an all you can eat buffet and after the Fuji Sushi experience, all you can eat admittedly worried me. But, being fair to the project, we entered just the same.

Atmosphere: very clean, polished tables, swept floors, ambient music and inviting for a party of any occasion. The sushi bar seemed to be in good order, but the bored looking chefs and wait staff took a bit of the elegance away.

The menu: it was well put together, laid out with an actual flow. They offer many of the mainstay sushi choices, though I was disappointed that, even on the a la carte take out menu, some important selections were missing, such as the elusive Toro that I'm still craving. Tuna belly aside, they still had quite a bit to choose from and we weren't disappointed.

Food and Presentation: very well presented, properly tempered (thankfully, because I couldn't handle warm sushi again) and quite flavourful. Save for the chicken teriyaki, which was more like chicken sinew teriyaki, I think we were all pretty satisfied with the flavours and balance of each dish. I think the only qualm I had was that the portion sizing was inconsistent, but that's just me being nit picky. All in all, for a buffet, this place ranks pretty high for flavour.

Service: I guess every restaurant has its downside and Hockey Sushi's is in its service. When we arrived they were not yet busy. It was 5:30 on a Saturday, so you would think that they'd bring on the a-team and get ready for a full on slam in the dining room. Instead, we felt like our presence was an interruption on their evening. When they did show up at our table to take our orders, they were hard pressed to smile and I don't think anyone we talked to was able to fully explain the dishes to us, eliciting such "helpful" answers such as "It is fish. Sliced fish" or "I think that is spicy-crunchy salmon." On top of that, on more than one occasion we received orders that we hadn't even placed - and I'm quite serious when I say that for this reason it is a good thing none of us had any food allergies. All in all, the food was still quite enjoyable.

For a $20.95 weekend dinner buffet I will return. I was ultimately happy with the experience, but my hunt still goes on for the best joint in town.

3 out of 5 (points taken for lack of service and omitted menu selections)

Phil

259 Grange Road

Guelph, Ontario