Hi. I don't know why people are insisting on soft boiled egg. It's only begun when new ramen trend started. Before that we had raw egg or poached egg. Half boiled egg taste good for sure but it is not the must have thing for ramen. So judging ramen by soft boiled egg only is not fair. I think it's more important thing about ramen. 1 Soup.2. noodle
3. Chashu. Egg comes in last. Just my opinion.

I forgot to put pic up.

Banbibu was opened the door about a week ago. Long waited chef Hiro's ramen joint in south bay area. it took almost 1 year to open. I guess he was experimenting a lot. As a big ramen fun myself, I have to try it. I was impressed. It's very small and simple look but plenty of parking since it is right next to Albertson's super market in Hollywood riviera. We tried 1. Tonkotsu shio ramen w/spinach and extra cha-shyu. 2. Spicy miso ramen. 3. Vegetable gyouza. 1----Excellent. The best one I ever had include his last place. 2---Little sweet side but enough spice and nice taste. 3---Tipical Japanese style pot sticker. Lite but good texture and perfectly done.
Price was very inexpensive. Service was good and fast. It just make me worry tthis place may get too busy soon. I hate waiting in the line but that's my problem. It worth driving 30 min from my house. If you are in the area and love ramen, must try. BT

la2tokyo. You are exactly right. Only fish has to be frozen in commercial freezer over night before serve for safty puroupose is salmon. Because you can't detect the parasites by your eyes. Salt water fish's parasite can be detected by well trained chefs. FDA's rule applies to inexperienced non Japanese sushi chefs or other cuisine chefs. You want to taste good and safe sushi, you got to pay the price.

Glad to hear that.

Any kit will be fine I think since you are not gonna be pro. I saw some on you tube but don't recomend.

You can use any recipie from internet. They are mostly same. 1 part soy sauce, 1/10 mirin and sake. Mid heat and reduce down to 1 part.

Hi. If you are using ready made sushi vinegar follow the direction. Key things when you toss rice is as follows.
1. You need bowl, rice spatura and clean napkin.
2. 32 oz dry rice[ before cooking] per 1 cup of sushi vinegar.
3. Wait 45 min after you set the rice to cook. Don't open the lid at all untill that time.
4. Set everything on your table before open the lid.
5. Move cooked rice to bowl as soon as possible after you remove lid and add vinegar evenly then start tossing.[ Try not to mash the rice. more like cutting rice with your spatura.]
6. After quickly tossed the rice cover them with moist napkin and wait 10~15 min.
7. Now you can make rolls but don't put too much water on your hand just moist them. You have to work quick before moisture on your hands go away. Speed is the key to make roll. Soon as placed rice on the sea weed, you have to add ingridients quickly and roll. If you want to keep the roll for little later, wrap roll with plastic food wrap individually before cut.
8. Remember water is your friend but not your girl friend. Speed is the key.

Enjoy and good luck.

That looks very fresh. I had those few times when I was in Japan long time ago. I used ponzu sauce to dip in. Since I left Japan, the food scene changed a lot. Lots of younger chef is doing very creative way to work on ordinary food like ramen etc. I never had ramen with fish stock in. I heard about it in very remote area by the ocean though. any way you guys are in to fish like no Japanese can be. Amazing

Shirauo is also called silver fish and sold at chinese market as frozen block. Cost around $ 2~4/box[ 1lb]. You can't eat as sushi or sashimi but staifry like you do on baby eel ,it taste similer. Shirasu usually sold as dried fish and you can splinkle over rice,put them in cucumber salad. If you deep fry til crispy golden brown, it's good snack to munch on.

That movie was excellent documentary film. Not only good to watch fo us older generations but also his comments are very usefull for young parents. It's not about sushi but about the attitude towards sushi/food general. Great inspiration.

You are right. They spent $ 300. per person. They got 18 different kinds of sushi in about 30 min. And they were asked to move to the table where they wrre served slice of water melon. And had to leave right away.

My customer went Japan last month and visited JIRO. Guess how much was the bill? How long did they stay? What they got?

You can order temaki with anything anytime. But the way Japanese do is to order at the end to fill up the space in your stomach. Usually kappa, uneshiso, oshinko etc. Some people like them because it has less rice but similar amount of ingredients. It started as a snack for the sushi chefs while they are working behind the bar. They usually hide behind the bar knee down and eat it in couple bite. I forgot the name but one restaurant in Tokyo made it house specialty roll and also started ice cream cone style. It became very popular after that. Classier way is straight roll with cut off piece at the bottom as a diaper so that soy sauce doesn't leak.

Hi. you guys having fun w/o me ha? Here is the answer to reezyrice. To check chef's skill--Tamago, Kohada, Saba and Shrimp. These are the common items you shpould check. Why? Sushi chef don't do much cooking so above items are the ones he has to do work on. Your fdad and grandpa's comment. -- Because tamago is more like dessert at sushi bar. So in any restaurant ,if the dessert was good you'll be happy. But you can't order tamago as first items. It's very odd. No body eats dessert before main meal except may be kids.I would order Saba sashimi first and if it's good, start from light taste fish like halibut and end with Anago or. tamago

I've been making sushi in LA for 35 yrs but never hard of refusing tips. It is the main sauce for sushi man's income so please leave generous tips for them . If it's ok--15 %, good 20 % and impressive--25 %. If you don't ,they may refuse to serve you next time.

Hi. You guess is right. Most of small restaurant have hard time getting those items. you have to find small but busy reastaurant which doesn't realy serve American rice sandwiches. You can call ahead and ask for. But you have to expect those restaurant will be little pricy. Key to find those restaurant is price is high but busy. That means they are not only good but can afford expencive items. Fortunately my place is very busy but still can't afford mirugai. Mirugai price 30 yrs ago was $ 1.75/lb. Now $ 39/lb. And you can only use 1/3 of the clam the most.That brings the cost for sushi bar to $ 117/lb. You can get roughly 10 odrs/lb. So if you are lucky enough to get,it'll cost you $ 35.odr. If you get it cheaper than that,you are lucky.Go to Korean market and buy clam and make sashimi yourself. Sorry

I love you guys post. Very well said. BTW, I do have kobe beef sushi. I use American kobe short rib[ Closest beef to real kobe beef] and serv seared. It taste a lot better than you imagine. Silverjay is right. Rising Chinese apitite for sushi scares me.

Tamago nigiri cost a lot less but probably least selling item. Tamago-pan cost a lot and need the skilled chef. Lots of waste and hight labor per nigiri. Spicytuna still sells like crazy. And sushi is getting more and more popular so more entry lebel customers who prefer rolls.

Hi. Up until recently, spicytuna roll was the most profitable and most popular item. Ground tuna went up 3 times and yet very hard to get now so not anymore. For the average sushi bar, any kinds of rolls make good profit. Least profitable item is bluefin toro/tuna, giant clam or any special fish from Japan.

Few years back, my student chef happened to work those all- you can eat place then told me. He doesn't even want to touch tuna because too many parasite he saw in tuna. He didn't want to work on the other fresh fishes because clams are dead, white fish is smelly. He said his manager/boss goes to fish market and wait at the last minute to buy left overs cheap. Totally opposit atitude to what chef supposed to do.

Wow what a compliment. Thank you both of you. Vr666--There is Macdonald and there is gourmet burger joint. Pink slime or not. same thing. You wanna experience good sushi, you have to pay the tuition many times. I wish Chow hand had like botton,don't you?

Just ask the chef to make it less rice. We don't mind. My guess is ether he wasn't trained in Japan or he is a bad business man

The kid I trained works at mori now.

Thank you KK. You answered perfectly. I've been too busy with my restaurant so didn't have time to check back. I'll do my best to check back. About bow--They bow, you smile and say thank you. don't have to copy Japanese. When they say "Arigatou" to me I say "Denada".

Thank you.Wonderful post.

Nothing should interfair or over power the best fish you make with include temp of rice. If the bread was the best you ever have you don't enjoy roast beef sandwich as much. Fish is the star on the stage not the rice. But any play can't appeal with out good co- actors. It's just a stupid trend

Warm rice is popular way to make nigiri in Tokyo area[east Japan side]. Osaka area is well known using room temp or cooler rice. It's 2 different origin to their sushi and approach. I think I mention about this way earlier in this blog. BTW Osaka style has more history of sushi in general but Tokyo style is more popular way now.

By health code here 3hrs. But sushi rice is tossed with vineger based dressing so it supposed to last more than few hours. in Japan some place[ even well known place] use the rice next day. I know who you are Pigeage. BT

Start with rolls. Calif-roll to start then spicy tuna roll etc. Once he liked the taste of rice & things he will go to next lebel Sushi then Sashimi. have fun educating him.