We know it’s not for everyone, but you can let sushi grow on you with the different varieties on offer around town. Here’s a munch map to help both the sushi noob and the veteran.
#TRENDING
Know your sushi
What’s sushi? The Oxford dictionary defines it as a Japanese dish consisting of small balls or rolls of vinegar-flavoured cold rice served with a garnish of vegetables, egg, or raw seafood. In our words, small portions of rice made into different shapes, mostly ball or rolls, that come with a variety of ingredients.
Types of sushi: Depending on the way of making it and the ingredients used, you get different varieties like maki, uramaki, nigiri, inari and temaki.
Common ingredients used: Nori sheet (a dried seaweed), sushi rice (usually a sticky rice flavoured with vinegar), wasabi (a strong and pungent paste made of a Japanese plant, usually comes as an accompaniment to sushi), soy sauce and gari (pickled ginger). Plus a lot of seafood and veggies.
TRADITIONAL
Made with grilled chicken, teriyaki sauce, shiitake mushroom, wasabi mayonnaise, sushi rice and wrapped in nori sheet, this maki sushi (wrapped with seaweed on the outside) has a sweet and spicy flavour. The chicken and teriyaki sauce go well with the sushi rice and mushrooms provide texture at the City Centre Salt Lake and New Town outlets.
Rs 519
This uramaki sushi at the Fort Knox address is asparagus dipped in tempura batter, deep-fried and rolled with rice and sesame seeds. We liked the balance between the softness of the sushi rice and the crunch of the asparagus. In uramaki sushi the layer of rice is on the outside while the filling and nori are inside.
Rs 365
The sushi rice comes in the shape of balls in temari sushi, topped with a slice of fish — in this case, salmon — along with tobiko, the Japanese word for flying fish roe. Dip the side with the fish in soy, add a pinch of wasabi and pop it in your mouth.
It’s the closest you will get to tasting the traditional Japanese sushi, sitting at the Dr Sarat Banerjee Road address.
Rs 650
Dragon Rolls have nori wrapped around the ingredients, with the sushi rice on the outside and is similar to uramaki sushi. The fish or vegetable is placed on top of the sushi to resemble dragon scales. The Unagi Dragon Roll (unagi is Japanese for eel) at the Quest mall address has the eel on top and cucumber, shrimp and avocado inside.
Rs 1,000
This uramaki sushi from the Park Street address has a slight crunch and is a little spicy because of the mayo dip. The prawns are dipped in tempura batter, fried, rolled with cucumber and sticky rice, and topped with the mayo. Try it without soy, with just a hint of wasabi and let the flavours burst in your mouth. Rs 699
UNCONVENTIONAL
If you aren’t a fan of regular sushi, try this one with seasonal fruits in it. This one at the Kalikapur outlet has mango, cheese, avocado and carrot rolled with sushi rice and nori sheet. As you bite into the sushi, you can taste the creaminess of the cheese coupled with the sweet mango. Try a platter with an assortment of fruit sushi that comes for Rs 700 for 16 pieces or order yourself a plate with your choice of fruit in it.
Two different dishes from two different countries coming together to create something new — the Sushi Burger. The buns have been replaced with sushi rice, the patty is replaced with the filling. To hold it together, there’s a strip of nori on top. The Sriracha caviar on the side adds fun and more flavour to the experience at the Magma House outlet. Rs 375.
Gimbab is a Korean dish made with sticky rice, vegetables, sesame seeds and meat. Similar to the Japanese sushi, what makes Gimbab or Kimbap different is the rice that is seasoned with salt and Korean oil and the fact that instead of fish, vegetables and meat are used. They look like Japanese sushi but taste different. The New Town outlet has chicken and crab versions.
Rs 200
Made with shiitake mushroom, carrot and cucumber, this maki sushi is fried on the outside, which gives it a nice crunch. Choose any sushi from this Short Street outlet’s menu and ask it to be served tempura-style.
Rs 275
This one is trending big time on social media. The poke bowl is a raw fish salad, which can be referred to as a deconstructed sushi. With sticky rice, sliced avocado, chunks of marinated salmon, nori, radish, sweet ginger pickle and cucumber, the Poke Bowl at the Middleton Row address is a wholesome meal in itself. Pour some soy sauce over it and relish the flavours.
Rs 695
Text: Nandini Ganguly
Pictures: Shuvo Roychaudhury and Arnab Mondal
