Sushi 2nd timer

[missmodular818]

What would you recommend for a second timer? I mean I've had lots of cooked sushi like California Rolls (Crab), Shrimp Tempura Rolls, Philadelphia Rolls (Cooked Salmon) which I've all liked. What I've tried raw: tuna (scared me a little bit) yellowtail (not AS scary) Eel (not a favorite). I tried a tuna tartar w/ a sesame sauce that I did like though so I guess I am making steps. What would you recommend? I think I can be a bit braver and more opened minded going into this time.

ANY RECS??

[Chew on That]

You NEED to have a piece of salmon nigiri at least once. If done right, you will be addicted and never have sushi without ordering at least one piece of salmon nigiri again. It is one of my FAVORITE foods!

On other recs, I don't really like eel, but if you're going to try things and want to be adventurous with sushi, you should probably try it out at least once.

I had a tuna strawberry tempura roll the other day that was out of this world!

Overall, you can't go wrong with tuna or salmon in any roll.

[hungry_pangolin]

You might find mackerel a bit strong until you become accustomed to these flavours. When you are braver... sea urchin! It's difficult to describe, but it's not strong. Smokey-ish, earthy, and of the sea all at the same time. I'm not doing it justice. Salmon roe is very good, but don't overdo the wasabi. The roe is lovely.

[reannd]

The eggy things on the rice (tamago?). It's like a sweet omelet (almost a dessert with your meal).

Expand into new sections of the menu. I did & found seaweed salad or squid salad to be SO tasty & a nice compliment to the fish..

[goodhealthgourmet]

i'm a huge fan of both seaweed and squid, but then again, i'll eat anything that comes out of the sea :) however, the saltiness and 'sea' essence of certain varieties of seaweed can be overpowering to some, and the texture is unusual. and while the flavor of squid is mild, unless it's extremely fresh, the texture can be very off-putting to newbies.

[southernitalian]

I love salmon roe. I believe it's called Ikura. Looks like vitamin E tablets. My daughter tried it when she was about 5 and said it tasted like a wave crashed in her mouth. Couldn't have said it better myself. With lots of wasabi.

[JungMann]

I think the little explosions of fish babies in the OP's mouth might be a little overwhelming, but perhaps she is more adventurous than I give her credit for.

I would have recommended yellowtail as a great intro along with salmon. Try shrimp (ama-ebi), mackerel (aji), tuna belly (toro). Those should all be good intros to get you ready. Most newbies also like tempura rolls (the crunchy ones), spider rolls (deep friend soft-shell crab) and of course dragon rolls.

[adrienne156]

"Explosion of fish babies"... Nice. I grew up with sushi and that made me squirm. :)

I'd say JungMann's recommendations are right on except for maybe the mackerel which might be a little strong as another poster noted. If you liked the tuna tartare, I'd say try spicy tuna... In general, I'd stick to maki (rolled sushi) versus nigiri (hand-formed rice ball with a slice of fish on top - w/ or w/out a dab of wasabi underneath) until you get the feel for what you really like and don't. You'll get a taste of whatever the main seafood is without being overwhelmed by it.

[tartiflette]

As far as raw sushi that's on the not-too-scary side, you might have some luck with salmon and butterfish. Both have a nice buttery soft texture, and the taste is very mild - not fishy at all. Sorry you didn't like the tuna.. leaves more for me, though! :)

[mollyomormon]

You're in LA right? I think a place like Sushi Zo that serves cuts of fish cut on the smaller side (of incredible quality) is a great to start. I think big cuts of raw fish can be overwhelming for sushi newbies.

[missmodular818]

yup, in LA. :)

[wino22]

Raw, I like salmon - a nice, red, piece... very tender and not fishy at all

[MMRuth]

I agree - I think salmon is a good fish to start with. I also like Spanish mackeral, which to me does not have nearly as strong a flavor as other mackerals.

[missmodular818]

Also, what are the less fishy and more tender of all the raw fishes? That might be a safer bet for me.