sushi for 8th graders

[eastiefoodie]

Some fellow teachers and I are taking some of my students to sushi as a reward that they have earned. None of them have tried sushi before and we want to give them the full experience (they will probably not order anything too crazy, however).

Can anyone reccomend a good sushi place that also has good atmosphere? I like the private rooms at Fugakyu in terms of it being a unique setting, but would enjoy a place that's a little less pricey.

Thanks so much!

[eastiefoodie]

Hi all, thanks so much for the suggestions. It is a group of 4 students and 3 teachers (7 total). I love the idea of Cambridge Culinary to make sushi as a big year end goal to work towards! We will get permission slips and take them in a car, but don't want to travel too far. We are taking them for a late lunch on a Friday (when we have a shorter day at school). Thanks for the idea about reminding the parents and students about the raw foods. I love sushi myself and I'm excited to share it with this adventurous group!

We are coming from East Boston, if that helps. We might go with Fugakyu after all. I want them to have a great experience and I agree that perhaps a cheaper place could not produce a lifetime love (or even interest) of sushi.

[enhF94]

Since you love the Blue Heron (totally unrelated, but me too), I'll add this: at Cambridge Culinary, ask after Hong, who often teaches the sushi class, or Elise, who often teaches kids that age.

[Allstonian]

Where exactly are these 8th graders, and how big is the group? How do you plan to get your group to the restaurant, and how free are you to travel distances? And are you thinking about a dinnertime outing or more in the after-school time range? Answers to all of these questions may help to guide recommendations and make them more useful to you.

[hotoynoodle]

and with sushi, i'm sorry, but you get what you pay for. in my head ginza, fugakyu and douzo all are in the same dollar ballpark. have heard very mixed reviews of the "bargain" places mentioned upthread. don't personally see the point of scrimping and having a craptastic experience.

if you want to save money, order platters in advance, rather than allowing everybody to order a la carte. i'd go for "safe", unless you know the kids are adventurous diners: california rolls, shrimp tempura maki, futomaki, tamago, tempura veggies, seaweed salad, etc. maybe a raw platter for the chaperons.

[Allstonian]

Well, there are less expensive sushi places that are also pretty good - for instance, only a few blocks from Fugakyu is Mr. Sushi. They may not have a fully private room (though I do seem to remember that there's a room at the back that might do - again, it depends on the unknown size of this group) but they're not as spendy as some places and I've never had a bad meal there.

[CookieLee]

I don't know how big your party is, but Ginza on Beacon St. in Brookline has Japanese style seating, not as private as Fugakyu. And not as pricey. You can also sit at the bar and watch them prepare the sushi. And, they do some cute caterpillars, which my son always likes. They also have a restaurant in Watertown and Chinatown.

-----
Ginza
16 Hudson St, Boston, MA 02111

New Ginza Japanese Restaurant
65 Galen St, Watertown, MA 02472

Ginza Japanese Restaurant
1002 Beacon St, Brookline, MA 02446

[grant.cook]

Just a thought.. out in the Ham, there is an all-out-can-eat Japanese place with a massive buffett.. its like $25 a person for lunch, more for dinner - Minardo or Minado. Lots of sushi - a lot of rolls, but nigiri too.. plus other Japanese foods... not bad sushi.. not the thickest cuts you'd ever find, but decent....

[Prav]

Minado.

[Allstonian]

In Natick, not (Framing)ham.

[grant.cook]

Its all the Ham to me.. as long as there is ungodly traffic and strip malls, I can't differentiate..

[enhF94]

very cool idea, if you can sell it. If they like it, you could set up an end-of-year reward at Cambridge Culinary on making sushi.

[grant.cook]

Blue Fin in Porter Exchange is pretty reasonable.. there is a whole spectrum - from maki (rolls) to nigiri (the stuff on top of rice) to sashimi.. more fish generally means more expensive. Although sushi doesn't have to be raw fish (it doesn't even have to be fish.. egg, seaweed, etc.), you might want to caution the kids (and their parents) that consumption of raw or undercooked fish can carry a risk. As an adult, I mow down on the stuff, but 8th graders are kind of under your wing on this one.. you also can introduce other japanese foods - oshitashi, tempura, edamame - which can also be quite fun and tasty..