MemoryMakers2669 said:
We are going to CA Grill in December and I want to order it, but not sure what I am getting really.
If you're interested in trying sushi, especially raw pieces, CA Grill would be a great place to officially start .. try splitting a sampler or the sashimi with your husband? It'll give you different types of fish to try, salmon is quite yummy .. very soft, smooth and buttery in texture, Tuna is a bit more firmer than salmon but IMO it's sweeter (fresh fish = delicate sweet flavor = YUM!) than tuna (although fatty tuna belly gives salmon a run for it's money) and hamachi is a bit rougher with a stronger (somewhat salty) side for me. All three, of course, do have their respective "fish" taste but the first two tend to be very mild
You just have to get used to how it looks and the fact that they're a bit colder than room temp.
*looks at their menu*
The "Spicy Sensation" seems simliar to a California roll too, especially if you like hot sauce
Raw scallops are almost tasteless, they are a *bit* slimey compared to crab but it's like chewing sea water and with the avocado will play down the spicey sauce a bit. Tobiko (flying fish eggs) are little orange caviar and are salty/sweet. Snake in the Grass is cooked with fried shrimp, bbq eel (think sweet teriyaki sauce @ BBQ with a firm texture, sort of like smoked fish but it's broiled usually) and is quite yummy too =)
*more sushi babble* :
- maki are roll that's been cut into 4, 6 or 8 pieces (more depending on the size)
- nigri are sort of balls of rice flattened to form a base, wrapped with seaweed (nori) with a piece of something on top
- hand rolls are a half seaweed wrapped ice cone shaped with a core of something in the middle
- sashimi is just sliced raw fish, it's not technically "sushi" of any kind by itself.
- oshi is like nigri, but made with a box/press (I see this used more with Hawaiian "spam sushi"
)
The ginger is used to cleanse your palate between bites/pieces. Most like to mix their wasabi in with the soy sauce and then dip their pieces in .. my mom mixes her soy sauce into the wasabi so it's more of a paste (and really, really gross looking .. but I don't use wasabi so thats probably just me, LOL!) and I like the "pure" flavor the best so there's only certain pieces that'll I dip in. I've been advised to use my ginger as a paintbrush to put a light layer of soy sauce onto a piece of sushi too =)
Sushi is technically supposed to be/used to be traditionally a one bite deal but it doesn't seem to be an issue in the States. If you want to take two bites, try to support a Nigri piece top to bottom at a slant with your chopsticks to mid point, and take a good clean bite up to that point. I have yet to figure out a way to eat a round/maki piece in bites without it falling apart *hangs head* Well ... I push some of the "filling" out and then squish the thing in my mouth but that's probably considered playing with my food
Easy ones to start out with :
- crab or shrimp salad pieces, smoked salmon, cucumber rolls (there's a big fat vegetarian roll that has a bit of strong flavor to it, it's not too bad tho, mountain carrots tend to have a distinct flavor also)
- BBQ eel (unagi) is broiled eel (a bit mushy/chewy) with a sort of teriyaki sauce (so sweet-ish)
- Tempura shrimp and/or soft shell crab are also yummy
- Tamago is on the sweet side, it's basically an egg "omelet" with a bit of sugar and chicken broth.
- raw tuna (fatty tuna belly is a higher grade) and salmon are good to start with, very simple taste/textures
Medium-ish ones :
- smoked salmon skin (crunchy!yum)
- spicy (or not, is up to you) scallop salad, spicy tuna salad (I don't like things *too* spicy, so I get these in a hand roll so there's more rice, sort of). These are both raw but the mayo helps drown out the fish if you need it to
Japanese mayo is thicker, slightly sweet sometimes and creamier than American mayo.. depends on the restuarant @ which types are used.
- tobiko (flying fish eggs), these are FUN (they slide all over the place!) .. although if you want to stay on the safe side, order it with something else, like on top of a California roll. They're tiny little orange eggs that you have to crunch down and pop in your mouth , they're a little salty. Basically caviar
- Rainbow (or sometimes Dragon Roll) usually have different types of fish and eel on top of a california type roll.
..and then some of the "scarey" ones/people will be very impressed if you try these
- ikura (salmon roe), very salty and erm.. salmon roe flavored (I can't describe it) and they're fun to eat. I would suggest popping a few eggs in your mouth before taking a bite to get a taste of it. These are also very good with raw quail egg, which mellows out the flavor.
- sea urchin is very delicate, sort of like sea water but is buttery soft and melts in your mouth. It's slimey and slug looking, LOL.