Monday TeaDay 3/8/10 Sushi/Sashimi with your tea?

[Ebtoulson]

Great, don't give up. Fun stuff! What was your method?

When you roast sencha to make houjicha, you need to keep it moving and remove it from the heat and pan before you think it is done or it will likely get too roasted. ]

pretty much just that, but I put it back on the heat because it didn't look that brown. I guess I know now that it will continue to darken off the heat so I should just trust it. So I didn't have time to try again today but hopefully I'll have time tomorrow.

[brian]

And Brian, if you've got a good sushi place, ask the chef to make you something vegetarian - I know our chefs are always really creative and willing to accomodate (and he's made some pretty darn tasty looking veggie plates for people- not to mention his stuff with fish!)

Thanks Laura, good suggestion! We're usually sitting at a table (family of 4) rather than the bar, so haven't had much opportunity to talk to the chefs. However, the little checklist that we send back to the bar with the waitress does have a place on the bottom to write customer requests -- next time I'll request some "chef selection" veggie. May request some veggie nigiri as well, all there is on the standard menu is veggie maki and I miss the look of nigiri on the plate along with the maki.

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I were sitting at the bar and somebody asked from a table if the chef could do something without rice (!) He whipped up some sort of maki, using the outer layer of a peeled cucumber as the rolling material. I think he may have improvised that one, because when he finished it he whipped out his phone and took a couple of pictures of it before sending it out

[bsteele]

Other: I've never tried the combo... hmmm

[LauraW]

Thanks Laura, good suggestion! We're usually sitting at a table (family of 4) rather than the bar, so haven't had much opportunity to talk to the chefs. However, the little checklist that we send back to the bar with the waitress does have a place on the bottom to write customer requests -- next time I'll request some "chef selection" veggie. May request some veggie nigiri as well, all there is on the standard menu is veggie maki and I miss the look of nigiri on the plate along with the maki.

I'm constantly amazed by sushi chefs and their creativity. And their ability to remember people and orders. Even if you're at a table, you can go up and talk to the sushi chef (assuming there's room at the bar for you to stand and chat for a minute), or you could ask the waiter to have the chef come over to ask about making something special. But like I said, it definitely depends on the place. Where I work, that's nearly an everyday occurrence, but some places I've been prefer you just order off the menu. It also helps if the chef speaks English (I've been places where they really don't, in which case the papers with check boxes come in handy!!)