Sushi for Newbies

[Zandy595]

What kind of sushi would you suggest a newbie start with? We've had Spider rolls that we thought were very good and would like to try more like that.

DS10 wants to get (take-out) sushi for is birthday party (family dinner, not kid party) and I don't want to get something yucky.

 

[Pop Daddy]

just cook the stuff and everybody will be happy

 

[hlbtimes2]

California rolls- Crab and avacado- yum! My kids (4 and 8) both love it.

 

[shirleyb]

I second California rolls. My kids and I love them too.

 

[Zandy595]

just cook the stuff and everybody will be happy

I'm leaning more towards the cooked stuff, not all sushi is still swimming.

 

[kelleigh1]

I always recommend that people start with California Rolls also. Other good options are just the ones with veggies. Once you're ready to really try the "raw" fish, tuna or salmon are a good ones to try.

And for the record, not all sushi is raw fish as many people seem to think. The terms sushi and sashimi refer to the way it is rolled/served more than meaning simply "raw fish" as so many people seem to think.

 

[rgf207]

most sushi places have a "beginners" sushi plate. It usually consists of shrimp, crab, california rolls and egg.

After you get a taste for that, go for the others. Sushi is great. I love it but there are certain ones I don't like either.

 

[Tinijocaro]

I would not rule out the raw sushi. Maguro (tuna) and Sake (salmon) are both excellent raw fish choices for the beginner. Not fishy tasting at all. All my kids love both of these types.

We also do California roll, or canned tuna, with assorted julienned veggies.

 

[azgal81]

California rolls are about the most generic kinda sushi you can get. Philly rolls are also good they have cream cheese, salmon and cucumber. I'm a huge fan of the Eel but that is probably a little over the top for beginners.

 

[texasthree]

The california roll is probably your safest bet. I would look and see if they have anything specialized to your area, like here we have a corpus christi roll that is excellent. I would stick with rolls for your first time then venture into the uncooked when your old sushi pros! Get some chop sticks!

 

[SleepingBeautyDreamr]

Besides the California Roll I recommend the Snow Crab Roll and if they have it the Crawfish Roll as well as the Philly Roll. The Crunchy roll is also a good starter one.

 

[punkin]

eel is cooked; so is shrimp (but I personally do not like it). For something slightly more adventurous, try Ikura. It is salmon roe, but it is cured (salted) and therefore is chemically "cooked". It is one of my favorites.

Some places have tempura rolls and those are always cooked. Experiment and enjoy. With sushi, you can buy one piece and try it. If you hate it, it is not a lot of money and if you love it, you can order more. That's how I found my favorite sushi, Uni (sea urchin).

 

[TurboKitty]

I also recommend unagi, which though it is eel, it's also cooked and in a nice sweet and soy flavored sauce.

If you want to have fun...use fruit rolls ups for the outside, make rice crispy treats, spread onto fruit roll ups on top of saran wrap, while still warm, lay Red Vines or similar type candy in the center, then carefully roll to make "candy sushi" for dessert.

 

[CheshireVal]

We have a place near us that does tempura rolls. They're really good!

 

[Tinijocaro]

Now, I have read in some books that Uni is actually not sea urchin, but sea urchin gonads. I have it in two Japanese cookbooks, others gloss over this fact. I still love it though.

 

[TurboKitty]

eel is cooked; so is shrimp (but I personally do not like it). For something slightly more adventurous, try Ikura. It is salmon roe, but it is cured (salted) and therefore is chemically "cooked". It is one of my favorites.

Some places have tempura rolls and those are always cooked. Experiment and enjoy. With sushi, you can buy one piece and try it. If you hate it, it is not a lot of money and if you love it, you can order more. That's how I found my favorite sushi, Uni (sea urchin).

punkin, I LOVE uni too. Did you know it's actually sea urchin roe and not the actual spiny creature favored by otters? But, I like it with the yolk of a quail egg on it..While I adore it, I'd only recommend that to the very adventerous.

 

[edcrbnsoul]

 

[Chicago526]

Oh great, now I want sushi for lunch! Gee thanks everyone!

California rolls are how I got my start. I still love 'em! The I tried some VERY rare seared tuna, and since I liked that so much I got "brave" enough to try raw tuna and I've never looked back!

 

[amy4bruce]

The least "dangerous" kind of sushi is probably vegan sushi - just carrots and cucumbers, rice and nuri (sea weed). It's really easy to prepare at home - we do it all the time for some vegan friends. Just remember to use sushi rice - it clumps better (and tastes better, too) than regular rice.

I agree that, moving forward, the California roll is probably the way to go. You can also get some tuna rolls or salmon rolls. Those involve raw fish, but it's not like eating a piece of the fish straight. Dip it in soy sauce flavored with wasabi to taste (warning: wasabi is HOT!) and you won't even know you're eating fish.

Personally, I have yet to find any sushi that I don't liike. DW, DD7 and I eat sushi at least twice annually - our anniversary (we met at an all-you-can-eat sushi dinner) and Christmas Eve (our favorite Japanese place is one of the only places open then).

 

[Zandy595]

I have had a California Roll before, probably not at the best place though. It was at a Publix grand opening and they were giving out samples. I really didn't care for it. Maybe I'll have to try it again from an actual sushi restaurant.

I think the 2 kinds we have had, other than California, were tempura rolls. I think one was softshell crab and the other was shrimp. We loved those.

I was thinking about taking DS to a new place for lunch tomorrow so he can figure out what he wants for his party. I'm looking at the menu and they have a kid's sushi combo with a crab roll, Kappa Maki, shrimp and crab sushi.

What is Kappa Maki? What's the difference between a crab roll and crab sushi?