unagi is really good. I don't even particularly need the sauce to make it pleasurable. Speaking of raw fish eating, there's a sushi place in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, called Sushi Dan. The dudes there make an appetizer, Crunchy Onion Albacore, that is my favorite thing to eat. Here is the recipe, as far as I can tell: A pile of deep-fried strips of onion (crunchy!) surrounded by lightly seared strips of albacore, all drizzled with a garlic au jus. Mmmm. In my mind, I'm eating it right now.

joshsolberg wrote:unagi is really good. I don't even particularly need the sauce to make it pleasurable. Speaking of raw fish eating, there's a sushi place in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, called Sushi Dan. The dudes there make an appetizer, Crunchy Onion Albacore, that is my favorite thing to eat. Here is the recipe, as far as I can tell: A pile of deep-fried strips of onion (crunchy!) surrounded by lightly seared strips of albacore, all drizzled with a garlic au jus. Mmmm. In my mind, I'm eating it right now.

jesus man, unagi, i know is not crap with low WF, but that sounds even better. *edit* - no it doesnt, but as good. also, i see unagi as the dessert of sushi. i always like to eat it last (this is probably because of the sauce)

where in the valley is it? i used to frequent Genmai, then it turned into some weird all-you-can-eat style sushi place. (crap place, mind you)

i gotta try the crunchy onion albacore now though.

unagi = not crap
crunchy onion albacore sounds very tasty.

yahoo search yielded:

Unagi (eel) has been consumed in Japan since the 17th century. It used to be expensive food, but Unagi can be reasonably purchased nowadays. Unagi is rich in protein, calcium, vitamin A and E, and it's believed to give people stamina. So, unagi dishes are eaten the most during the hottest time of the year.

A common unagi dish is unagi no kaba-yaki (grilled eel). Prepared unagi meat (the main bone is removed) is skewered and grilled with sweet basting sauce. It's similar to teri-yaki. Most people in Japan buy unagi no kabayaki at stores instead of making it themselves. Before eating kabayaki, you only have to reheat it with kabayaki sauce. To make your own kabayaki sauce, mix 1/2 cup of soysauce, 1/2 of mirin, and 1/4 cup of sugar in a pan and simmer it until thicken.

The way of cooking kabayaki is slightly different between eastern Japan and western Japan. In eastern Japan, unagi is steamed after it is grilled, then it's grilled again. In the western part of Japan, unagi isn't steamed. So, unagi no kabayaki in eastern Japan tends to be softer than that of western Japan. Grilled unagi without basting sauce is called shira-yaki since it's white. (shira indicates the color of white in Japanese.)

When unagi is grilled over charcoals, the fat from unagi drips and burns, causing smoke. The smoke adds a great flavor to unagi.

howiemarx wrote:To make your own kabayaki sauce, mix 1/2 cup of soysauce, 1/2 of mirin, and 1/4 cup of sugar in a pan and simmer it until thicken.
...
When unagi is grilled over charcoals, the fat from unagi drips and burns, causing smoke. The smoke adds a great flavor to unagi.

Ohhhh, that would make sense. I somehow thought the smoky flavor was in the sauce or just a natural flavor of the eel.

Salut, howiemarx!

thebookofkevin wrote:

joshsolberg wrote:unagi is really good. I don't even particularly need the sauce to make it pleasurable. Speaking of raw fish eating, there's a sushi place in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, called Sushi Dan. The dudes there make an appetizer, Crunchy Onion Albacore, that is my favorite thing to eat. Here is the recipe, as far as I can tell: A pile of deep-fried strips of onion (crunchy!) surrounded by lightly seared strips of albacore, all drizzled with a garlic au jus. Mmmm. In my mind, I'm eating it right now.

jesus man, unagi, i know is not crap with low WF, but that sounds even better. *edit* - no it doesnt, but as good. also, i see unagi as the dessert of sushi. i always like to eat it last (this is probably because of the sauce)

where in the valley is it? i used to frequent Genmai, then it turned into some weird all-you-can-eat style sushi place. (crap place, mind you)

i gotta try the crunchy onion albacore now though.

Oh, I just found this out, there is now no reason for me to travel to the Valley other than to get bass strings, because a Sushi Dan just opened up at 8000 Sunset (right above Sam Ash, where I would never buy strings...). The one in the Valley is on Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks, I think. I know how to drive there, but I can never remember stuff about the Valley.

not. crap.
so much so, that one of my hard drives is named after it.

hamachi is also a favorite.
i have another drive named after that...

yet another called fugu... (poison blowfish!)

and my iPod's name is Maguro.

i need help.

not that you needed, or even wanted proof, but there you go.

I actually AM a sushi chef, and, well...I WANTED to like it and be all metropolitan and everything, but personally I think it is ALL crap! I dig making it, but I cannot get used to the taste! I even have clients who won't come in unless I am there to take care of them personally, so I know I am good at making it, but...blecht!

~Tina from plankton
http://plankton.rock.com
http://splatcatrecords.com