We're a family owned and run business, we have been in the seafood industry for over 45 years. We've been awarded best seafood retailer in Melbourne and continue to give our customers the freshest and best quality seafood. Come down to Aptus Seafood in the South Melbourne Market and enjoy our seafood and our famous Oyster Bar!.Rejoice, lovers of obscure Japanese condiments and milk drinks in cans: Smith Street has just taken possession of a specialist Japanese pantry and sushi bar There’s not a lot in the way of fresh vegetables at Hinoki, but if it’s Japanese and not illegal, they’ve got it. The shelves of this sleek blonde supermarket are stuffed with curry cubes, karaage chicken batter (the KFC of Japan) and hundreds of boxes of luminous sweet things with rosy-cheeked children and panda mascots. But it’s not all Pocky Sticks, udon and things that could survive the apocalypse. They also make-and-freeze the likes of pork gyoza in-house so you can fake-it-yourself at home.

In the fridge, right next to the rainbow cans of Boss coffee and radiant blue Hawaiian sodas (looks exotic, tastes like blue) you’ll find house-made pickles, seaweed salads and fillets of sashimi-grade salmon. Give the chuka chinmi a poke – a nutty, chewy fish mix of diced scallops, jellyfish and black fungus rolled in sesame seeds and oil.ichiban sushi menu flowood ms They’re not messing around at the sushi bar either. where to buy sushi grade fish in fort myersThere are a few pre-made lunch packs but most fish is sliced on demand for eating at the little benches in the window. sushi conveyor belt animal crossingYou can get fresh scallop and even surf clam sashimi (sort of like a big pipi), and while they do a Western-style cooked tuna roll, it’s prepared in house - not tinned.

Until the full booze license comes through they can only stock a handful of sakes, plum wines, and beers but they’re compensating for limited range with maximum volume. How about a litre can of Asahi? That’s a whole drinking session with only one trip to the fridge. Go for the European style Kolsch from Niigata microbrewery if you’re feeling more crafty. Head to the Chef’s Armoury in Richmond if you want Japanese steel and a charcoal grill – but if you’re after fifty shades of soy sauce and sushi rice by the sack, you’re all set. More of the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne.What is it about making sushi at home that scares us? Is it working with raw seafood? The art of making sushi rice that holds together yet seemingly melts on your tongue? Or is it knowing that the best sushi chefs spend decades honing their craft? Don't be: making your own sushi is a joy. Especially with Sake restaurant's executive chef Shaun Presland – who has been cooking Japanese food for 22 years – here to hold our hands. 

Presland's training included two and a half years in Japan and seven years dedicated exclusively to sushi. In 2009 he helped swing open the doors of Sake's first restaurant at The Rocks and has since overseen Sake openings in Double Bay, Melbourne and Brisbane. "Good sushi is an edible art form," he says. "[Making it] is super creative – it's good for the soul. And it's delicious and healthy."You do need to allow plenty of time, however. "Be prepared to devote a whole day to it," says Presland. "The dry stores can be purchased well in advance – rice, soy, ginger and vinegar, and a nice mayonnaise and chilli sauce for rolls, but seafood is best bought on the day you use it."The key is to properly set up your workspace before making the sushi. Cook the rice, prepare the fish, meat, vegetables and garnishes, and get out all your equipment, utensils and serving dishes. To avoid those pesky bacteria outbreaks, leave your prepared ingredients in the fridge (except for the rice) until you're ready to roll. 

Maki rolls and nigiri (a rectangle of sushi rice topped with something like raw salmon) are great types of sushi for beginners.A sharp knife is crucial, ideally one with a long blade for slicing fish and cutting sushi rolls. There's no need to race out and buy an expensive Japanese sushi knife; if it's sharp, it'll do the job. You'll also need a chopping board; Presland suggests having one especially for sushi to avoid cross-contamination – a cheap plastic board is fine. Also handy are plastic squeezy bottles for toppings such as mayo, and two makisu – the woven bamboo mats used to roll sushi. If you're making uramaki (the inside-out rolls), wrap one of the mats in cling film. Finally, you need something to fan the cooked rice with (more on that below). Presland suggests buying a cheap hand-held fan or simply using a square ice-cream container lid and some good wrist action. "The most important technique in preparing sushi is making sushi rice," says Presland. Use a plump, short-grain rice such as Sunrice's "Koshihikari" rice.

Wash it until the water runs clear, then "polish" it by draining the water and using your hand to gently scrunch and release the rice approximately 30 times, then rinse. Do this three times then let it rest in a sieve.  To cook the rice, Presland uses a 1:1.1 ratio of rice to liquid, with the liquid portion being about 90 per cent water and 10 per cent sake. The sake helps to soften the grains, but using water alone is also fine. "Water with a higher mineral content cooks a nicer rice, as does water that has had time to settle," he says. Ideally let the water sit overnight or at least a couple of hours. Cook the rice in an electric rice cooker, then leave it covered in the pot for 15 minutes. Alternatively you can cook it in a saucepan using the absorption method.Every chef has a secret recipe for the rice vinegar-sugar-salt seasoning. Presland recommends using a ratio of 6:2:1 (see recipe below). Mixing hot rice with this sushi vinegar mix and then cooling it is what makes the rice shiny and sticky.

Use your fan or lid to cool the rice to around 40 degrees – roughly body temperature. At this temperature, it will feel like it's melting in your mouth.When it comes to the fillings, you can't go wrong with tried-and-tested combos such as salmon and avocado or spicy tuna and cucumber. If you want to get creative, "think about flavour, colour and texture", advises Presland. Try adding a crunchy element such as tempura, pickles or sesame seeds. And you don't have to use raw fish. "You can use tinned tuna and mayonnaise, smoked salmon, chicken, roasted vegetables," says Presland. "One of my favourite rolls ever was a cold-smoked cherry tomato with avocado, green tea salt and a squeeze of lemon." Importantly, says Presland, "don't overdo it; I think a lot of people try to put too much in one roll".Presland's top tip: have a small bowl of water and a wet cloth close by, and use damp hands. "The rice is so sticky with sugary, vinegary goodness … but you don't want it in your armpits and up your elbows.

It can get pretty messy." There are entire books on sushi presentation, but Presland has a few handy tips. Firstly, consider the colours: "If you can get red, yellow and green on a plate, you're laughing." When plating nigiri, "think of it like a car park where you've got to do a 45-degree-angle reverse park," he says. "Everything has to be backed in on an angle, all nicely in a row." Add some pickled ginger to the plate (which is meant to be a palate cleanser, not an additional sushi topping), and have soy sauce and wasabi on hand. Finally, Presland says it's best to avoid refrigerating the sushi after it's made, because "the rice will harden and taste terrible". 3 cups rice 3 1/3 cups water (or 3 cups water and about 1/3 cup sake)Mix below ingredients together and stir through cooked rice150ml rice vinegar 50g white sugar 25g saltThis will make more than you need to make the cooked rice sticky enough for rolling, but you can use leftover vinegar mix as a good salad dressing. .au) 1/2 tsp chives 1 squirt mayonnaiseLay the nori shiny side down.