We've all done it at some point in our lives – ordered a couple of pieces of pristine sushi then proceeded to drench it in a salty hailing of soy, leaving it gastronomically bedraggled.For a cuisine that is based on simplicity and delicate flavour profiles, it's a crime to obliterate its intentions.First things first – sashimi is the raw fish (or meat), sushi is fish and rice. Now let's put down the soy bottle and learn how to eat it right.As mentioned, the big mistake people make when eating sushi is picking it up and dunking it wholesale in soy. The rice soaks it all up and then that's all you can taste. "The soy is there to complement the sushi vinegar of the rice, and the actual fish, and the wasabi coming through. It's not there to kill the flavour," says Kota Ogawa, the Japanese-born head chef from En Izakaya, in Balaclava, Melbourne. The proper way is to just tilt it, glance the fish into the soy and eat it in one bite.The habit of mixing a nub of that green wasabi into a little dish of soy is a popular one but Ogawa warns that fresh wasabi doesn't have the same brain-clamping kick, so mixing it with the sauce will kill its milder flavour.

He recommends putting the wasabi directly on the fish, then dipping it lightly in the soy so every individual flavour mingles on your tongue.where to buy sushi vinegarIn a nutshell, Ogawa recommends eating oily fish with soy and wasabi, while lighter, white fish like garfish or whiting work better with fresh grated ginger or ponzu (a Japanese citrus-based sauce). order sushi in singapore"The white fish doesn't have as much flavour so you want to bring out the flavour it has. how to make sushi rice ballsSoy can be too heavy for it so you want to go with something lighter – ponzu really brings out white fish, or even just a hint of wasabi and lemon can work. jiro dreams of sushi japanese

Soy and freshly grated ginger really brings out the sweetness of calamari or cuttlefish. casa sushi delivery menuShiso leaf, with that hint of citrus and mint, can really showcase the fish too." how to get sushi in paper marioBut he's keen to emphasise that "eating sushi is all about the actual fish itself, not the flavours on the side".buy sushi containersEat in the right orderSo you order a lavish sushi platter and it arrives in all its delicate, glowing beauty. What do you eat first? Ogawa suggests starting with sashimi first and using the rule of thumb of eating from light to dark, as lighter fish is less oily and won't coat your tongue in fat. Start with fish such as snapper or King George whiting before moving on to something slightly fattier like kingfish and salmon (as long as it's not a really fatty part of the salmon, like the belly) and maybe a blue or silver fish like mackerel.

Finish off with a really rich, melt-in-your-mouth tuna. Use the white pickled ginger as a palate cleanser between fish. After the sashimi, eat the maki rolls (the more common, rice-wrapped rolls) because they have multiple ingredients and are more complicated in your mouth. "Like any cuisine, start from simple to more heavy and complicated dishes," Ogawa says.Sushi doesn't have to be fish – it can also be meat. Ogawa likes to sear a beautiful piece of wagyu and serve it with ponzu or even just plain salt to bring out the sweetness of the meat. "We serve it tataki which means it's seared on all four sides so the outside is nice and brown but the inside is still perfectly raw.  We then serve that sashimi-style." As meat is not as delicate in flavour as fish, it can take punchier accompaniments such as grated daikon and yuzu (yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit), or a yuzu and chilli paste.Want to make sushi at home?If you're going to try your hand at making sushi at home, Kota has a few pointers.

First up, get the freshest fish you can find – and the sharpest knife you can safely put your hands on. "It doesn't need to be a big knife – a standard chef's or cook's knife will do." Cut the fish from top to bottom in one deft stroke. And always cut the fish against the grain or it will be unpleasantly chewy and sinewy. Cutting against the grain keeps the sinew short and the texture melty.Hit your local Japanese grocer for supplies like short-grain rice, or at least medium-grain rice. It has to be glutinous so it's nice and sticky. When it comes to decided what to put in your maki, Ogawa recommends restraint. "Don't pack everything but the kitchen sink in there – you'll end up with something gigantic and you won't know what you're eating. The key is to have a balance. Don't overpower any one ingredient with too much of another. Being Japanese food, you want it to be as simple as possible. I prefer just a single ingredient inside – just tuna or just cucumber – or sometimes both because the tuna is soft and the cucumber has the crunch. 

Just don't go into overkill – don't kill it with too much mayonnaise, just because you love mayonnaise.''Even though Japanese cooking is all about simplicity, Ogawa advises diners to be adventurous. 'We have kingfish and salmon sushi, but most people go for the salmon because they're not sure about the kingfish.  A lot of places have different kinds of fish – try anago, which is a Japanese salt water eel.  It might sound off-putting but if it's done well, it's really great.'Oh, and ''it's fine to eat with your hands. Hold a piece of sushi with three fingers – thumb and middle finger on either side, index finger on top – then give it a little dip and eat it in one mouthful.''Though this might come as a surprise, any sushi chef worth his toro will tell you that the most important component of sushi is rice, not fish. And that's because if a chef's rice is off in any way, or not seasoned property, the entire meal will be thrown askew. Those pressed grains serve as the platform to elevate fish – ruin the rice and all bets are off.

Think about rice to sushi as dough is to pizza: if your dough is no good, the pizza is no good, regardless how excellent its toppings. While sushi is considered one of the highest forms of Japanese culinary art, here in the US, we often go about eating it improperly. Is there rice floating in your soy sauce dish? Is your mackerel draped with ginger? But wait, let's rewind for a second. Sushi – what is sushi? Sushi is a word that represents the category of Japanese foods which consist of cooked, seasoned rice served with fish, meat, vegetables, or other ingredients. That group of dishes includes maki rolls, nigiri (individual mounds of rice topped with other ingredients), chirashi (a bowl of seasoned rice topped with a variety of ingredients), inari (deep-fried tofu skin stuffed with seasoned rice), and finally oshi sushi, which you've probably never encountered. This is an old style of sushi in which rice is arranged in a rectangular box, a topping is added, followed by a second layer of rice, and another topping.

The whole thing is pressed together, then sliced into bite-sized rectangles. And, for the record, sashimi isn't sushi since it doesn't involve rice.When you go out for sushi, you have two dining options, which will ultimately yield wildly different experiences. You either go to a sushi spot and nab a table, or you choose to sit at the bar. The difference is, usually, when you sit at a table, you can order whatever you want a la carte. But when you're at the bar, you sit in front of a chef and he decides your meal based on what's best that day.In the world of sushi, some unsaid rules exist when it comes to sitting at a bar or chef's counter – an experience known as omakase – the Japanese word that translates to leaving the menu in the chef's hands. One of those unsaid rules is that if you're at a top quality sushi bar, the chef will secretly observe you. A great chef will watch your movements, noticed if you are left or right-handed, and pay attention to how much time it takes you to eat each bite, for instance.

The surefire way to be served the best-quality fish a chef has is to become a regular, and develop a rapport with that person. At least that's how it's done in Japan. In fact, some sushi bars don't allow new customers to dine unless they come in with a previous customer.If you're not yet an avid sushi consumer though, your next best bet is to learn proper sushi etiquette to impress the chef. That way he/she will know you're serious about the meal, and that you probably have a discerning palate. The chef will therefore be more inclined to serve you better pieces. Also, acting well-mannered at a sushi bar (more below) serves as a sign of respect in a culture where respect is paramount. Showing that you appreciate the chef's efforts through proper table manner is another way to secure better bites.During a recent trip to Japan, I had the opportunity to dine at a variety of Tokyo sushi bars, all deemed some of the best in the city. I did indeed nab a seat at the famed Jiro to experience the chef's rapid-fire 35-minute omakase, and I likewise spent a highly enjoyable evening at Sushisho Saito, more of an undercover gem.

One of my favorite spots in Tokyo, and one that I'd recommend in a heartbeat, is Sawada, the two Michelin-starred, 6-seat counter place that slices some of the best sushi I've had in my life.Chef Yuji Imaizumi with the day's catch.In a city where serious sushi is usually served within a solemn atmosphere, Sushi Sora at the Mandarin Hotel in the Nihonbashi neighborhood of Tokyo, is a welcome reprieve, a place that offers great fish in a slightly more relaxed space. Sora chef Yuji Imaizumi believes that guests should, for the most part, be able to sit at his bar and consume a meal as they see fit, though he does adhere to a few key sushi dining points.When you sit down to a sushi bar meal, in front of you is likely a pair of horizontal chopsticks, a cup, and an oshibori – a hot, moist towel neatly rolled up. Use this towel to clean your hands during the meal, but when done, make sure to place it neatly to the side, not crumpled in a ball. In Japan, this will serve as your napkin during the meal.

While I personally like to use my hands to eat nigiri, other diners reach for chopsticks. Imaizumi feels as though either method of transport is correct, and for him it's a matter of place. As in, depending on how high a given sushi bar is, and how far away the nigiri lands (a chef usually places it directly on the sushi bar or on a small plate in front of the guest), that will determine whether it's more comfortable to use one's hands, or swoop in with chopsticks for extra reach. At Sora, chef Imaizumi likes his customers to make this decision on their own based on what's most agreeable.Whether on a small or medium-sized plate, a chef will provide each diner with a stash of pickled ginger, a swipe of wasabi, and maybe some sea grapes. Both the pickled ginger and the sea grapes are meant to be consumed as a palate cleanser between nigiri bites – not piled onto pieces of sushi. Wasabi can be added to pieces of sashimi, or placed atop nigiri – but not mixed into soy sauce. Many omakase bars will pre-lacquer your nigiri, so you won't even have to worry about soy sauce and dipping.

But let's say that a few nigiri pieces are not pre-sauced. Always, always dip your nigiri fish side into the soy sauce, as opposed to dunking the bottom rice part head first. If you dip rice first, too much soy will be absorbed, and overpower the fish's delicate flavor. Also, it's considered bad manners to leave pieces of rice floating in your soy. So, if that happens, slyly scoop them out.While Jiro does indeed offer sake with his sushi, he believes that the way sushi should be consumed is only beside a cup of green tea. I like either with my meal, as does chef Imaizumi. As long as you're not trying to drink a strongly flavored beverage like coffee with your meal, you're fine. Also note, that when drinking sake, it's bad luck to pour your own drink! If you are running low, offer some to your dining companion as a hint you need a refill.The bar at Sushi Sora.Some Final Words on Counter DiningMany sushi chefs believe that when dining at a counter, talking should be kept to a minimum. Or at least that those sitting at the bar should pay attention to the nigiri as the chef hands it over.