jiro dreams of sushi douban
Wine Me Dine Me: Food and film for thoughtPresident-elect Donald Trump has two open lawsuits against famed chefs José Andrés and Geoffrey Zakarain for both pulling out of his Trump International Hotel, Washington, D.C. But what he's lost with them, he's replaced with sushi. The hotel and Bedford Street Hospitality have announced that restaurateur Alessandro Borgognone will open his first Washington, D.C. concept, Nakazawa, at Trump International Hotel, Washington D.C. in summer 2017. Nakazawa, the sister restaurant to Sushi Nakazawa in New York City, famously helmed by Chef Daisuke Nakazawa, will feature an omakase bar and dining room in the historic Pennsylvania Avenue hotel. “We are thrilled to welcome Nakazawa, a world-class fine dining establishment to our magnificent new hotel in Washington D.C.,” said Donald Trump Jr., executive vice president of The Trump Organization. “We look forward to offering our guests an exceptional tasting experience paired with unrivaled service.”
Nakazawa joins Sushi Nakazawa, Chumley’s, Positano, and Patricia’s, as the fifth restaurant under the Bedford Street Hospitality umbrella. Sushi Nakazawa first opened in Manhattan in 2013 and received four-stars from The New York Times amongst numerous other culinary accolades. Chef Daisuke Nakazawa is well-known for his appearance in the documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” detailing his apprenticeship under sushi master Jiro Ono. “We are excited to introduce our very first project outside of New York City,” said Bedford Street Hospitality founder Alessandro Borgognone. “Trump International Hotel, Washington D.C. and its location are the ideal setting to bring our vision to life and we look forward to welcoming all D.C. residents and visitors through our doors.” Trump International Hotel, Washington, D.C. officially opened its doors in October. It features 263 ultra-luxury rooms and 35 suites, including the 6,300 square foot Trump Townhouse and 13,200 square foot Presidential Ballroom.
It took me some time to be able to appreciate the flavor of raw fish. If you didn’t grow up eating sashimi, I believe it is the type of food that takes some time getting used to. But once you start to taste the umami, you’ll be hooked. Living in Japan entirely altered my attitude towards sushi. We have tons of Japanese restaurants here in Beijing, and I’d been eating sushi for years before going to Japan.
jiro dreams of sushi filmaffinityBut then I found that real sushi in Japan is a totally different story.
youda sushi chef 2 same dish combo There are various types of sushi in Japan. When people talk about eating sushi outside, especially for a small treat for themselves or for a celebration, they usually refer to nigiri sushi – the one that comes with a small clump of rice and a piece of raw fish on top.
Compared to the sushi I’d had in Beijing, the nigiri sushi I had in Japan was much more flavorful and had a better mouthfeel. The sushi usually has a very thick and massive cut of fish that covers the rice entirely – a real luxury in Beijing. There is no mayonnaise, no fancy rolls. But the chef knows how to tweak a thousand tiny details to bring out the best flavor of the fish (You’ll understand this if you ever watch Jiro dreams of Sushi), even at a small bistro in a random back alley. After I had tasted the “real” sushi in Japan, it was difficult to satisfy my taste buds after coming back to Beijing. Yes, you can find very authentic Japanese restaurants here, but the food is generally pricey and they are a bit stingy with the fish. When I discovered that my neighborhood supermarket had started selling sushi grade salmon, I was so excited and immediately bought a small filet to enjoy. I cooked some rice, whipped it into a quick version of sushi rice, and made this super satisfying salmon sashimi bowl with some avocado.
Why didn’t I make nigiri sushi? If you’ve ever tried to make sushi by hand, you know it takes quite a bit of time and effort. The way it’s presented is beautiful, but it’s not ideal if you want to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes or cook for 20 people. That is why normal Japanese households and business lunch places serve sashimi bowls instead. Instead of packing rice into clumps, you just arrange a few toppings on top of some sushi rice. And the flavor is just as good. Not matter whether it’s for a romantic dinner on Valentine’s Day or to serve at a party, you can easily assemble this beautiful bowl in under 5 minutes. I always prefer to use sushi rice with sashimi instead of plain steamed white rice. Sushi rice has a subtle sweet and sour flavor that goes perfect with the fish and brings out its flavor. If you like raw fish, definitely try to use sushi rice in your favorite sashimi bowl. It makes a huge difference. By the way, if you need to know how to cook authentic sushi rice, check out this recipe from Just One Cookbook.
Nami has a very detailed recipe with an instructional video to show you how to make real-deal sushi rice. In this recipe, you only need three ingredients to cook the quick version of sushi rice – sugar, salt, and rice vinegar (or Chinese white vinegar), in addition to some freshly cooked rice. All you need to do is to mix the ingredients into the rice and wait until the rice cools down (it usually takes 20 minutes). Then you can add your preferred toppings. Here I used my favorite combination – salmon and avocado – with some nori to enhance the flavor (very important) and a drizzle of soy sauce. To sum up, you only need 10 minutes in the kitchen throughout the whole process to get everything ready. I hope you enjoy this super delicious and fancy salmon bowl! 6 Print 5 mins 40 mins 45 mins 2 1 cup (180 milliliters) uncooked rice 2 tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar (or Chinese white vinegar) 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 200 grams (7 ounces) fresh raw salmon, sliced 1/2 avocado, sliced 5 pieces dried nori, cut into strips 2 tablespoons sushi soy sauce (or light soy sauce) or to taste (optional) pinch of wasabi (optional) pinch of toasted sesame for garnish Add rice and water into a rice