Someone's got to do it, right? Well, not really. I'm not a sushi snob. I don't really care if the food and experience is as authentic as possible. I like food, period. Even the non-authentic, Japanese-inspired "crap." But there are plenty that do care about the authentic food and experience. Imagine being a person who only know the Japanese sushi experience. Their first American sushi trip would likely be shocking. Such was the case for Trevor Corson, who wrote a great piece for The Atlantic on how some American sushi chefs are now getting back to the true Japanese experience and flavors, and how many of them aren't Japanese at all.
Jeffery Nitta, a restaurant consultant in Los Angeles, told the author that "most Japanese restaurant people think that Americans ultimately cannot appreciate the real deal.” That's not stopping round-eyed chefs from trying anyway.
Check out his experience at Fin Sushi, a authentic experience in Massachusetts, of all places:
Nick Macioge jokes with his diners and encourages them to get to know each other. Like a sushi bar in Japan, Fin is small and dominated by the counter. It’s not just the atmosphere. Macioge also tries to serve a more authentic meal. Instead of suggesting tuna, for example, he’ll talk his customers into sampling one of the most traditional sushi fish there is—saba, a mackerel that Macioge lightly marinates in salt and vinegar to bring the fish to the peak of flavor.
Sounds great. While I'm not picky, it's good to know that some chefs are working to bring the flavors to Americans that some Japanese chefs think that we can't appreciate.
Check out the full article here.