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Pro Sushi Chef reviews cheap sushi, doesn't like it (except SushiStop)

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I don't mind cheap stuff once in a while - and it's not any less filling than the 'real' stuff, I don't really get that.

I do miss Fujiya in Victoria, though. Decent quality sushi at filthy cheap prices. Their donburi was great too.
 
Publix sushi is pretty good, at least in my ignorant opinion. I wouldn't go near 7/11 or Walgreens sushi though.

The difference between farm salmon and wild salmon is levels beyond in taste, but the price is double or tripled. Nutritional benefits are better, but there are also ecological concerns.
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My tastebuds might be broken, but I just bought wild sockeye salmon last night when I typically just go with the cheaper farmed salmon, and I actually greatly preferred the farmed. Something must be wrong with me.
 
Oh man, SushiStop. My friend and former co-worker first introduced me to it when it was actually Sushi Mac I believe on Sawtelle Blvd (when Sawtelle was still under the radar years ago), and then it was bought out and changed to SushiStop with the stupid GameStop font/logo. It was all the rage when it arrived, with lines out the door. Then they opened a second one on the other side of Sawtelle to alleviate the overflow. However in the last two years, so many things have opened up on Sawtelle that SushiStop is nothing special and rather average for what's around there. It was decent for the price but by no means very good. Have to say though that I miss that stretch of amazing food so much now that I don't live there anymore, but to me the craze began with SushiStop.

However if you go over to Sawtelle, get yourself into Tsujita Annex and get the Tsukemen please. Pretty much the best thing ever. Furaibo and Gottsui are also amazing.
 
That man is braver than me to eat sushi at 7-11

There's a ton of sushi restaurants in the NOVA/DC area, none that are still good tasting and budget concerned. We have so many yuppies in this area that can't tell the difference between crap sushi, decent sushi, and good sushi. All of it is expensive here except for crappy buffets.

Whole Foods sushi is actually absurdly expensive and tastes like crap.

If anyone here has a decent suggestion of a place to go in the area, let me know!
 
It makes sense in that video that Whole Foods sushi is better than Trader Joe's. There's someone making the sushi at Whole Foods while Trader Joe's is all shipped in goods.

Basically don't buy sushi if it's pre-made and boxed. If there is someone making it fresh at the store, then of course, it's better quality (most of the time).
 
Sushi is one of those foods that just doesn't taste good if it's not fresh. I see people picking up pre-made chilled sushi and it's like what you are you doing man
 
i like how he points out the quality of the rice. the rice they use in Japan (at least in Tokyo) was completely different. it was often warm, or at least not cold, and it certainly wasn't hard packed or overly mushy and chewy. it's something almost every place in America gets wrong.

Shining Sunshine said:
In Japan, sushi is definitely not a staple. It is expensive dining, and it's not a normal occurrence for Japanese to go out and eat sushi.
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lol what? this is just incorrect.

i spent only 2 weeks in Japan a few years ago and even this tiny hole-in-the-wall place where they just make it right in front of you for like 150 yen a plate had a small wait to sit down...on weekdays. the gimmicky 105 yen/plate place where you order off a touch screen and barely see any real human beings was packed every night with all kinds of people. families, couples, tourists, etc.

not to mention the countless other sushi establishments i walked by to get to these places that had reasonably full dining areas as well.
 
MichaelFassbender said:
Cheap sushi is good for the pure fact that it makes you appreciate like hell when you get the real stuff. And what a glorious return it is.
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I didn't like sushi for nearly a decade until I had "the good stuff". I still don't like the mediocre stuff (overly fishy taste which people tell me is a sign it's not fresh). I don't know when it clicked but I crave Uchi/Uchiko (in Austin) rolls / sushi / sashimi. They're so freaking good.
 
Are tattoos as accepted in Japan as they are in the USA? My mom always says tattoos are taboo because they relate it to the Yakuza, but maybe times have changed or she was wrong to begin with.
 
PSYGN said:
Are tattoos as accepted in Japan as they are in the USA? My mom always says tattoos are taboo because they relate it to the Yakuza, but maybe times have changed or she was wrong to begin with.
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Nah, it's the truth. Some public bathhouses in Japan ban people with tattoos from entering because of that Yakuza connection.
 
Almost all cheap sushi doesn't have raw fish.. it's a all Krab (imitation crab) or cooked whatever.

..the problem with most of that stuff is that it's cold. real sushi doesn't use cold rice.

Also, sushi is as much about the rice being done right as it is the fish. Though I'll down with a vengeance all kinds of stupid crazy rolls filled with that spicy tuna (it's such shit by it's self) but with that spicy mayo shit and some wasabi.. good stuff.

The real stuff is great though, but damn if eating buri belly and maguro nigiri get's damn spendy at a nice place.

holy crap, that was real (frozen) raw fish from Walgreens.. holy nasty fuck.. no no no no no no <--edit
 
I've lived in Japan for nearly a year now and have only eaten sushi that was prepared early in the morning and then sat on a counter for hours in a supermarket accruing at least a 30% off sticker. While I haven't been rolling in glamorous sushi over here, that stuff is still really good, uses only local ingredients, and tastes notably different from the stuff in America. But, with that said, I'd gladly take some of that Kroger stuff right about now too.

It's like taco bell vs. a taqueria, I guess.
 
DJ_Lae said:
I don't mind cheap stuff once in a while - and it's not any less filling than the 'real' stuff, I don't really get that.

I do miss Fujiya in Victoria, though. Decent quality sushi at filthy cheap prices. Their donburi was great too.
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Fujiya shoutout on GAF? Shit man.

I don't like seafood, but yeah that place is supposed to be the joint here in Victoria for cheap sushi. If I'm eating sushi, it's some kind of beef roll, which may be blasphemy, but whatever.

If I'm out for sushi with people I'm usually hitting up an udon or ramen with some gyoza.
 
Zekes! said:
Fujiya shoutout on GAF? Shit man.

I don't like seafood, but yeah that place is supposed to be the joint here in Victoria for cheap sushi. If I'm eating sushi, it's some kind of beef roll, which may be blasphemy, but whatever.

If I'm out for sushi with people I'm usually hitting up an udon or ramen with some gyoza.
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Haha, I wasn't sure if anyone would have even heard of it. I think Vancouver has a location or two as well.

Having moved to Edmonton two years ago...there is no reasonable substitute. I've had sushi at a few places but they're all expensive and not particularly great. Fujiya was consistent, and paying $3 (they're probably more now) for a pack of sushi was pretty great.

Oddly enough the Superstore near me probably has the only decent grocery sushi - if you get it right when it's put out. The women who make it at the little bar there are pretty good at it.

Even if you don't like seafood, the pork donburi at Fujiya was pretty good when I went there. Eel was my go-to, but the pork was good too - same with the beef/croquette meal.
 
Eyeron said:
There's a Walgreens on the strip in Vegas that sells sushi. I was almost drunk enough to try it but the wife's better judgment prevailed. It didn't look too bad.
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Every Walgreens on Las Vegas Blvd sells sushi from the same vendor. It's terrible and overpriced for its quality and portion size.
 
I looked at sushi at my local Frys grocery store. One of the ingredients was "sushi seasoning" the first 2 ingredients were high fructose corn syrup and Carmel color. Ugh
 
Shining Sunshine said:
In Japan, sushi is definitely not a staple. It is expensive dining, and it's not a normal occurrence for Japanese to go out and eat sushi.
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it might not be a staple, but i could probably pop around an okuwa or aeon right now and go grab dinner for the night.

it'd be kind of expensive though dollar for weight.
 
Shame he didn't do Pei Wei. That was some of the worst sushi I've ever had in my life, including buffets and supermarket brand.
 
Shocking news. I bought sushi about once a week from HEB in Austin, and while I never expected restaurant quality I thought it was pretty good for the price. I rarely paid more than $8 for a big 8-piece roll and they have a pretty good variety.


5 seconds of searching google images:
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I will admit I am not a seafood fan, but I do enjoy going out with friends to sushi resteraunts as I love to get chicken teriyaki rolls and similar products that don't incorporate seafood. Damn, I could do with some. Anyone in Toronto have suggestions? I'm in Scarborough and most of the places I go to with friends are usually very north of the city.
 
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