Wasabi Baby?
Photo by Matt Rose
Say the word "sushi" and to some it conjures visions of eating raw fish—nothing to savor. To others, it’s much more—an exceptional dining experience and cuisine extraordinaire. According to David Zheng of Umi in downtown Hendersonville, it’s simply a matter of perception; it’s a taste easily acquired and enhanced by the skillful artistry involved in preparing a sushi dish.
"If you’ve never had sushi before, it can be scary. A lot of people think that sushi is simply raw fish. In fact, only 20 to 30 percent is raw. You can cook the fish, deep fry the shrimp or use pre-cooked soft shell crab if you prefer. Some of our most popular choices, like our vegetarian Sushi Waterfall, don’t have fish at all — just fresh fruits, vegetables and special sauces," he adds.
Umi serves all three traditional forms of sushi: nigiri is a small piece of sliced fish on top of a rice ball. Sashimi is plain fish with daikon radish and no rice. Maki, what many call a sushi roll, is the most popular type. Its ingredients are typically wrapped in nori, an edible seaweed, with sushi rice either on the inside or outside.
"Sushi in itself is very healthy, we make it healthier. You can go anywhere to get sushi — we want ours to be different, more than sushi, more than just food," Zheng adds. "Not everybody can accept plain, traditional Japanese sushi — just rice, fish, seaweed and soy sauce. That’s why we add a lot more ingredients. We make all our own sauces with a base ingredient of yuzu juice made from a Japanese citrus fruit. We also use 100 percent olive oil. We squeeze fresh lemons, oranges, seasonal fruit and combine the juices to make our sauces special."
All Umi sushi is prepared fresh, which is most important according to Zheng, and features only the highest quality imported sushi-grade fish. And, the chefs have their own secret way of processing the fish to make it flavorful.
For those who want to try their hand at making a sushi dish on their own, Zheng offers the following suggestions. First, making sushi at home is very different from at a restaurant. Don’t worry about perfection. The fun is in the process.
Second, pay attention to the rice. It has to be short-grained sushi rice, which holds together well.
Third, have the proper materials. A sushi rolling mat is a must, as is a sharp knife. Also, have a bowl of fresh water nearby, freshened with a squeeze of fresh lemon in it to help the flavor and to kill any bacteria.
Finally, Zheng doesn’t recommend using raw fish. He feels that’s best left to a professional. He suggests pre-cooked fish, crab or lobster.
"You can make sushi anyway you want — light or heavy, spicy, sweet or sour," says Zheng. "If it tastes good and is safe, you’re on your way to becoming a sushi chef."
