When I was nineteen years old I moved to the city and my friend Eileen took me to Sushi on Sunset...I didn't want to admit that besides California rolls I had never tried anything else. (I grew up in Valencia we didn't have sushi restaurants there when I was growing up) anyway I new that I like cooked salmon and lox so I figured I was safe with ordering salmon sushi. I ordered four pieces and it was the best thing I ever tasted. I started visiting sushi restaurants on a regular basis ordering only salmon, tuna and halibut.
A few years later I got a job at Sushi on Sunset as a waitress..... I was eating sushi on a daily basis.....I also learned about the fish markets downtown and how to cut and roll sushi. I worked at Sushi on Sunset for five years and met some of my closet friends but the best part about this job is I met my husband who was a regular customer who also shares the same love for raw fish.
Nick and I have been together now for almost eight years and one of our favorite things to do together is try new sushi restaurants. When we go out to dinner its not even a question as to what we are eating. Unless we want Italian (Madeo) then it is "where are we having sushi!!!"
These are some of our favorite restaurants:
Izakaya by Katsuya
8420 W. 3rd st. Los Angeles, CA 90048 - 323-782-9536
Best things to order - spicy tuna on crispy rice, baked crab hand roll, honey hand roll, ahi tuna with the japanese salsa, butter fish, yellowtail tasting, toro with crispy spinach
Nobu - Malibu
3835 Cross Creek Rd. #18 Malibu, CA 90265-4983 - 310-371-9140
Best things to order - yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno and ponzu, rock shrimp tempura, black cod with miso, toro and scallion roll & sweet raw shrimp
KOI
730 n. LA Cienega Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069 - 310-659-9449
Best things to order - baked crab hand rolls, spicy tuna with crispy rice, albacore sashimi with crispy onions, sea urchin, dragon roll
SUSHI PARTY AT HOME
A few years ago it was two of our close friends birthdays so we decided to host an outdoor sushi dinner party for five other couples. It was such a wonderful evening..... We made tuna, salmon & shrimp sushi, albacore with crispy onions, soft shell crab hand rolls and drank sapporo and cold saki. It was delicious and so much fun....
You want to go and buy all of your fish the morning of. There are several great fish markets downtown my favorite one is closed to the public but here is a really good one as well.
Los Angeles Fish Company
420 Stanford Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90013 -213-629-1213
Hours: 6:00 am - 2:00 pm (closed from 11:00am-12:00pm I would get there early as they get fish daily and sell to 100's of sushi restaurants so they sell out quickly)
You can get wonderful fresh fish, oysters, clams, live lobsters. They always have a wide selection. The prices are also really great. (when buying for sushi ask for sashimi grade)
Then you want to head over to a japanese market for everything else.... I recommend
Nijiya Market
2130 Sawtelle Blvd. Suite #105, Los Angeles, Ca 90025 - 310-575-3300
You can get everything from sushi rice, edemame, goyza, sauces & spices, japanese vegetables (try shishito peppers) seaweed, soypaper, japanese beer and a wide selection of cold saki.
I would also highly recommend getting the following book
Nobu: The Cookbook
For tips on how to cut and roll sushi you can go to youtube.com and search under how to make sushi at home
RECIPES
SPICY TUNA ROLLS
1 l/b of sashimi grade tuna
2/3 cup of mayonnaise
4 tlb of chili paste (sambal oelek)
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp of chili oil
1 tlb of smelt egg (optional)
1 tsp of mirin - japanese wine (optional)
avocado - sliced length wise
seaweed or soy paper
SUSHI RICE (you can make it or buy it at your local sushi restaurant) you can buy any type of sushi rice, Nishiki is a good one.
3 cup of rice
3 1/2 cup of water
1/3 cup of rice vinegar
3 tlb of sugar
1 tsp of salt
Rince rice in a bowl of cold water (rinse at least three times) Then soak in water for thirty minutes. Cook rice of stove top or in rice cooker according to package directions. When rice is done you want to let it steam, leave in pan with lid on for 15 minutes Heat vinegar, sugar and salt on low heat until the sugar dissolves and set aside to cool. Place rice into a bowl (wooden if possible) stir in vinegar mixture and let cool.
- Chop tuna into 1/2 inch pieces, put in the food processor and pulse a few times to break the tuna up so it slightly sticks together. Set aside
- Clean food processor and add mayo, chili paste, chili oil, sesame oil, smelt egg, & mirin. Blend until combined
- Mix the tuna and spicy mayo together
- place a piece of seaweed or soy paper on a bamboo rolling board, using your hands dip them in water and spread sushi rice across the seaweed or soy paper. You want to cover about 3/4 of the surface, a very thin layer, you might need to dip your hands in water a few times as the rice will stick. You want to leave about at least an inch of space at the top and the bottom of the surface.
- take a few slices of avocado a spread across
- spread a few table spoons of spicy tuna across the surface
- roll sushi tightly and slowly, seal with water and cut into small pieces with a very sharp knife.
- If you have questions please email me
SHISHITO PEPPERS
1 1/b shishito peppers
2 tlb of sesame oil
Heat the sesame oil over high heat. Add peppers and saute until they slightly char. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes and add ponzu sauce.
Enjoy
Jamielyn xoxo
