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Raw (sometimes) and Ready
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Anonymous user Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
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0 responses 0 comments In a meat-and-potatoes town like Bakersfield where tri-tip, Mexican food and Basque fare have ruled the culinary roost, a sushi nation is taking shape, much to the delight of lovers of Japan’s most famous food.  Within the last two years, at least five sushi bars and restaurants have opened their doors to local soy-sauce-and-chopstick-crazed sushi enthusiasts.
 While the presence of so much sushi on the local restaurant scene is new, the history of the delightfully delicious and colorful  Japanese dish is ancient.  Sushi dates back to at least the second century A.D., beginning as a method of preserving protein-rich fish with starchy rice in China, much like pickling.  The Japanese acquired the practice of packing seafood with vinegar-laced rice.  As the fish fermented, the rice produced a lactic acid, which in turn caused the pickling of the pressed fish.  Nare-Sushi is thought to be about 1,300 years old and refers to the finished edible product resulting from this early method.  Nama-Nare is the more rapid process of pickling which cut the fermentation time while including the rice as part of the meal.  Both are considered the ancient foundations of the sushi we are familiar with today.
Despite its international popularity, outside of Japan, sushi is often misunderstood as simply clumps of rice with raw fish on top.  Most, but not all the fish used today is raw. The Food and Drug Administration stipulates that all fish to be eaten raw, with the exception of tuna, must be frozen first, in order to kill parasites.

To the uninitiated, the different types and varieties of sushi can be overwhelming.  Rainbow Roll, Yellow Tail, Sake’ Salmon and Octopus are just a few of the exotic choices.  Some arrive wrapped in rice, others sit atop rice, or scattered among rice.  Understanding that the inherent difference is in the presentation will help to demystify the dining experience.  Sushi rolled in Nori, dried sheets of laver, a kind of pressed and dried algae, is called a Maki Roll.  This type of sushi presentation can be rolled thinly or thickly, as with the universally popular California Roll with avocado, imitation crab and sesame seeds wrapped in a seaweed sheet.  Nigiri refers to sushi made with fish toppings laid onto hand-formed clumps of rice.  Sushi made with toppings stuffed into a small pouch of fried tofu is called Inari. Scattered sushi, or Chirashi-Zushi, refers to sushi made with toppings served scattered over a bowl of sushi rice.  Sashimi is sliced raw fish served alone.
One reason for our love affair with all things sushi is how well it fits into a healthier lifestyle.  According to most on-line calorie calculators, one California Roll is worth between 35 and 40 calories – by far a smarter choice than a super-size of fries. “Sushi is very healthy for you,” says Thomas Park, owner of Tokyo Garden and Miyoshi Sushi Bar.
Park credits the media for the increased popularity of the Japanese food, thanks to television chef personalities like Iron Chef and programs like Bravo’s Top Chef.  “More and more sushi is considered a power lunch,” he adds. “People here travel to other cities where sushi is easily available.”  Beyond the health and history of the food, fans of sushi say the atmosphere in which it is prepared and consumed is half the fun.   
Guests of Tokyo Garden, which has been serving  traditional sushi since 1983, are immediately greeted by a koi pond in the entry.  The sound of water, bamboo and Japanese shades add to the ambience.   “I learned from my uncle who owned the original Tokyo Garden in Visalia,” says Park who is carrying on a family tradition. 
Since 1985, Akira Japanese Restaurant on California Avenue has been considered a sushi mainstay, staying true to the Japanese aesthetic, as does Sushi Kato on Rosedale Highway.  Ichiban in the northeast, though slightly smaller, has added a southwest location.  Shogun Japanese Restaurant on California Avenue opened two years ago.  Modeled after the famed Benihana restaurants, the sushi and sashimi bar is sleek and hip.  Frosted glass counters run the length of the bar. Think Japanese décor meets Pacific Design Center.
The newest player on the local sushi scene is Toro Sushi Bar and Grill at the Marketplace located on the northeast side of the center.  Since opening two months ago, the restaurant’s lunch and dinner hours have reportedly been packed.  “The response since we opened has been phenomenal,” according to hostess Melodie Diaz.  Toro’s look and feel is sleek, trendy and contemporary.  Modern art lines the walls and at night, tabletop candles cast a cool, modern glow.  Bakersfield businessman Mike Ryan, who recently sampled sushi at a posh Manhattan sushi bar considers Toro first rate.  “This is just as good, if not better,” Ryan says.
Whether you order the Bakersfield Roll at Tokyo Garden or Las Vegas Roll at Toro, experts say there is some etiquette involved with sushi consumption.  Sushi is intended to be finger food.  The chopsticks are for mixing the soy sauce and wasabi.  “The chopsticks are actually intended to be used with the sashimi,” Park says.              
Never dip sushi in soy sauce with the rice side.  Only the fish should be dipped in the soy sauce.  While some restaurants do not use plates, but simply serve the sushi directly onto the wooden counter, the food is traditionally served on minimalist Japanese style, wood, lacquer or geometric plates in keeping with the cuisine’s aesthetics.
 Whether you choose to begin by hand or with chopsticks, experts suggest starting with white-fleshed or milder tasting pieces and proceed into the darker, stronger flavored varieties.  An order of regular rolls will cost anywhere from four to seven dollars.  Specialty rolls will run between nine and twelve dollars. 
Like the seemingly endless varieties, cost will vary.  The sushi experience should not. 

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