East London’s Sushi Spots
Sushi has fast become a favourite food all over the world, including South Africa. There are numerous restaurants in East London that offer this Japanese delicacy and we have compiled a guide to the best places to dine. And if you have never eaten Sushi but would like to try it, read on to find out exactly what it is, how to eat it and which condiments to use.
Located inside Hemingways Mall is the Cape Town Fish Market. Using only the freshest fish, expertly made by an excellent Sushi chef from Cape Town, CTFM offers specials on Tuesdays and Thursdays – 50% off Sushi plates and 25% off Sushi platters on a Tuesday and only R129 for a Sushi buffet on a Thursday from 6pm – 10pm.
You can find the Shanghai Chinese Restaurants in both Beacon Bay and the Quigney. In Beacon Bay you will find regular Sushi deals on the menu but in The Quigney you will find a Sushi buffet on offer from Tuesday to Saturday for the great price of R129.
Zhong Hua in Nahoon offers a Sushi buffet on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays for R129 and booking is essential.
The recently opened John Dory’s in Beacon Bay is already a huge hit with locals and visitors alike. With five trained Sushi chefs, John Dory’s offers half-price Sushi from their rotating table every Wednesday for the foreseeable future. As if that wasn’t a good enough deal, the Graca is also half price too!
Chi Chi Chinese and Sushi Bar in Greenfields offers both a Sushi and Chinese buffet on a Wednesday for R128 per person and on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday they run a Sushi special where you can get a 20 piece platter for R95. Chi Chi Chinese also has a restaurant in Berea and its Sushi buffet is also R128 but available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 6pm. Its 20 piece platter is available on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for the same price.
The ever popular Ocean Basket situated inside Vincent Park Shopping Centre, has a variety of Sushi to choose from and regularly receive fantastic reviews from both locals and visitors.
Feng Wei in Gonubie offers a Sushi buffet every Saturday for R130 per person – a great deal considering it’s an all you can eat affair!
So now you know where the best places are in town to eat Sushi, let’s have a look at the background of the delicacy…
So what exactly is sushi?
The word “sushi” is often ambiguous for non-native Japanese. We think of it as basically raw fish, but Sushi is essentially vinegared rice topped with other ingredients. Originally, Sushi was fermented fish with rice preserved in salt, and this was a staple dish in Japan for a thousand years when contemporary Sushi was developed. The word “sushi” means “it’s sour,” which reflects back to Sushi’s origins of being preserved in salt. Traditional Sushi took longer to prepare due to the fermenting steps required. Contemporary Sushi was developed to be a type of fast food, and remains so to this day.
Sushi in Japan is very simple and usually doesn’t contain more than one type of fish or one type of vegetable. They also keep it simple when using condiments – they do not mix wasabi in the soy sauce but dab a little on the Sushi if they desire more. The pickled ginger is intended to be a palate cleanser and is eaten inbetween pieces of Sushi, not with the pieces themselves. The Japanese do not like to put many sauces on their Sushi, rather savouring the taste of the fresh ocean flavour of the fish. Each piece is supposed to be bite-size, but if the piece of Sushi is too big, it’s apparently fine to take two bites.
Principal types of sushi and how to eat it:
Nigiri or nigirizushi: An oblong mound of vinegared rice pressed between the palms of the hands, with a little bit of wasabi on top, and a single topping (a vegetable, a slice of tamago (egg omelet,) or a slice of raw fish) draped over it. These are meant to be eaten with your fingers. Place one piece of nigiri between your thumb and fore/index fingers, turn it upside down, and dip the fish in the soy sauce. It is done this way because dipping it rice-side first will cause it to fall apart. Place it in your mouth fish side down.
Maki rolls or makizushi: Cylindrical pieces of vinegared rice and other ingredients wrapped around nori (seaweed sheets,) thin slices of cucumber, soy paper, or thin omelette skin. These are made by rolling the ingredients with a bamboo sushi mat and then slicing the pipe-shaped roll into cylindrical pieces. These are also eaten with your fingers. When the rice is on the outside like an inside-out roll, this is called uramaki.
Inarizushi: A pouch of fried tofu filled with rice. It’s okay to eat these with your fingers.
Temaki, or hand roll: A cone-shaped piece with nori on the outside and vinegared rice with ingredients on the inside. Eaten with the fingers.
Oshizushi: Vinegared rice and ingredients shaped into a block with a wooden mould. This is then cut into bite-sized pieces and eaten with chopsticks.
Chirashi or chirashizushi: “Scattered sushi” – a bowl of vinegared rice and mixed ingredients. Eaten with chopsticks.
Narezushi: Still found in Japan, this closely resembles the original form of sushi; narezushi is fermented fish with rice and salt, which is preserved for a few months before being eaten. The rice is discarded after the fermentation process; only the fish is eaten.
Condiments
The Japanese may not favour condiments on their Sushi, preferring to taste the full flavour of the fish, but here in South Africa they are commonly used, with the following being the most popular:
Shoyu: Soy sauce. Introduced into Japan in the 7th century, soy sauce is a fermented sauce made from soya beans, roasted grain, water and salt.
Wasabi: a strong paste made from the grated root of the Wasabia japonica plant. If you are trying Sushi for the first time, be warned that Wasabi is green and may resemble Avocado. It is definitely NOT Avocado and its hotness is akin to that of a hot mustard, producing vapours that really irritate the nose (that should perhaps read ‘blow the nose off!’) Wasabi is generally sold either in the form of a root (which must be very finely grated before use) or as a paste (either real Wasabi or a mixture of horseradish, mustard and food colouring). The paste form is usually just horseradish since fresh Wasabi is perishable and more costly than horseradish. Sushi chefs usually put the Wasabi between the fish and the rice because once prepared it must remain covered until served to protect the flavour from evaporation.
Gari: sweet, thinly sliced young ginger that has been preserved in a solution of sugar and vinegar. Young ginger is generally preferred for Gari because of its tender flesh and natural sweetness and is often served and eaten between dishes of Sushi, said to help cleanse the palate. Ginger also has antiseptic properties and was originally eaten with Sushi to counter the ill effects of bad fish. It is not meant to be consumed in any type of sushi or hand roll, except when some chefs include it in Saba (mackerel). Gari can also be used to help ease stomach nausea.
We hope that this guide to Sushi has helped, especially if you are a first-timer because, let’s face it, it can be a little overwhelming and even intimidating when you’re faced with a variety of food that you’re unsure of. But whichever restaurant you choose to eat at, whether you are a Sushi connoisseur or a first-timer, we have no doubt that you will have a great experience and regularly return for more!
(Sources: Wikipedia and the Kitchn)
Please note that prices are correct at the time of publishing.
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