Navigating Sushi: How to Avoid Average Sushi at High Prices

Sushi popularity has increased significantly over the years. It's fresh, healthy, delicious, and easy on the stomach. However, these great qualities come with a hefty price tag. As more food providers offer sushi, more bad actors enter the space. These bad actors charge premium prices for average sushi. Not only is the sushi average, but restaurants have started to fill our rolls with nonsense that doesn’t belong in a sushi roll. Such nonsense includes tempura flakes, too much rice, and cucumber. The most notable roll to be modified into nonsense is the fan favorite, Spicy Tuna Roll.  

Many articles have been written about how to eat sushi, discussing the etiquette and proper customs of Japan, the birthplace of this delectable cuisine. This is not one of those essays. Rather, this piece attempts to help you navigate through the world of average sushi. Average sushi? What does that even mean? It starts with ridiculous names like “Crazy Sumo” or “Sushi Ninja.” Average sushi is the corner place you have been going to for years. Along with sushi, this place usually serves countless rolls—some cooked, some raw, some fried, and so on. They also provide traditional American/South Pacific-inspired flavor entrees.

I purposely leave out fancy Japanese restaurants centered around an Omakase, Chef-inspired menu. Nor am I here to argue that Omakase is the best way to experience all the different flavors. We are here to discuss raw fish and sushi, not black cod in glaze sauce. The place I refer to as above average has a list of fish you have never heard of. Of course, they provide standards such as tuna, yellowtail, California, and our beloved spicy tuna roll. Every time you visit this place, they have different fish on the menu because they are purchased in small batches and delivered weekly. While this place typically has a simple menu offering, it comes with a hefty price tag that most of us do not have a stomach for. Typically, because of the shipping costs and rarity of the fish, each piece could start at $12.00. A roll is usually served as a hand roll and comes in at $12.00-$36.00. This place has little ambiance; you are there for quality sushi, not neon tables and waterfalls.

Now that you understand that you typically eat average sushi let me show you how to beat the system. I’ll show you what to order, how to order it, and how to defeat average sushi!

First things first

It’s probably not fresh.

Did you know that depending on your state, you might have never had non-frozen raw fish unless you catch it yourself and take a bite? Commercial fishermen almost always freeze the catch immediately to preserve its flavor and increase shelf life. All fish entering the USA from foreign countries must be frozen, and the US imports 85% of the fish we consume.

Navigating the Average Sushi Bar

Tuna Roll/Spicy Tuna Roll/Pieces or Hand Roll

It’s a travesty what is being done to the Tuna roll. The latest trend involves using chopped raw fish, most likely the ends and unsavory-looking pieces of fish from the sashimi or nigiri. Ordering it spicy starts a whole other problem. The chopped mush becomes worse when tempura flakes are added to increase the density of the fish filling. If you are eating chopped mush, this will be your last time.

Below is the "Mush" Spicy Tuna Roll

We can debate rice on the outside vs. inside, but that’s not why we are here. When it comes to rice, this is a perfect representation of the rice ratio. The fish should slightly outweigh the rice in any situation where sushi is the subject. Continuing with our rice discussion, I have provided the image of perfection.

Have you ever run into this ... SEND IT BACK!

How to Order the Perfect Tuna Roll

To force the average sushi bar to serve Nobu-style fish while still getting the spicy tuna sauce, follow these instructions and never veer off the path. This is only for your everyday sushi bar. Please do not attempt to customize sushi at high-level sushi bars.

1. Order a Tuna roll by saying you want Tekka Maki.

2. Ask that the seaweed is on the outside (my preference).

3. Tell the server you do not like anything in the roll other than tuna. “Please, I don’t want avocado or cucumber and absolutely no tempura flakes, thank you.”

4. Ask for a side of spicy mayo.

If you order this way, I promise you will receive your local sushi bar's best-quality tuna roll. Dip your tuna roll into the spicy mayo and enjoy! Always stay away from rolls that use words like “crunchy.” This almost always means that they are using tempura flakes.

Tips for Successful Sushi Dining

1. Stay Away from Fried Rolls.

First and foremost, there is no such thing as fried and healthy. We eat sushi for freshness, health, and flavor of fish. You get none of the above when you order the Shrimp Tempura Roll, double-fried in tempura. To each their own, you completely defeat the greatness of sushi with orders like this—one exception: the Spider Roll.

2. Keep It Basic.

 When you order sushi at the average place, keep it simple. Order the following recommendations, and you can’t go wrong:

   1. Salmon nigiri

   2. Tuna nigiri

   3. Ikura nigiri (This is hit or miss)

   4. Tekka maki roll (no veggies, no crunch, spicy mayo on the side, seaweed outside)

   5. Yellowtail with scallion roll (seaweed outside)

   6. California roll (ask if they have real crab to substitute the fake crab stick; it’s worth the extra $4.00)

   7. Spider Roll if you need to get exotic

   8. Rainbow Roll

What to Avoid

Tuna Belly or Anything Exotic.

   Do not order tuna belly, otherwise known as toro. There is a new trend of “Medium” toro on the menu these days, and I am suspicious. Toro should be $15.00-$20.00 per piece and taste like butter! It should melt in your mouth. Anything else is colorless tuna being sold as “Belly.”

Rolls with Too Many Contents Inside.

   For a couple of reasons: if you are in the company of others, you don’t want to eat a roll with the circumference of a burrito from Chipotle. It will fall apart, and you will look ridiculous trying to shove it into your mouth. The fish loses its spotlight when too many players are present in the roll. Raw fish should be consumed on its own.

How to Avoid Sharing Sushi

My least favorite sushi dining experiences are with people I do not know well or lunch sushi with co-workers. Sushi makes an already awkward experience even more so.

A tip for eating sushi in a group: how not to share. Eating sushi in a group setting, especially with people you do not know, becomes instantly awkward. Due to how sushi is served, in a community-style dish or wooden slab, some people eat faster than others and have their way of eating sushi. Some pick up the piece with their hands, others with chopsticks, and they may or may not flip the side of the chopstick inside their mouth before retrieving another piece. Two words take you out of the sharing game: Hand roll. Ordering #4, 5, and 6 as a hand roll instead of a cut roll makes it clear to the group that it is not for sharing. Again, my personal opinion, but a hand roll is far greater than a cut roll. It’s almost like a better-engineered taco should be. Trust me, order hand rolls and say goodbye to sharing.

Final Thoughts

One of the wiser men I have met told me that I shouldn’t worry about how to eat or enjoy anything in life from another man's perspective. Given that advice, one should enjoy sushi however they want and not in any other way. I may not like fried sushi, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong for you to enjoy it. Ultimately, the goal is to enjoy the sushi experience, regardless of personal preferences. Whether you prefer simple nigiri, exotic rolls, or classic favorites with a twist, the most important thing is to savor each bite. Eat what you love, avoid what you don't, and remember that the best sushi experience is one that makes you happy.