Sushi Tips – How to Eat Sushi (or Expected Etiquette)
This article has been moved to the How to Eat Sushi page on The Sushi FAQ). Please follow the aforementioned link to an expanded version of this article.
posted by war3rd | 1:25 PM
17 Comments:
I like it.
I'm bummed though. I really like ginger on my sushi and I love extra wasabi in my soy sauce.
Then do it! :)
Ultimately I think that it is most important to enjoy your meal above all else. I just made this post as a reference or item of interest more than saying "you have to do it this way." Plus, westerners have a tendancy to do things their own way anyway, so as long as you are not in a traditional sushi-ya in Tokyo, be yourself...
Cheers,
Warren
The sushi guy
Learned a lot here. thanks for a good post.
Great Post, definitely digging this. Also your sushifaq.com is great. My g/f just got me a sushi set for valentines day and I have been looking for some new rolls.
Steve
www.whobutsb.blogspot.com
Also, don't ask somebody a question just after they stuffed a giant futomaki piece in their mouth. You won't get an answer right away. If you do get an immediate answer, it will come with a shower of saliva-wet rice.
Nice job! Early in my sushi experience a itamae taught me to eat with my hands and explained that chop sticks for sushi was American thing. Sashimi the exception as you pointed out.
Later I was on a business meal with some Koreans and they were stunned that I wasn't using chopsticks and insisted that sushi should be eatten with chop sticks. They could also do some amazing drumming and tricks with their sticks!
Doug - I find it difficult to imagine Koreans drumming with their chopsticks. Perhaps they were young and poorly behaved Korean-American yootes?
war3ed, I was pleased to see that I was following most of your guidance already. My dilemma was always with tipping. Your solution of splitting the tip seems to make sense. However I spend about $50 on a big meal at my local sushi restaurant and tip out $10. I might feel a bit cheap dropping a $5 in the jar and $5 on the bill. The waitress might not see me tip the itamae and the itamae might not see my bill! Am I putting too much pressure on myself?
My opinion? I think so. I think that they expect that at a decent sushi-ya, so you may be over thinking it. I always tip the itamae, and I assume that the waitstaff knows sees the tip jar for the itamae, and therefore assumes you have done so. If there is no tip jar and they don't make it easy (since you shouldn't hand him money directly) you can always ask how to tip the itamae for his efforts. I think it shows respect, and if the staff doesn't, then they probably have other issues :)
Tipping is always a difficult balance, even at western restaurants (at least I tip based on service and attitude), so this just gives us one more thing to think about I guess...
Cheers,
Warren
The sushi guy
Thank you for sharing these info.!
Hugs,
M
Hi, I'm a Japanese, and also for me, these were interesting.
Well, I have to say that, I've never seen a tip jar, nor somebody tipping the itamae or the waitress, in Japan.
And after the meal I think the most pleased words for the itamaes are "oishikatta desu" which means "it was delicious".
Please try to use it, if you liked it.
Enjoy sushi.
Domo arigato, Slightlyblue. I appreciate your comments. I am always interested in other people's insight and have modified my entry to reflect your suggestion. I write mostly for westerners and am happy that you found this interesting. Feel free to clarify anything else that I may be mistaken about or if you feel there may be something I have missed. I would really like to make this a more comprehensive list for reference purposes.
Thanks again!
Warren
The sushi guy
Hey Warren,
Fantastic site you've got there!!!
The sushi tips are really helpful and seriously an eye opener to me. Me and a few of my other fishing friends (including my fiance) are all-out sashimi fanatics. We will sashimi the fish we caught right on the spot if given the chance. and yea! Fresh caught fish, served sashimi style is heavenly...
Looking forward to your next posting!!
Cheers,
Angel
Thanks for the great post. I wonder what your opinion is on my dilemma .. what about take-out orders (in the US)? When I go to my local sushi restaurant, I almost always just ask for take-out. While I am waiting, a waitress often serves me tea (without my asking). Do I tip her? How much? Do I tip the itamae?
Personally, I don't. But since I'm a regular at a few places they know me and I tip well generally, so it balances out. I actually don't tip anywhere for takeout (and I live in the States), though as I don't see it as necessary. And a cup of tea is not really an expense for them, so I wouldn't worry about it. Just be friendly and appreciative when you return.
Warren
the sushi guy.
Many people who prepare and serve takeout orders do work for tips, myself included.
I work at Outback Steakhouse and I make $2.13 an hour, by far most of my income is from tips. Those that don't know to tip are frustrating, but I can understand why they wouldn't think to do it.
If in doubt please ask your server if they work for tips. And tipping based on service still applies, if they threw your food at you and didn't show any courtesy then tip accordingly.
Taiwanese customarily put the wasabi in the soy sauce and eat the ginger with the sushi.
It works for me.
One thing I find in "Western" Sushi bars which I have never run into in Japan, is the practice of wearing perfume or heavy doses of aftershave at the bar.
The whole experience is ruined, and the Subtelty of the flavors can be destroyed.
Post a Comment
<< Home