Delhi is currently seeing a wave of Sushi restaurants setting up shop and the discerning diner is not only getting adventurous with his/her food but is also equally adroit when it comes to demanding the very best from Sushi chefs. As they say, Sushi is not just food, it's pure art presented in the shape of food.?
And this trend is here to stay, making 2020, the year of the Sushi, that is quite literally the go-to food for people who want unique experiences in their food and what better way to do that than by delving into the complex, intricate world of super healthy Japanese cuisine. Not to forget that it is extremely delicious too.
Right from the time when Chef Augusto Cabrera, formerly with the Threesixty restaurant at the Delhi Oberoi, introduced Delhiites to what Sushi was all about, to now when he shifted base to the standalone restaurant Townhall, that is a sushi bastion, this food trend seems to have hit the city and the country too, in a big way. Most people who eat at his restaurant largely come for Sushi and there are a lot of deliveries for Sushi too.?
"Sushi is the star of Japanese cuisine and a traditional food prepared with Japanese vinegar, short-grain rice, salt, sugar and Konbu (kelp/large seaweeds) accompanied with a variety of ingredients, such as seafood and vegetables," says Cabrera, Managing Partner / Corporate Chef of Town Hall / Public Affair / Mr Choy Bar and Restaurants. He says it is very popular not only for the Japanese but also for locals and foreigners. "Most love Japanese food these days and the fact that it is selling is why we are in business," he adds.
Earlier, sushi was looked upon as most elite food that only knowledgeable people with big fat wallets would eat, at some really expensive joints. But as of now, sushi is finally becoming the food of just about anybody, given that it is available all over and even at tiny places selling only Japanese food. Though of course, the quality of sushi differs. And the debate over authentic Sushi and junk Sushi continues.?
For a Sushi beginner, it is imperative to know that Sushi does not only mean raw fish, though it can be that in its original form of a raw fish perched on a rice pellet too, (Nigiri Sushi) for the Japanese. In India, only the Sashimi has raw fish if you like that. Whereas Sushi can also be of different fishes, like an eel, which is cooked or a mixture of cooked/raw fish and even something like prawn tempura inside rice rolls wrapped in seaweed. Fusion Sushi or whatever you may call it, is on the plate of people who are relishing Japanese cuisine.?
And with so much of customisation for the palate, Sushi is fast becoming a home-grown delight with as many inventive fillings inside the rice rolls.?
Indian sushi rolls have cooked ingredients, masalas, spicy sauces, deep-fried ingredients and even vegetarian options that were invented by chefs who didn't want to send back customers clamouring for the new hot food trend.?
And how do you eat your Sushi? What are the condiments served with it and how best to pair them??
Chef Vaibhav Bhargava, formerly with Vietnom and now an independent food consultant says, ¡°Sushi can be eaten with your hands too. Food is supposed to bring you joy, after all. You can use chopsticks, else. Originally Sushi was a fermented rice dish where the vinegar fermentation prevented fish stored with it from spoiling. Today, modern sushi takes all forms but the key ingredient that makes the dish is the vinegar-soaked rice, usually seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar and salt."
"Ingredients inside the rice rolls can be anything - fish, vegetables, and meats, wrapped in seaweed. Condiments are wasabi (a green paste made from Japanese horseradish) and ginger (pink pickled slices). The Japanese use ginger to clear their palates in between courses and the wasabi should be mixed with shoyu (soy sauce) as a dip for your sushi,¡± he explains.
As to why it is such a hot food trend, he says that a lot of guests are now world travellers and they know and understand their food much better than the previous generation.?
¡°Now more than ever, people are very health-conscious and the Japanese way of living and eating is considered extremely healthy so hence the interest in Sushi that has the power food, seaweeds. Given that Sushi is fast rising on the popularity charts, more and more standalone restaurants are catering to people who want to try Japanese food, including Sushi, and hence easy availability with not extremely high prices, is making it a popular food choice,¡± he feels.?