Sushi Restaurants - How To

 After enjoying my meals at Sushi Ichiban in Las Vegas, I wanted to find something similar at home in New Jersey.  First I tried Sushi Palace in Edison, NJ. We went during the week but still placed in the side room.  The waitress barely spoke English and had trouble explaining how to place our order.  We were given this menu and told to select what we wanted and quantities.  Would we be able to order  again? After a 5 minute conversation we understood we could, except for dessert. 

Honestly I didn't think the food was that great, but we were already there, so why not get our money's worth. There were the traditional menu items along with some "house" offerings. Such as the Jersey Girl, Somerset Roll, Princeton Roll, and Edison Roll. We left disappointed but full. 

Next we tried Makoto Asian Cuisine in Avenel, NJ. The decor and quality of food was much improved. The all you can eat sushi is $28 per person and worth it. Having used Google to assist at the previous restaurant, I felt confident placing my order without internet assistance. 

Make sure you familiarize yourself with the basics.

Sashimi is thinly sliced raw meat usually alone or with garnishes.

Nagiri is thinly sliced raw or cooked meat served over a bed of rice. 

Sushi roll is vinegar rice and fillings rolled with seaweed and usually have the rice on the outside. 

Maki is sushi rice and fillings rolled in nori seaweed.

Temaki is cone shaped sushi roll with rice and various ingredients, meant to be eaten by hand.

It's a good idea to try a large variety of rolls while at the all you can eat sushi.  That way when you are buying a la carte you already know what you like.  Add the following to your checklist; eel, squid, shrimp, soft shell crab, kani, tuna, salmon, yellow tail, red snapper, and white fish. 

Keep in mind you will most likely have other options beside just sushi. Tempura is battered and deep fried vegetables or shrimp. Hibachi refers to meat cooked on an open grill.  Teriyaki refers to Hibachi style meat with a special sauce made from soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Udon is thick Japanese noodles that can be served as a soup. Yakitori are vegetable and meet skewers.

Finally we were ready to try Momotaro Japanese Cuisine in Clark, NJ. This is an upscale sushi restaurant that does not offer all you can eat option.  Since we had been trying various types of rolls, I was ready to narrow down my choices and order a couple rolls that I already knew I was a fan of. The price was around $40 per person and worth it. This was top quality, fresh ingredients which tasted amazing.  With the ambiance, friendly and fast service this was an exceptional dining experience.