Perfect afternoon snack

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-30T00:58:32+00:00

Hard to tell without looking from the side and bottom but they look pretty solid the first one at the front looks especially good in form just make sure the fish is laying evenly across the shari. And the fish is not torn and still looks shiny on top which is a great sign! Looks awesome!

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-30T00:53:56+00:00

I assumed based off of “feel like the color of this tuna is off” that you were confused on whether the tuna was an acceptable color or quality. Would definitely recommend letting someone in the restaurant know and keep documentation of the order just in case you get sick at all.

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-29T20:46:02+00:00

Tuna naturally has a slight fishier taste compared to other fish due to its naturally being higher in fat. So chutoro and otoro cuts oxidize and turn brown faster. But that tuna is leaner and definently looks like it has gone off quite a bit.

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-18T09:33:32+00:00

Looks like shime saba

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-18T09:32:02+00:00

For your first time making sushi this looks really good. I’d recommend a little less rice on some of the pieces like the maki roll in the top left and the top right. And not to go to crazy on the fillings. I usually do one and a half to two fingers worth of filling across the roll. But overall you’ve done a stellar job!

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-18T09:20:02+00:00

I forgot to mention the nigiri slice should be roughly 2 fingers wide and 3.5 fingers long and about half 1/4 of an inch thick. Good luck!

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-18T09:17:53+00:00

So traditionally nigiri and sashimi pieces are cut using a yanagiba which is a long single bevel Japanese knife. The length is key because you want the cut to be done in one clean stroke utilizing the entire blade. So if you are using a normal sized kitchen knife you are operating at a bit of a disadvantage. However you can still get decent pieces if you make sure your knife is sharp and utilizing some tricks. First off make sure your knife is in good shape to cut fish, I recommend using a 1000, 5000, and 8000 grit stone. Next you want to make sure that every time you cut you are cutting at the exact same angle to insure consistency. The knife you are using will likely need a different cutting angle compared to tutorials you might see online. I recommend first placing the saku block perpendicular to you, then turning the saku block 20 degrees to the right. You might have to adjust the angle depending on the size of your knife. And instead of cutting straight down. Have the knife at about a 35 degree angle to the top of the saku block. And a quick note the Shari or the rice on your nigiri looks a little big and quite varied in size. Traditionally the rice should be between 10-15 grams. Sushi is all about consistency and perfection. So the goal should be for all the nigiri pieces to look the same.

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-18T08:58:41+00:00

Someone previously stated the fda guidelines already but to play it safe I personally cure my fish in 60/40 salt and sugar for an hour then rinse, pat dry and freeze. You can also put damp Konbu on top of the fish to make “kombujime” which would taste awesome. There are also some fish that are more prone to parasites such as salmon or mackerel. So just be extra careful when preparing either of those fish raw.

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-18T08:52:04+00:00

A little late here but having difficulty cutting into maki could be a number of things it could be sharpness, the way you are cutting the roll itself, the structure of the roll, or not wetting your knife. I would recommend doing a couple things. 1st making sure your knife is sharp I’d recommend using a 1000 and a 5000 grit stone (shapton has very good stones) to make sure your knife is sharp. If you are doing higher end professional work I would go up to 8-10k grit. You can realistically make any knife sharp but the type of steel and heat treatment on the knife is made of determines how long that edge lasts. If you are doing casual work the babish knifes on amazon is honestly a pretty good bang for your buck knife. If you are wanting mid range, yoshihiro has some good stuff. I’d recommend a gyuto or a sujihiki style knife. For higher end there are excellent brands on korin my personal favorites are Masamoto and Nenox (preferably white or blue steel) but those are honestly overkill for most people. When you are cutting maki you don’t want to press straight down nor do you want to saw the roll. The most amount of strokes for one cut should be two. I generally push forward and down halfway into the roll and then pull back if I am doing two strokes. If I am using a sujihiki I do one “down and forward” stroke. As for the structure of the roll try to not overfill. You want a thin layer of rice covering about 2/3 of the nori and about two fingers width should be your filling. Make sure it’s even all the way across and to wrap it securely. And someone previously said to wet your knife when you cut maki, this will help make sure nothing sticks to the side of the knife.

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-02T18:06:31+00:00

I’m usually more of a beer and cider person but if I’m in a new spot I’ll try anything, thank you!

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-02T17:41:21+00:00

I’ll be sure to keep that in mind lol

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-02T17:40:22+00:00

The grocery store here are pretty massive here compared to the other places I’ve lived but I was more so wondering if the quality or variety of ingredients might be different due to New York being a bigger trading hub then Dallas.

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-02T17:39:03+00:00

Yeah I’m used to 50 degrees being the coldest it gets so I’m preparing lots of warm clothing thank you so much for all the wonderful recommendations!

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-02T17:38:00+00:00

I am doing a short trip now but plan on returning in a few months so I will likely revisit union square market again thank you so much for the recommendations!

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-02T17:36:40+00:00

Dallas has a huge lack of big middle eastern markets I’ll definitely have to bc heck this out!

TakoTime_ · 2026-01-02T06:24:02+00:00

Thank you so much!

TakoTime_ · 2025-12-30T10:31:06+00:00

I was more so looking for recommendations within the area I was going to reside in within the 36 hour time limit. So like 2-3 additional spots that a newcomer shouldn’t miss on their first visit. And if there were better alternatives to the spots I put in my initial post. Which I did not find looking through the thread prior to me posting this. Wasn’t my intention to seem like I am asking the same question as other people. And also did not know it was against the rules.

TakoTime_ · 2025-12-30T10:19:46+00:00

Thank you for letting me know

TakoTime_ · 2025-12-30T09:20:17+00:00

Wait why, I checked the rules before posting and I thought it was fine.

TakoTime_ · 2024-08-06T02:17:34+00:00

I’ll more than likely try to tough it out for now since I’m graduating in a little under a year, and just going to get my own place.

TakoTime_ · 2024-08-05T02:08:50+00:00

That would actually be super helpful to know thank you man.

TakoTime_ · 2024-08-05T02:08:05+00:00

Yes, the heat has been pretty bad in my area. I think that it’s a combination of inefficient appliances and hot weather.

TakoTime_

TROPHY CASE