Posts Tagged nigiri

I challenge people to find better nigiri sushi and sashimi in Melbourne than ones from Shiranui. I could eat this when I am full, when I am hungry, when I am cold or when the weather is searing 35 degrees (even better). The dedication to freshness and quality is when you bite into each hand-crafted morsels. The rice is perfectly shaped, packed so they wont fall apart but loose enough to feel soft in the mouth. I heard from various food shows that it takes about 10 years for a sushi chef to master the art of shaping the rice. The fish is very fresh, the cuts are clean with no blood or visible connective tissue.

Interestingly, fish that is too fresh doesn’t taste as good as after they have ‘rested’ for a short period of time. It had something to do with rigor mortis making the flesh a bit touch and crunchy. The resting time varies between species and season. A bit like resting steak after it’s cooked or how espresso coffee taste better a week after roasting (rather than on the day of the roasting).

For my lunch at Shiranui on the weekend, we had the set lunches of sushi and sashimi. I forgot they don’t do omakase at lunch (unless booked), where you just leave the chef to decide what to serve you. Omakase means “it’s up to you” in Japanese I believe. When we were just watching the chef at work after eating out meals, he was putting some sea urchin roe into boxes, presumably for dinner service. I could not resist asking whether we could have some now. The chef agreed. The moment of surprise came when he some how spotted my soy sauce dish was already taken by the waitress and needed replacing. We were sitting at the sushi counter but my soy dish was placed in a blind spot close to the fridge. There was no way he could have known where my soy dish was (plus, my friend’s dish was visible and present). He must have noticed the waitress taking it away 5 minutes ago! Now that is attention to detail.

Note, when going for the omakase at night, listen to the chef when he explains whether the nigiri needs soy or not. Some come pre-seasoned with salt or soy already and a wrong move will cause his head to rapidly turn from his chopping and slicing towards the offending chopsitck holder. Shiranui: 247 Springvale Road Glen Waverley VIC 3150 Phone (03) 9886 7755