Sushi Etiquette
 

So after leaving Sushi Hachi from another great meal, I have to ask, is there any sushi etiquette I should be aware of?

For instance, normally when I go to Hanako, I know the chef well enough and am comfortable having him tell me which sushi I should dunk in soy sauce.

And is it acceptable to eat ginger after every bite of maki, nigiri, sashimi? Someone told me its only suppose to be after sashimi or something like that to cleanse the palette?

Share your sushi knowledge!

Do whatever you prefer. Short of drowning everything in soy sauce or putting ginger on your sushi, there's not much you can do that would be considered "wrong" or "inappropriate". If someone has all these "rules" they follow, that's their problem. Enjoy your food!

Traditionally I think you're only suppose to eat the ginger after the serving, kinda like how you eat the mint garnish off a plate of chocolate desserts last.
But nobody's going to condemn you for not doing that, and besides, if you have the type of money to throw around eating sushi all day long, you might as well find the method that you find most appropriate.

I think the etiquette only applies to super high end sushi restaurants (which we have very very few of in Vancouver, someone correct me if I'm wrong though). I did learn that it is rude to rub your chopsticks together to remove the splinters, apparently you're supposed to pull them off.

^^well I think the restaurant isn't all that "classy" to be handing out wooden chopsticks wrapped in paper to begin with. :/
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well, most people do the wasabi/soy slurry, and i learned that's not cool.

Soy the fish side only. Don't let the soy touch the rice.
At least for nigiri.

Not sure how it works for sashimi though

there's no real sushi-ya's in vancouver that really require etiquette. just do whatever you feel comfortable doing. about the ginger, its best to eat it after each piece of sushi to cleanse your palate if your switching from 1 fish to another. also helpful if your going from say something strong in taste like saba to a more delicate fish like tai.

Regardless of what you do, they're not going to kill you for violating the rules. At most, you'll get a snicker.

A few Japanese restaurant etiquette tips I picked up after living in Japan...

1. Y'know that thing we all do when we rub wooden chopsticks together? Well, apparently that's rude since it implies that the restaurant gives you inferior quality, splinter-filled chopsticks.

2. Tips are discouraged. It's like telling the restaurant workers that their jobs don't pay them enough money and you're giving them some pity cash.

3. Not really a restaurant thing but don't eat while walking, in the subway, in the subway stations, in any sort of mall, in most places on the street, or near anyone except in a restaurant. Basically anything that makes others aware of your presence is probably rude.

The ginger is suppose to be eaten inbetween sashimi.

Don't know why I'm placing this in here, but it is related....... kind of. It does mention etiquette.

http://www.dooneyscafe.com/archives/469

I knew Koji well. He was quite the character in his younger days. I still go to his son's restaurant once in a while. Koko on Hastings.

is koji's still open? i've never heard of this restaurant and it seems to have zero reviews or mentions after a quick google.

It's called Koko. Koji was the name of the restaurant Koji ran upstairs from Shimizu Shoten (Japanese Food Centre - 300 block of East Hastings). Both places no longer exist. It's some Buddhist temple or something now. Koko, the one that is run by his son is on Hastings near On On (Victoria Drive area).

Not sushi, but Ramen (still Japanese food!)

Contrary to what Chinese children are taught, when eating Ramen, you are supposed to slurp as loud as you can to show appreciation to the Ramen chef.

of course, do this only in actual Japanese restaurants, or in Japan, to avoid looking like an idiot.

I think you meant, On Lok, no? Just checking.

and they probably are.

Interesting. Does this only apply to higher end restaurants? Or all eats in general?

In Japan, absolutely no tips. Whether it's a super high end place or a noodle stand. Or pretty much everything else you'd tip for elsewhere too.

From I learned watching a japanese sushi drama, you should dip it in your tea.

Haha...I spent a month in Japan and I really should have picked up on this but was usually too hungry to care. In that month, I think I only saw one Japanese business man eating nigiri on a subway car. I ate while waiting at stations, on the subway, walking down streets, etc lol.

I also got really confused at how to eat ramen when they give you hot soup with noodles in it and then a side plate with all the fixings. I dumped them into the soup bowl and I think that was wrong.

Sushi, not sashimi.

Haha I only did that once in Japan, was eating KFC while walking down the streets of Shinjuku... AWKWARD! lol but I was buzzed and starving! :p

I'm pretty sure what you ordered was the Tsuke-men which has the noodles on the side, you are suppose to dip each bite into the soup and eat, not throw the whole bowl in ... otherwise it would have just been served like that to begin with haha, live and learn ;)

Yup, my bad. On On is on Kingsway. On Lok....... haven't been there in a while.

the second and 3rd one is usually in Jap and it's true, the first one is an interesting one.

Since you asked...


(yes, it's probably a repost. I don't care. And, in case you can't figure it out, this is a joke).

Speaking of Sushi Hachi (Richmond)

Could be one of the better sushi places on this planet; (considering food quality only) Japan included.

If you haven't tried it already, seriously do.