The Rice is (not) Right

Submitted by kvetch on Tue, 2003-07-29 18:51
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Musashino recently opened for lunch and I ate there last week. I called first because I was suspicious (you have to eat upstairs in Chinatown) but they said the people making the sushi are the same chefs from downstairs.

I lived in NY for many years and ate tons of good sushi, expensive and not so expensive. But when I moved here I couldn't believe the high prices! That said, when I shell out the fat bank for Musashino I don't expect to have any complaints.

The fish was excellent as always but the rice was all wrong. Too sweet and had an off taste too. And without tasty sushi rice, how can one enjoy the whole sushi experience? I didn't bother sending anything back because I wasn't sure how they could fix it. I've had this experience elsewhere, usually at cheaper places.

On sort of the same subject, I find Whole Foods downtown to have very good prepared sushi - the rice is right and the nori is a good texture. Do not buy prepared sushi from Central Market. It's gross.

While I'm at it I need to say that I won't be eating at Sushi Sake (north) anymore after my third bad experience there. First bones (!) in my hamachi handroll, then twice hamachi nigiri with the fish cut so poorly that I could not bite through it. What is it with these people, how difficult is it to cut ACROSS the grain?

I haven't been to Uchi yet but I have high hopes!

by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2003-10-29 18:27
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Bad food: We a similar bad experience with bad salmon sashimi at Ichiban: it had some kind of cartilage section going through it that was just unbelievable. Of course we sent it back and they actually made us pay for it! Never again! Hmmm, other bad sushi I've had in Austin was at the little sushi bar next to Momoko bubble tea. It was VERY old and inedible. I paid for it just because I felt sorry for them, but I definately didn't eat it. It was most likely poisonous to anyone other than Hello Kitty. We also went to Kenichi and it was very bland boring sushi and stupidly expensive. I think that restaurant is for morons, there is no other explanation. Good food: MIKADO RYOTEI 9033 Research Map 833-8188 Austin So good! The food is always perfect and the waitresses are super nice, intelligent, and attentive. I think anything you order will be delightful and the prices are low compared to the stellar food quality. UMI SUSHI 5510 S. I-35 Map 383-8806 Austin 78745 Wow, I've gone here probably 25 times over the years and never once had an even slightly bad experience. Anything you order will be great! I will try more sushi restaurants now that I've found this great site!

by aqn on Fri, 2003-11-21 11:39
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Written on Tue Jul 29, 2003 6:51 pm: [quote="kvetch"]Musashino recently opened for lunch and I ate there last week. I called first because I was suspicious (you have to eat upstairs in Chinatown) but they said the people making the sushi are the same chefs from downstairs. [/quote] I was there for noodles for lunch twice, once in August and once way back in Spring 2003 (I think). Both times I ate downstairs. There were other lunch diners there as well, so it's not just me. I don't know who told you that you "have to eat upstairs in Chinatown". If you're talking about sushi, there is indeed a sushi bar upstairs. One of the people who work up there, Take-san, used to work downstairs at Musashino. At least, the last time I was up there in evening, about a year ago, he was there. I do not know if the Chinatown sushi bar is open for lunch. [quote]I lived in NY for many years and ate tons of good sushi, expensive and not so expensive. But when I moved here I couldn't believe the high prices! That said, when I shell out the fat bank for Musashino I don't expect to have any complaints.[/quote] I lived in NYC for 15 years (1977-1992) and I must say Musashino's prices ain't cheap, but it's about medium as far as NYC sushi goes. I have also been to sushi places in California (L.A. and Santa Clara) and the price/quality scale *seems* comparable. [quote]The fish was excellent as always but the rice was all wrong. Too sweet and had an off taste too.[/quote ] With due respect, I disagree. I surely do not know what "proper" or "authentic" sushi rice should taste like, neither being Japanese nor having been to Japan. I do know that I like their stuff so much I have been going to Musashino every Friday since the Spring of 1996. The quality is just heads-and-shoulders above anything else. Indeed, IMHO, Musashino rivals hoity-toity sushi places like Nobu of Las Vegas. [quote]I didn't bother sending anything back because I wasn't sure how they could fix it. I've had this experience elsewhere, usually at cheaper places. [/quote] Unfortunately, food is such a personal thing, and I am indeed sorry to hear that you didn't like Musashino's rice. It's a shame since they have a lot to offer. [quote]On sort of the same subject, I find Whole Foods downtown to have very good prepared sushi[/quote] "Prepared sushi"? Sounds like "fresh frozen". [img]http://www.gti-vr6.net/images/smileys/icon_puke.gif[/img] [img]http://www.gti-vr6.net/images/smileys/biggrinbounce2.gif[/img] [quote]I haven't been to Uchi yet but I have high hopes![/quote] It's definitely different, definitely not "traditional zushi" like Musashino. We have been there a handful of times and liked it a lot. One of the founders, Tyson Cole, was Smokey-san's right-hand guy at Musashino. Another founder used to be the chef at Demi-Epicurious. If you do go, please be sure to write a couple of words of feedback on here. Thanks.[/img]