sushi 2 cents

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2005-09-19 19:56
Body: 

Mikado is not even notable. this place is like a whitebread sports bar with chinese owner's that had a dream about "Japanese Menu Fortune".
It's not japanese folks. I'm not knocking non-native owners, but make it right! They can't even pronounce their own menu items, much less greetings (They try to say Irashai-Mai-Sen when you walk in, and they butcher it). It's presented with a strip-mall, neon, try-to-be-modern way, but no substance.
If you have had real sushi in NYC, SF, Seattle, or Tokyo (sorry, but higher concentration of Japanesy stuff, people and prone to coastal fresh fish) - this is not going to satisfy you.

Musashino is still better (but not 100% for the purist). They were once great, but they have lost their enthusiasm as the "top"- However they still deliver a good meal. By purist i mean 'comfort foods' are kinda tricked out to make them seem different. But this doesn't work for 2 reasons: The Texan public generally has never had real Katsu-curry (they make it with minced meat) -AND- If you are Japanese, you want something that tasted familiar from your home, and you get it and the chef has tried to make it 'gourmet'. They are comfort foods for a reason. If you are going to mess with them, do it in the country of origin so we have a reference or an escape path to the real thing.

Uchi is excellent, but NOT really Japanese, at least they make fantastic dishes with a Japanese influence. SUPER fresh fish, great decor and ambiance, and they have sake brands other than Gekkikan. (Try Onigoroshi- cold- we live in TX)

-Don't confuse this with UMI, which also serves as a strip-mall, beer-neon, cheezy decor, and chinese interpretations of "Japanese" food.
Umi is really bad. They dont make sushi rice (sushi rice needs vinegar), and it's not even Japanese rice- sashimi and rolls require this for stickyness and flavor. The Gyoza is deep fried- sooooo taboo, and screams chinese take-out. The sashimi was ok, but i honestly have gotten better fish from Central Market South (and that's not saying much since it's a grocery store and premade hours before i ate it). Oh, and that Ponzu sauce the "Roving Gourmet" talks about is from a bottle you can get at HK market for about $2.49.

by tofu on Fri, 2008-01-18 16:01
Comment: 
ha, calling like it is. there is a difference between the american sushi and the japanese sushi depending on the cultural time frame of the period. first. sushi had no rice and was used as a preservation tool to keep fish from spoiling.. they would actually throw away the vingered rice. second not until later did they put a slab of fish on rice as not to be wasteful.. as toro at that time was know to be cat food. yes the bad part of the tuna. third. progression of sushi to an aristocrat cuisine. where most families only eat it one or 3 times a year. Now, being in a healthy food conscious world, sushi becomes everyday.. rice outside being stamp of american sushi. Depending on the region of japan and time period, there are regulations to being a certified chef trained in japan, i believe 7 years.. The 23 years i've lived in austin... i have found none... but i found some great old japanese sushi men. terou kasuga .. being one.. who taught tyson when he was a baby. haha. for austin's best is only at the foothill of a mountain.. of what sushi is... in nyc, san fran, tokyo, UK. How would i know?... i work at some of those places. just my 2 cents.. I think my sushi justed moved.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2005-09-20 01:11
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Hi victor : are u working at uchi? :-D fantastic dishes ? eel with ice cream ? :-o

by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2005-09-20 01:22
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I named victor best national trash talker in austin sushi .com :-D

by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2005-09-20 19:23
Comment: 
[quote="victor"] (They try to say Irashai-Mai-Sen when you walk in, and they butcher it). [/quote] You mean "Irasshaimase"? A standard welcome? Maybe you can enlighten us as to what "Irashai-Mai-Sen" means, I can't find any sort of definition for it.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2006-02-06 17:01
Comment: 
Bored, guys? No one even answered his actual criticisms. Uchi IS a little obnoxious with their broad interpretations. There was balsamic vinegar on half my order and that was a dealbreaker for me. And UMI does suck. In fact, I'd say that HEB sushi is better. So he didn't say anything original, so what?

by mcap on Wed, 2006-02-08 13:29
Comment: 
This is Mike from Uchi. Victor is correct that we do not serve authentic Japanese food, nor have we ever claimed to. As our executive chef has said before, he would have been fired immediately from a Japanese sushi bar for serving sashimi and fruit on the same plate (which describes some of our most popular dishes). Sushicritic: I'll put Uchi's dishes up against dishes from any place you deem "fantastic." Loser buys the super toro sashimi.