Austin Sushi News #17 April, 2002 Welcome to Austin Sushi News, a friendly by-product of the sushi website for Austin, Texas, www.austinsushi.com Once every month or so, we bring you the latest scoop on sushi bars and related matters in Austin, Texas. You can UNsubscribe at any time by sending email to austin-maki-unsubscribe@austinsushi.com. Subscribe by going to www.austinsushi.com and clicking on the mailing list icon. If you have any problems, please send email to webmaster@austinsushi.com CONTENTS: 1. YET ANOTHER NEW Sushi Bar.........! 2. Where to get the gear: Asahi Imports 3. Kenichi's Woes 4. Kudos to Crudo =============================================== 1. YET ANOTHER NEW Sushi Bar.........! We didn't believe the reports, but it's twoo, it's twoo. Mikado, Austin's 24th sushi bar, will open at the "beginning of May" according to its owners. It's located at the old "Mother of Pearl's" location, 9033 Research Blvd (the NE quadrant of Burnet road and 183). We recently stopped by to gawk at the swank interior. They definitely blew some monies on this decor, and, if the sushi is any good, Mikado will give our current top five a run for their money. Mikado 9033 Research Blvd (NE quadrant of Burnet road and 183) (512) 833-8188 =============================================== 2. Where to get the gear: Asahi Imports We've known for years that Asahi Imports is *the* place in Austin to find Japanese cooking gear, as well as associated trinkets. I bought my National rice cooker there seven years ago, as well as some serving trays and other supplies. Disclaimer: I've never bought their frozen raw fish. Sally Matsumae, one of the owners, sent email to congratulate us on austinsushi.com and to remind us that they are "the only Japanese store in Austin." "We carry virtually everything a person needs to start making sushi at home," she continues. "From Japanese rice to various vinegars to the actual sashimi-grade fish, we have it. The fish is frozen and comes sliced, so the only preparation needed is to thaw it out. (And we only carry the best quality fish available. We're very picky about our foods and especially when it comes to fish, so I can assure you that our customers are getting top-quality products.) We also carry sake, dishware and tea and sake sets, if you wanted to really have a Japanese setting." Asahi Imports 100 W. North Loop Austin, TX 78751 (512) 453-1850 =============================================== 3. Kenichi's Woes Time flies when you're eating sushi. It's hard to believe that Kenichi is now one year old. Known for their high prices, their overly attentive black-clad serving staff, and their love of late 70's/early 80's rock and roll, Kenichi was serving up some fine sushi early last year. All we can say is: what happened? After no less than six consecutive negative reports on the sushi quality at Kenichi, we are forced to downgrade them in our rankings. We don't know why things have gone downhill at Kenichi, but it just hasn't maintained the same quality that we experienced during their first few months of business. Their recent anniversary party, which featured discounted, and not particularly good, sushi, was the final straw. And speaking of ratings, our new ratings page should be online by the end of May. It will feature an elaborate matrix of criteria that you can use to judge local sushi bars. =============================================== 4. Kudos to Crudo Crudo is an Italian raw fish dish -- simpler than seviche, but more involved than sashimi. Introduced to the U.S. last summer by chefs Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich at their New York restaurant Esca (that's Italian for bait), crudo has become a big draw in New York City. Food pundits are expecting crudo's star to rise nationwide, riding the current wave of interest in sashimi and other raw fish delicacies. Typically, crudo is chunks of fresh raw fish, drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, and dressed with sea salt and maybe some radish or a dollop of fresh Gaeta olive aioli. Let's hope we see some of this action here in Austin.... An interesting article on wine and raw fish (including crudo) is at the Starchefs site: http://www.starchefs.com/sushi_and_wine/html The online food reporter, DIGESTion, also notes crudo's popularity in a column from last October: http://www.awardsamericas.com/News/digest18.html ===============================================