Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

In true Japanese style
Sashimi, Maki, Agedashi Tofu… Ooh yum… Intrigued? Then discover the joys of Japanese cuisine with Smriti Daniel
Irrashaimase (welcome) dear reader to the “foodie” club. (Since you’re reading this I’m going to assume you’d like to experiment with Japanese cuisine). I can confess, now that I’m an addict, that if it had not been for a certain very determined man, impeccable presentation and a fortunate moment of joie de vivre, I would have stayed away from Japanese food. You see, I had been brainwashed by ideas of smelly bits of slimy raw fish sliding (master alliteration) down my reluctant throat that I took a lot of convincing; but then two things happened. The first was called “actually-eating-Japanese-food” and the second was a restaurant called Nihonbashi.

The latter is why I asked Darshan Munidasa – the owner of Nihonbashi – to assist me with my good deed for the week, introducing you to a great Japanese meal. But as Darshan pointed out, this is going to have to be a very, very basic intro. Before we begin in earnest, let’s just get one thing out of the way, while sashimi (raw fish) is one of the most popular dishes, it is neither smelly, nor yucky and no, it does not come garnished with fish scales.
Titanic Tuna in the shopping basket:

Let us begin from the beginning: the moment where we buy the fish. (I’m ignoring the part where the fish were first in the sea). Going shopping with Darshan is a real eye opener; after all, it’s not everyday that I get to hang around with someone who wants to buy a sixty kilo fish – at the very least.
Here, Darshan looks for the perfect sashimi fish. Little bits of meat are extracted from the body of the fish and handed to Darshan. He feels them, rolls them in the palm of his hand – checking for fat content and texture and also for color – the redder the better. Finally, we settle on one and it’s towed away (by two men!) and dumped in his car.

According to Darshan, this is the hardest part. Ingredients, he informs me, are the foundation and possibly half the house of Japanese cooking. Everything has to be as fresh as possible, as clean as possible, and of as high a quality as possible. Of course, these characteristics don’t come cheap, and I nearly faint dead away when I discover what the price tag on our fish is.

From deep sea to sashimi:
We head back to the restaurant at Galle Face gardens where a bunch of very skilled chefs are waiting eagerly to lay eyes and hands on our purchase. I am quickly reminded that carnivorous foodies and good chefs could always use a smattering of biology. Darshan’s men slice and dice and clean up our Yellow Fin Tuna (sometimes it’s Big Eye Tuna). Very special (and specific) knives are required for the process, Darshan explains. The tuna is then bandaged (yes, you read me right), and then stored at a certain temperature.

Once we’re done, Darshan offers us some fresh tuna sashimi. Sashimi (and not sushi) is the Japanese term for sliced fish, especially tuna – served raw as a delicacy and eaten immediately after preparation. We spread a little wasabi on it, dip it in soya sauce and slam it down. Mouth wateringly delicious, the simple meal has me contemplating holding them up and running away with their stores of tuna.

Before we go any further, let me rewind a little and introduce you to wasabi. It’s the very pungent, bright green paste (that sits so innocently on the corner of the dish), and is meant to be a condiment. Wasabi loves to trick the unprepared – eat more than a few small smudges, and you can (literally) feel a little bit of your sinus cavity vaporize. If it happens, just enjoy the explosive feeling and sit it out, because it disappears as suddenly as it arrives.

A course meal:
It’s later in the evening, and we’re back at Nihonbashi. My partner and I have decided we want to indulge ourselves a little and so we’re here to sample one of the “course meals” (spotted on the menu earlier in the day). According to Darshan, who seems to approve, this is one of the best ways to be introduced to or enjoy Japanese cuisine.

We don’t get a room (a closed off section with traditional floor seating and a good view) as they’re all packed; and so we take a table instead. Candles flicker and are reflected in the water… I find myself quite charmed. Once we’re seated, as is customary, we’re given a cold, moistened towel to wipe our hands with. Once the menu is presented, I don’t allow myself to get distracted and instead head straight to the section, which lists the various course selections. We have a choice of four, however, (predictably) I let greed rule and we go for the Tokkuri course, which seems to have all my favorite dishes.

Let me take you through.
First on our table is a Sashimi appetizer. Five types of fish are presented on a bed of crushed ice, and the ice is contained in dish that resembles a big boat, hence the name. Sashimis is always eaten with chopsticks, so before you pick up some, pour a little soya sauce into the small dish placed next to you, spread a little wasabi on your tuna and dip it into the sauce. If it’s your first time, you might want to give the cuttlefish a pass… something about the slightly creamy, slightly rubbery texture sometimes puts people off. You might see thin white slices of ginger (gari) on your plate; these are meant to be eaten between pieces of sushi as palate cleansers. Feel free to help yourself to heaps of artistically shredded raddish and carrots.

The next serving is of Yakitori. This dish makes for a great starter, and is comparatively “safer” as it’s grilled. Darshan explains that Yakitori consists of chicken meat (or almost any other part) grilled in the open air on sticks, and complemented by a special sauce.

The next dish appears in a square bowl. Agedashi Tofu is made by gently frying delicate, soft white tofu, and serving it with a tempura sauce. Tofu appears in numerous Japanese dishes, cooked in a variety of styles. It’s one of the few foods that can be made as tasty as it is healthy. In a few moments, you’ll probably be looking wistfully down at a now empty bowl, as the waiter makes room for the next dish – Namaharumaki – a fresh spring roll stuffed with crabstick and crunchy vegetables.

Now this is not my favorite maki – the tempura shrimp and avocado makis get that vote, (especially when served with Darshan’s wasabi mayo). If you’re vegetarian Kappa (cucumber) makis are a good choice, and yes, there’s plenty of vegi stuff in Japanese cuisine. A maki, you should know, is essentially a roll made with seaweed (nori), slightly vinegared rice and various fillings. Seaweed can have a papery texture, and is an acquired taste. Once you are hooked, however, it’s a habit that’s hard to kick.

Next up is the tempura platter. Tempura is essentially a way of preparing certain ingredients (everything from sea food to curry leaves) that involves coating them in batter and deep frying them. Whole tempura prawns are the highlight of this dish. The Nigiri sushi arrives soon after – hand shaped oblong mounds of sushi rice with sashimi like slices for toppings – and is one of the dishes you can choose to eat with your hand. Last, but very far from least, is the miso soup. This traditionally sweet and salty Japanese soup is often served without a soup spoon, so simply lift the bowl and drink; use your chopsticks to get to the solid bits.

And so endeth the course meal, ladies and gentlethings; by this point you will barely be able to leave (take it from someone who knows), but as you do, remember that two words are customary after such a feast: “gochisosama deshita!” (It was a great meal!)

Be warned that Japanese food in Sri Lanka is expensive, and Nihonbashi more so than some other restaurants. The meal described above set us back, all in all, by about Rs.2500 a head. If this is more than you’re willing to spend, consider a meal at the sushi bar at Odel, where you can get one for approximately Rs. 1000. Various other simpler, but filling dishes on the menu, also fall within this price range.

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