This will be a tutorial for anyone who is relatively new to sushi. Allow me to give you one of my recent experiences and throw in tips along the way. I recently got an invite from my work colleagues at EatOut Kenya to attend a bloggers dinner at Furusato Japanese Restaurant. Of course I said yes and hi-fived our editor, Wendy . If you have been reading my blog, you know that EatOut Kenya holds these amazing blogger dinners for their Yummy Magazine feature. This edition is themed the Sushi Special. You can check it out the magazine here. Also check out my previous blogger dinner review here.

It is hard to think about the Kenyan culinary landscape in 2015 without incorporating different cuisine like Japanese sushi. Kenya has come of age with so many restaurants serving sushi. Sushi has been a staple food in the Japanese culture and it made it’s way as a delicacy to other countries. One of the best places for anyone to start would be Furusato Japanese Restaurant. You can get directions here. This is an  authentic  restaurant that serves sushi, sashimi among other foods. It has a spacious open plan setting. You can chose to sit outside, inside on diner tables or on the tepanyaki tables.

blog 7

Getting the perfect shot takes work!

blog 5. b

Haha!

blog 11

Cheers!

In attendance were my colleagues from EatOut Kenya {Wendy, Seina , Fred & Karan (who was our amazing photographer for the day)} and some fellow bloggers including Darshni, Soni,  FransiscaJason and Joy Kendi. It was a delight to meet these bloggers and to converse with them. ( Check out their amazing blogs linked on the names). We had such a great time.

Our night started on a ‘high’ note. We began downing some sake (rice wine). It was like taking hot shots. The waiter brought the menu and was patient enough to explain to us what we needed to know. I think this is the reason you should never order food when hungry because we ordered so much food. Before we began our feast, we tried this starter salad that had some peanut based dressing. Some bloggers had previously been here and they gave us recommendations on what to order. We ordered the crocodile roll, sashimi , beef tempura, crab stick (which I loved) and karage. I had never tasted karage before. This is a potato and beef based food that I kept sticking my knife and fork into. I also loved some ‘tuna roll’ that was surprisingly crunchy. I am not a fan of tuna but the other people loved it. Being the Kenyan that I am, you wouldn’t blame me if chicken teriyaki was one of my favorites. I am a sucker for chicken.

Now the most peculiar of dishes was one with a name that was a tongue-twister. In the spirit of trying new things, we ordered the Bi Bim Bap. This meal came in a thick bowl and it had rice, vegetables and fried eggs on top and some deep red chilli. Darshni told us that it was supposed to be mixed up in the bowl before serving. By this time I was so full that I just had a bite or two.

blog 1. Sake

The Sake

 

blog . salad

Welcome Salad!

blog 2. bi bim bap

Bi Bim Bap

blog 8 n

The rolls

blog 8

Karage

blog 12

teriyaki chicken

My Take

Price: Affordable.

Service: Great. Knowledgeable waitstaff.

Reservations: They allow walk-ins but it is advisable to make prior reservations via Eatout/ Furusato. Reserve via Eatout here.

Ambience: Great. So spacious and has a Japanese theme.

Noise level: Low. Soft Japanese music in the background.

Location: Peponi Rd

Highlight: So much food and variety. The menu is like 10 pages long.

Lowlight: Let me get back to you on that one.

Alcohol: I didn’t have time to look at the bar but they have all drinks on their menu.

Ratings: 7/10

Would I recommend this place to someone? Yes. If you love sushi or are looking for a great experience.

Tips For Beginners

1. Rice is the foundation of the sushi. Most sushi is made of white rice.

2. The terminology

Some of the most basic terms in most menus are

Sushi Meshi– This is the sushi rice.

Nori- This  is dried seaweed

Neta -This is the topping . The seafood topping.

Awase-zu  – This is a mixture of vinegar, salt and sugar

Aburi -This is nigri sushi, where the topside of the fish is grilled and the bottom side is raw.

3. Types of sushi

Maki-This is the normal sushi roll.

Hosomaki -This is sushi that is rolled with a bamboo mat with nori (seaweed) on the outside . The fillings range from  avocado, tuna, cucumber etc.

Futomaki– Same as hosomaki but with more fillings.

Nigri -This is  a type of sushi molded with the hands. One simply places a mound of rice and on top adds salmon, shrimp or tuna.

Sashimi  is just sliced raw fish served without rice.

4. Eating

You can use the hands or chopsticks while eating sushi but you should always use chopsticks while eating sashimi. I still have trouble with stability on my hands while using chopsticks. So some items on the menu were eaten with the hands.

5. Accompaniments

There are things that accompany sushi. The three most common condiments are ginger (gari), wasabi and soy sauce(shoyu).

Happy Eating!!!

blog 6

This Photo deserves a frame!

Photos by Karan Khalsa