Curious about Sushi... but trying to get over a bad supermarket sushi experience. Advice?

I have been curious about sushi for a while now; I want to like it, it's gorgeous food but haven't been able to get into it. To date, my main experience has been with sushi I have purchased at my local supermarket. I know what alll you sushi experts are thinking.... THE HORROR! But the store happens to have an actual sushi counter attached to the deli and the chef was right there when I bought it out of the case so I thought it would be fine. Hearing that California and Veggie Rolls are commonly recommended as good starting points, I bought a package of both, took them home and tried them..... NO LIKEY!





There was just something about it... something about the rice and the nori on the inside that was off putting. I don't know if it was just the evidence of where I got it from or whether it was just the general flavor that was not good for me. So frustrating! So many people enjoy sushi and the whole experience sounds so appealing to me, I really want to take part. I'm honestly not even that squeamish about the raw fish aspect at this point. In the right venue I wouldn't be afraid to try it at all.





So I guess (after ALL this) what I'm asking for is advice in how to deal with my situation and proceed from this point. What should I do or try next in my quest for Sushi love?Curious about Sushi... but trying to get over a bad supermarket sushi experience. Advice?
You really need to go to a restaurant. Honestly, I've been sick off of grocery store sushi before, specifically from the Tsunami company. Whole Foods, I'm pretty sure, has a different company, however, so if you want to try grocery store sushi again, I recommend them.





If I were you, however, I would seek out a sushi restaurant that is Japanese-owned. Most Japanese-owned sushi restaurants get a lot of their fish as well as other sushi ingredients from Japan. This may seem counter-intuitive, but fish from Japan is a lot better than our local fish. It tastes quite a bit fresher and a lot less fishy. Also, the Japanese tend to not hire any old shmo off the street to make their sushi. More likely than not, all sushi chefs at a Japanese-owned sushi restaurant were trained in Japan. So you're getting properly made AND properly handled sushi (less likely for you to get a disease).





When you get to the sushi restaurant, sit at the bar. I would recommend asking the chef to give you whatever he wants, but be sure to tell him you're a beginner. Ask him if you could get more traditional sushi, too. This way, you'll likely get nigiri (mound of rice topped with some other ingredient, usually a slice of raw fish). He will probably start you off with some sake (salmon) or maguro (tuna). It tastes quite a bit better, in my opinion, than a California roll or veggie roll. I've also always strongly believed that starting with Americanized sushi (such as a California roll) is absolutely the worst thing you can do. Always start traditional. If you start with Americanized sushi you will NEVER leave Americanized sushi. What's wrong with this? Well, restaurants serving bad fish and poorly made sushi get good ratings because people order rolls that are smothered in sauce which hides the true quality of the sushi.





My favorites include:


- sake (salmon)


- hamachi (yellowtail)


- tai (red snapper... though if you go to a crappy restaurant, even though it's supposed to be red snapper, it will likely be tilapia)


- hirame (halibut/flounder)


- toro (tuna belly)


- uni (sea urchin)





These are also favorites of mine but will likely not be at the restaurant you go to:


- kanpachi (amber jack)


- shima aji (striped jack)


- umimasu (sea trout)





If you don't want the chef to give you whatever he wants, I recommend starting with sake (salmon). It's very buttery and has a wonderful flavor.





As for how to eat sushi:


- Nigiri is a finger food (but it's not like you'll be offending the chef if you choose to use chopsticks). You may dip it in soy sauce, unless the chef tells you not to. If he puts sauce on your order before you get it and doesn't tell you whether or not to put soy sauce on it, ask him... he'll probably very much appreciate it. Also, I never use wasabi in my soy sauce dish. It's not traditional, but if you want to go ahead. To dip nigiri, put your index and middle finger under the rice, and hold the topping on with your thumb. Turn and dip only the topping.


- Maki - use chopsticks. Dip or not, doesn't matter. The end.





Nigiri or maki, eat your ginger between orders.





I'm glad you're interested in learning more about sushi. Honestly, I love everything about it. I love the cultural feeling I get at an authentic sushi restaurant. I love the taste of well-made sushi. It's so good.





Please enjoy and don't hesitate to ask me anymore questions!Curious about Sushi... but trying to get over a bad supermarket sushi experience. Advice?
Go to a real sushi restaurant. Ask a sushi loving friend for a recommendation in your area. A lot of sushi places have sampler plates with a little bit of everything, so this might be the best way to find out what kinds of sushi you like best. I'm not particularly a fan of sushi with seaweed, but I love sashimi (just the fish) and nigiri (rice and fish).
Go to a real, high quality sushi bar (run by Japanese) and order nigiri sushi. Those usually have no or very little nori (the dried seaweed) on it and is basically just fish and rice that you lightly dip in soy sauce. A good sushi fish will not taste fishy (except for maybe mackerel) and will not have stringy bits still on it, the fish will be tender and easy to bit and won't leave a funny taste in your mouth. The freshness and high quality of the fish matter and make a big difference.
Try yelp.com or ask friends to take you to a good sushi restaurant. Here in LA there are hundreds. Try cooked sushi first like the California roll but if you go with friends you can try their choices one by one. I have several friends that are sushi chefs in Austin, but none here yet. If you are squeamish about raw fish you can try the avocado roll as the vegetable roll is bland even for a vegan. Use the soy sauce and ginger but watch the wasabi!





I am allergic to all shellfish but clams and mussels so I request specials like a California roll made with sliced pink ginger instead of fake crab. That's how I meet sushi chefs.





I have been eating raw fish since a child in Fiji on my way back from Australia. In Figi they cook some food underground in banana leaves.
Try going out with some friends who love sushi (if you have any) to a real sushi restaurant. They will know the best place to go, and give you pointers on which rolls are the best, what you might or might not like, etc. Otherwise, it's just going by yourself and learning by trial and error. But definitely a real sushi restaurant is the way to go. I mean I have not tried your supermarket sushi, it might be fantastic, but I wouldn't count on it!
I love sushi but I HATE cali rolls and veggie rolls. who wants little chopped raw veggies and fake crab. Id rather just eat a veggie platter.





Go for the fish. Or even the bean curd. It has more substance. Greater texture and is more flavorful/fulfilling.





Maybe go to an asian buffet where they have all you can eat sushi. Then, if you dont like it you didnt spend so much money on it. The asian buffet around here has awesome sushi.





Also, maybe you dont like rolls. try eating sushi(fish on top of formed rice ball) or just plain sashimi (thinly sliced fish...thats it). This has no nori involved. Try salmon its very mild and delicious.





Be sure to use wasabi and soy sauce. Thats my favorite part.





Oh, and if you are eating ginger on your sushi cut it out! Its used to cleanse you pallet.
Local supermarkets usually have really low grade sushi. Sushi is best when it's very fresh. Also sushi uses sticky rice which is much different in texture and flavor than regular rice...cheap sushi might not have that. If you go to a good sushi restaurant you'll get something very fresh and prepared correctly which makes a world of difference! Ask around for some good places in your area but definitely try to stay away from the others. You mentioned you tried California and Veggie rolls. They do have a different flavor to them than ones with actual fish so if you aren't opposed to trying it I would suggest you do! I would recommend trying salmon or mackerel (my personal favorites). I hope you give it another shot...sushi is a great food! Good luck :)