You might have surmised from previous entries that I am a sushi achiever. Yep, I am. I need a 12-step program to get off sushi, and I'm proud of it. When I'm at home in Austin, TX, my favorite place for sushi is the Korea House at 2700 Anderson Lane. Park is the sushi chef there and he really knows his fish!
I first heard of the Korea House when a friend of mine decided sushi was the business lunch of the day around 1995. Frankly, I was a bit frightened by the prospect, since I had never liked fish, except shellfish, smoked salmon, and canned tuna or maybe a filet-o-fish sandwich. I'm known to try anything, even if I haven't liked it in the past, so I figured what the heck. I loved it and never looked back again.
The Korea House is a very nice, family-run business. I am always greeted with a welcome, friendly smile and an "Osay-o" ("Welcome!") when I come into the restaurant. The Korea House serves Korean barbecue, standard Korean fare as well as sushi. There are only about 10 seats at the sushi bar, but you can always order sushi from anywhere in the restaurant, which has seating for at least 20 tables. During some busy lunch and dinner times, there can be a slight wait for a table.
One of the most common things heard from first timers at this restaurant is, "I didn't order this?". Believe it or not, yes you did. You may have ordered Beef Bulgoki and were expecting only a single plate of beef and rice or noodles, but you commonly receive about 5 or 6 additional small bowls of different things such as boiled potato, kim chi (spicy pickled cabbage), sweet baked soy beans, sweet and spicy sliced strips of BBQ squid. This is normal to be served all of the small bowls of additional foods with your meal. It may be strange to Western tastes, but try it. It's all good!
I am usually seated at the sushi bar where Park provides an apppetizer of sliced red snapper in a sweet barbecue sauce with hot Sriracha sauce drizzled over it. This has the most amazing flavor of sweet and hot at the same time. Next, I order my "usual"...a bottomless Iced Tea, a Hawai'ian roll (Spicy Tuna roll with orange Masago fish eggs on the outside), Yellowfin Tuna, Eel, and Wasabi Tobiko nigiri, as well as an Eel handroll and 2 Spicy Crab handrolls. On occasion, I'll add octopus, or if the Uni (sea urchin) is fresh, I'll order that. If you do order any handrolls, be sure to eat them immediately when served, especially the Spicy Crab. The reason is that you want the nori (toasted green seaweed) on the handrolls to remain crispy on the outside. If you allow them to sit for too long, the seaweed will become soggy.
As I mentioned, it's all good, and if you prefer a roll with something added or removed, the chef is always happy to assemble it to suit your taste, even if it's not on the menu! In fact, I ordered the Hawai'ian roll so many times over the years, he put it on the menu just for me. Park and his assistant sushi chef do an excellent job at ensuring their customers enjoy their meal.
A quick note on sushi etiquette is called for here, since I see these things so often, I think most people think it's alright to do them: Be sure to follow these few do's and don'ts and you will be seen by your chef as "skilled" in eating sushi and not a noob.
1) When you unwrap your chopsticks, don't rub them together. Westerners do this to remove splinters. It's also an insult to your hosts because it implies they have offered you cheap, inferior, chopsticks. If there are any splinters, you'll be able to feel them with your fingers going across the grain. Gently remove them and discreetly set them aside, if any. I have rarely found splinters on my chopsticks at most oriental restaurants.
2) That little empty bowl in front of you is for shoyu (soy sauce). It's best to use the low sodium or Tamari soy sauce, since you're eating seafood. The fish will already have a slightly salty flavor, so low sodium is best.
3) Don't put green wasabi into the bowl for shoyu. This screams "I'm a Westerner!". Your chef places a small amount of wasabi onto the fish before serving it to you. If you need any more, you should scrape a small piece off the mound provided on your plate and either place it into your mouth before or after the fish, or place it on top of the fish before eating it.
4) Use your chopsticks effectively. Sushi is normally eaten with clean, bare hands in Japan, but you may also use chopsticks. The narrow end of the chopsticks are for your mouth. The broad ends of the chopsticks are used to take sushi from a communal (shared) plate and place it onto your own plate, before you eat it. Don't use the narrow end of the chopsticks to pick up sushi from a communal plate and don't use the broad ends for placing sushi into your mouth.
5) That pink pickled stuff on your plate is called "gari" (gahh-ri). It's pickled ginger root. Many sushi eaters don't understand it. It "can" be used as a condiment like the wasabi. Personally, I enjoy it's tangy flavor with barbecued eel, but it's really there as a palate cleanser. Take a small piece to cleanse your palate between different types of sushi so you can enjoy the full-on, flavor of the new one you're going to try next.
6) One final note on chopsticks and if you choose only one of these to remember, make it this one. Never, EVER, place your chopsticks into a bowl of rice so that they stand up vertically. It is considered a terrible omen to the restauranteur, your participants at a business lunch, and others in the restaurant. This one little gesture may seem insignificant, but it is reminiscent of the burning of incense for the dead, and is considered a "major" taboo.
OK, so the etiquette out of the way and an awesome meal under my belt, I leave the Korea House about $38 poorer (with tip), but feeling very full and happy. Yes, my meal was expensive, but I know I'm eating healthy food and not feeling guilty about chicken wings, burgers & fries, or pizza. Sure, you can get away with the sushi special for less than 1/2 the price I paid, but the broadness and depth of flavor for what I ordered is incomparable. In fact, my same meal at any other sushi restaurant in Austin would have been closer to $65.
I have had sushi in Hawai'i, Norfolk, VA, Florida, Massachusetts, Atlanta, Washington, DC, Nashville, and many other venues. I consider the Korea House to be an economical steal, with awesome food, pleasant atmosphere, and the nicest family of staff. In my opinion, the Korea House does not have an equal anywhere else.
