sushi, anyone?
Lee Nichols or Margaret Bridgeman
> Over the holidays, a friend of mine took me to a sushi bar in Houston (my
> first time) and I enjoyed it thoroughly. He told me that it was a pretty
> good one; he's been to lots. Is there a good sushi bar in Austin? I'd
> like to do it again.
>
Musashino, on MoPac and Far West. Amazing, fresh, yummy, good service.
It's not south, but well worth the trip.
Oh, by the way, the Buffet Palace on Anderson, is, IMHO, not worth the
all-you-can-eat price. Paying more seems to equate with much higher
quality, at least in my experience with sushi restaurants.
Margaret
--
"...don't let the front door hit you...when you're stupid"
--Brak
Gordon in Austin
Over the holidays, a friend of mine took me to a sushi bar in Houston (my
first time) and I enjoyed it thoroughly. He told me that it was a pretty
good one; he's been to lots. Is there a good sushi bar in Austin? I'd
like to do it again.
The souther the better, BTW.
Gordon in Austin
Jim Strohm
Korea House on Anderson in the Village has good, reasonably priced
sushi. And it's close enough to major highways that it's do-able
for lunch from Motorola. Figure a 2-hour lunch, though....
sonny
Can't think of a =good= sushi bar south of the river, but I went to Ichiban
on North Burnet recently and it was pretty good. We had sushi and tempura,
both were well done. The chef was friendly and the atmosphere was ok. I'd go
back again.
sonny
Jose Cuervo
Gordon in Austin wrote:
>
> Over the holidays, a friend of mine took me to a sushi bar in Houston (my
> first time) and I enjoyed it thoroughly. He told me that it was a pretty
> good one; he's been to lots. Is there a good sushi bar in Austin? I'd
> like to do it again.
>
> The souther the better, BTW.
Hi Gordon,
I don't know about down south, but if you are ever up north with all
us yuppies (grin aimed at M. Dahmas) driving our SUVs, you can check out
a trio of sushi places. First, Korea House in the Village Shopping
Center has sushi as well as Korean food. It's been awhile but they used
to have two for one prices on Sun-Wed nights. Second, there is Osaka
out at Anderson Mill Rd and 183, which serves Japanese food including a
good selection of sushi. Finally, there is Mushishino(sp?) over on the
frontage road of Slowpac between Far West and Steck. I've been to the
two first places but heard good reviews of the third. Good luck. If
you ever make it out to the bay area, I can point you to a passle of
hole-in-the-wall sushi places.
>
> Gordon in Austin
--
Joe Crowe
mailto:jcr...@io.com
Nuzoff
Ditto on the Korea House. On Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday they run a
1/3 to 1/2 off sushi special. You can actually fill up and only spend $11 +
tip.
Gordon in Austin
Thanks to all those who replied to my inquiry about Austin sushi spots.
My wife and I went to Musashino last night, and it was great. Kinda
crowded (my fault for hitting the place at 8pm on a Friday); we had to
wait half an hour for a spot at the bar, but overall it was a very
pleasant experience.
Being a novice at sushi, I can't really give an informed review, but the
fish was fresh, the Tsing Tao was cold, the staff was friendly, and the
price was reasonable. We had a couple of drinks apiece and thoroughly
slaked our appetites (and I can eat a *lot* of tuna sashimi), and the tab
was US$60, including tip.
One question, though. How *do* you eat the soup? I felt like such a
rube... ;^)
Thanks again, you guys.
Gordon in Austin
sonny
Gordon in Austin wrote:
> One question, though. How *do* you eat the soup? I felt like such a
> rube... ;^)
Not an expert or anything, but I have been informed by more knowledgeable
friends, including one who wrote a book of etiquette for American business
women in Japan, that you use the chopsticks to get the solid stuff and you
drink out of the bowl. It's also very good manners to eat everything
including the bitter stuff.
Other sushi trivia/ettiquette include, putting the fish tongue-side down and
not letting your companions run out of sake.
sonny
Ruth McKay
G'day Gordon
Well further south than most of the suggestions so far, but still north of
the river is Kyoto on Congress. I forget the cross-road, maybe 4th ? It's
across the road from Manuels, and above the Elephant Bar. It's hard to see
from the road, there aren't any big signs.
I haven't been to any other sushi place in Austin, though one day I'll
make it north to Mushashino. I think the sushu at Kyoto is fresh and good.
I always ask the sushi chef's recommendation for what's good that day. I
do miss our old chef (Hi Tyson) who I think moved north to the Kyoto II
restaurant. In addition to good sushi (the spider roll is worth the money)
including a range of tunas, they also make many other Japanese dishes. My
favorite is the nabeyaki udon (not as good as at Fuki Sushi in Palo Alto
though).
Ruth
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ruth McKay as ci
Dept of Chem & Biochem imapofa rmc...@huckel.cm.utexas.edu
University of Texas ustrali http://vivace.cm.utexas.edu
Austin TX 78712 a
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
john d.
sonny (so...@88net.net) wrote:
: Gordon in Austin wrote:
: > One question, though. How *do* you eat the soup? I felt like such a
: > rube... ;^)
: Not an expert or anything, but I have been informed by more knowledgeable
: friends, including one who wrote a book of etiquette for American business
: women in Japan, that you use the chopsticks to get the solid stuff and you
: drink out of the bowl. It's also very good manners to eat everything
: including the bitter stuff.
It's considered proper etiquette to pick up the bowl of soup in
one hand, and pick out the solid bits with chopsticks. Hold the
bowl up near your mouth while doing so to avoid dripping onto
the table or yourself. Then drink the liquid out of the bowl,
and use the chopsticks to shove the last bits into your mouth.
: Other sushi trivia/ettiquette include, putting the fish tongue-side down and
: not letting your companions run out of sake.
I never had fish tongue while in Japan.
Terry Horton
john d. wrote in message <69rhlt$q4u$1...@news3.realtime.net>...
>sonny (so...@88net.net) wrote:
>: Gordon in Austin wrote:
>
>: > One question, though. How *do* you eat the soup? I felt like such a
>: > rube... ;^)
>
>: Not an expert or anything, but I have been informed by more knowledgeable
>: friends, including one who wrote a book of etiquette for American business
>: women in Japan, that you use the chopsticks to get the solid stuff and you
>: drink out of the bowl. It's also very good manners to eat everything
>: including the bitter stuff.
>
>It's considered proper etiquette to pick up the bowl of soup in
>one hand, and pick out the solid bits with chopsticks. Hold the
>bowl up near your mouth while doing so to avoid dripping onto
>the table or yourself. Then drink the liquid out of the bowl,
>and use the chopsticks to shove the last bits into your mouth.
Rent the Japanese film "Tampopo" sometime... it centers around the quest for a
recipe for the perfect bowl of noodle soup. Early on, you'll see an old
"master" give direction on the zen of eating ramen. Really hilarious stuff...
Gordon in Austin
In article <69rhlt$q4u$1...@news3.realtime.net> john d., jo...@bga.com
writes:
>It's considered proper etiquette to pick up the bowl of soup in
>one hand, and pick out the solid bits with chopsticks. Hold the
>bowl up near your mouth while doing so to avoid dripping onto
>the table or yourself. Then drink the liquid out of the bowl,
>and use the chopsticks to shove the last bits into your mouth.
>
looked at the soup, and then at my chopsticks-only place setting, and
concluded that that was the only way. I was secretly afraid of giggles
from that waitstaff, though....
Aside: My dad's parents (I guess he was in on it, too) played a joke on
my mom before they were married. He was from south Louisiana and she was
from Tennessee. They invited her to dinner at their lake house and put a
boiled blue crab in front of her, and sat back and watched what she would
do with it. She got over it.
Gordon in Austin
Scott E. Krupa
Ruth McKay wrote:
>
> G'day Gordon
>
> Well further south than most of the suggestions so far, but still north of
> the river is Kyoto on Congress. I forget the cross-road, maybe 4th ? It's
> across the road from Manuels, and above the Elephant Bar. It's hard to see
> from the road, there aren't any big signs.
>
> I haven't been to any other sushi place in Austin, though one day I'll
> make it north to Mushashino. I think the sushu at Kyoto is fresh and good.
> I always ask the sushi chef's recommendation for what's good that day. I
> do miss our old chef (Hi Tyson) who I think moved north to the Kyoto II
> restaurant. In addition to good sushi (the spider roll is worth the money)
> including a range of tunas, they also make many other Japanese dishes. My
> favorite is the nabeyaki udon (not as good as at Fuki Sushi in Palo Alto
> though).
>
Kyoto vs Mushashino
I think Kyoto at 3rd and Congress above the Elephant Room has fresher
fish
and more variety. A request for something special is always a nice
surprise.
The customers are also a lot more interesting and the place has more of
a
neighborhood resturant feel.
I think Mushashino has larger portions and a more "upscale" feel to it,
but
being in such close proximity to all those SUV drivin' yuppies turns my
stomach faster than a piece of anago left in the sun for two days. I
never
had to tolerate bratty children at Kyoto!
By the way, where is Tyson anyway? He went from Kyoto to Mushashino. Did
he swim away again?
Seoul Man
Ruth McKay
G'day
Seoul Man wrote:
> Kyoto vs Mushashino
Thanks for that ! Kyoto was the first sushi place I tried in Austin, and
they had the other Japanese dishes I like as alternatives sometime. I was
happy enough that I didn't look any further. I've often seen Mushashino
mentioned here, but it's out of my way, was described as crowded, and I
kept thinking "one day".
> By the way, where is Tyson anyway? He went from Kyoto to Mushashino. Did
> he swim away again?
A guy who has his own sushi webpage <http://www.marystreet.com/sushi> that
I'd seen before but forgotten about, sent me email saying Tyson is still
at Mushashino. Guess I've still got an excuse to try that restaurant some
day.
Gordon wrote:
> the Tsing Tao was cold
But not Japanesse 8-) Mind you not all Japanese drinks are recommendable
(e.g., Pocari Sweat is as bad as it sounds). We'll usually have Kirin
(beer) or sake. While you are having your drink and waiting for your
sushi, try edomame - steamed fresh soybeans in their shells. Shell them
like peas and enjoy.
> the tab was US$60, including tip.
The two of us eat at Kyoto for around $50. I do eat a lot of sushi too.
> One question, though. How *do* you eat the soup?
You've heard how to eat the miso soup. (Once you're hooked it's easy to
make at home.) More substantial soups like nabeyaki udon involve an
additional implement - they give you a spoon like the soup spoons in
chinese restaurants. You need chopsticks too to get out the shitakes,
seeweed, udon (noodles), tempura shrimp and veges, fish cake, egg, etc.
The bowl is too big to drink from and there are too many interesting
things sticking out that could skewer your nose if you tried! Hint. I used
to think that you had to quickly rescue the tempura bits so you could
enjoy the crunchyness. Now I know. The first bit of tempura that you
rescue gives you that joy. The other bits of tempura are left in the bowl
to slowly shed their batter into the broth. Makes it really tasty at the
end.
Ana C. Duarte/Beth A. Stevens
Hi, Gordon. Not that I'm much of an expert, but I live south and have eaten
at a pretty good place on South First...I cannot for the life of me remember
the name, but do know it is on the left as you go north, above Wm. Cannon but
definitely south of the river, in a small shopping center next to a Mexican
place. If I ever remember the name I'll write back...
Bon appetit!
---acd
Gordon in Austin wrote:
> Over the holidays, a friend of mine took me to a sushi bar in Houston (my
> first time) and I enjoyed it thoroughly. He told me that it was a pretty
> good one; he's been to lots. Is there a good sushi bar in Austin? I'd
> like to do it again.
>
> The souther the better, BTW.
>
> Gordon in Austin
john d.
Ruth McKay (rmc...@huckel.cm.utexas.edu) wrote:
(...)
: You've heard how to eat the miso soup. (Once you're hooked it's easy to
: make at home.) More substantial soups like nabeyaki udon involve an
: additional implement - they give you a spoon like the soup spoons in
Did it look like a small ladle?
: chinese restaurants. You need chopsticks too to get out the shitakes,
: seeweed, udon (noodles), tempura shrimp and veges, fish cake, egg, etc.
: The bowl is too big to drink from and there are too many interesting
You're not supposed to eat from the large bowl.
The waitress ought to provide a ladle and an empty soup bowl.
Then you fill the bowl yourself. The first time I had
soup as an entree, while in Japan, I began to eat from
the large bowl. The people in the restaurant were
amused, and the waitress came back and filled the bowl
for me, while explaining the proper procedure.
Gordon in Austin
In article <34C2B7...@usf.teradyne.com> Scott E. Krupa,
kr...@usf.teradyne.com writes:
>I think Mushashino has larger portions and a more "upscale" feel to
>it, but being in such close proximity to all those SUV drivin' yuppies
>turns my stomach faster than a piece of anago left in the sun for
>two days.
I resemble that remark; my wife and I went to Mushashino in our Plymouth
Voyager. Does it help that it's ten years old with a bashed-in sliding
door that doesn't open any more? It's our newest of five vehicles (one's
in pieces and one I haven't tried to start in a couple of years), and I
live south of Oltorf; am I still a Bubba? ;^)
Gordon in Austin
wer...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
quoting Gordon in Austin <nospam/gg...@texas.net> :
|
| looking for sushi bar. The souther the better, BTW.
in Nov '96 I made a special trip WAY down south to try out the
spider crab sushi at Shogun at 1807 West Slaughter Lane (really
on Manchaca, in any reasonable way of assigning a street address,
if you ask me). They were contructing a sushe bar seating arrange-
ment then, but I haven't found an excuse to go back there since to
check that out..
I just checked in DejaNews for articles posted to austin.food
about it, and the most recent one was posted on 97/3/7 by Daniel
Dulitz, in which he reported:
I haven't been there in a year or so, and it's more South Central than
SW, but Shogun has/had Japanese food on a par with, and in some cases
better than, Kyoto, in a much nicer environment.
I would give it an 8 out of 10.
so I had been there after Daniel, and I think it is a shame that
we haven't heard about them since then!
the oldest article I could still find mentioning them was in
Jason Levitt's regularly reposted "Austin USENET Guide To Sushi"
of Sept '95 in which he quotes someone as writing :
The Japanese restaurant I like the best in town may not have been visible
to most of sushi lovers yet. It is Shogun. This restaurant opened in
mid-last year as a teppan-yaki restaurant. It serves good teppan-yaki,
tempura, and other cooked Japanese foods in reasonable prices. You can
also have sushi rolls too. The owner avoids the high-margin sushis like
hamachi, eel and other normal fish-on-top-of-rice sushis.
They use expensive rice and the rice in the roll has the right taste.
Try them.
I think I'll have to take my current out of town visitors down
to the Wildflower Center this week sometimes -- and, oh, btw,
there is this little Japanese restaurant I think you'll love...
:-)
--
-----< "Free Advice and Opinions -- Refunds Available" >-----
Outlaw junk email * Support CAUCE http://www.cauce.org/
Greg Morrow
Ana C. Duarte/Beth A. Stevens wrote in message
<34C41FE1...@flash.net>...
>Hi, Gordon. Not that I'm much of an expert, but I live south and have
eaten
>at a pretty good place on South First...I cannot for the life of me
remember
>the name, but do know it is on the left as you go north, above Wm. Cannon
but
>definitely south of the river, in a small shopping center next to a Mexican
>place. If I ever remember the name I'll write back...
>
Seoul, right next door to Evita's Botanitas....both places are good
South first between Wm Cannon and Stassney....
marcesent
We ate at Osaka (Anderson Mill and 183) on Friday night and had a great
time. The owner and his wife are very kind and friendly and were very
helpful with the different dishes. I've had sushi many times before at
Kyoto and others and must say that Osaka's is very up to par... my only
complaint being that the seaweed wrappers had a bit more of a "fishy" taste
than I usually like. We also bought a dish (forgive my forgetting the
japanese name) comprised of shrimp, whitefish, and tofu in a broth with
vegetables and rice noodles. It was very hot and fresh, and (like others
have reported) came in a large pot which we served ourselves from. All the
appropriate accessories were provided in little dishes, including rice,
spicy pepper flakes, a soy based spicy sauce, and of course, the miso soup,
which we really enjoyed.
Osaka definitely has its share of regulars, as while we were there many came
in and spoke with the owner and his wife with friendly familiarity and were
greeted with the same. We will be going back. BTW, the price was good,
too.... we both filled up on sushi and the entree for about $40 (including
two beers). The entree was definitely enough for two.
Julie Sasser
marc...@mail.utexas.edu
"If you are a host to your guest, be a host to his dog also."
-- Russian Proverb
Jose Cuervo wrote in message <34BD58...@io.com>...
>Gordon in Austin wrote:
>>
>> Over the holidays, a friend of mine took me to a sushi bar in Houston (my
>> first time) and I enjoyed it thoroughly. He told me that it was a pretty
>> good one; he's been to lots. Is there a good sushi bar in Austin? I'd
>> like to do it again.
>>
>> The souther the better, BTW.
>
>Hi Gordon,
><snip>
Second, there is Osaka
>out at Anderson Mill Rd and 183, which serves Japanese food including a
>good selection of sushi>
remove all UNDERSCORES
Gordon in Austin wrote:
> Over the holidays, a friend of mine took me to a sushi bar in Houston (my
> first time) and I enjoyed it thoroughly. He told me that it was a pretty
> good one; he's been to lots. Is there a good sushi bar in Austin? I'd
> like to do it again.
From: Gordon in Austin <nospam/gg...@texas.net>
> Thanks to all those who replied to my inquiry about Austin sushi spots.
> My wife and I went to Musashino last night, and it was great. Kinda
> crowded (my fault for hitting the place at 8pm on a Friday);
We were probably right next to you guys |-). If it's Fri eve
around 8pm you will very likely find me sitting at the bar! We've
been going there on Fridays for sushi for almost three years now.
Now, that may make you think that I am biased towards Musashino
and you may be right. But we have sampled all the other sushi joints
around town (several times each) and, for my money, Musashino is
the best by a light year or more.
Here's a survey/test you can conduct on your own: visit all the
other sushi joints during peak hours, say Fri evenings. Have a
leisurely meal, and note, in the meantime, how many Japanese
you see coming in to eat sushi. (I know it is difficult
sometimes to tell the difference between a Korean and a Japanese,
say, but try anyway.) At least, that will tell you which place
has the "real" Japanese flavor. (That, obviously, won't do you
any good, if that's not what you like. Other than personal taste,
though, that would be the only other indication of "good" sushi.)
Personally, I would rank Kyoto and Kyoto II a distant second to
Musashino. And I don't even know what the stuff they serve at
Korea House is! |-) (He he, don't mind me while I'm being a
sushi snob! |-)
I used to think that Musashino's fish seems fresher because I always
sit at the bar, so the fish is right out of the chiller into my mouth
and thus feels fresher. But I have sat at the bar at Kyoto and
Kyoto II as well, and it's not the same.
In the end though, you're the one eating the food, so go try
'em all and decide for yourself.
> we had to
> wait half an hour for a spot at the bar, [...]
Unfortunately, that is true of Musashino. During peak hours
the wait, especially for seats at the bar (with only seven
spaces) can be VERY long.
A few other things:
0. I wonder how often the other sushi places get their fish.
Musashino's fish (and sundry sealife) is Fed-Exp'ed in
twice a week.
1. I don't know if it's the same Tyson, but there is a "Tyson"
at Musashino behind the bar, usually at the next to rightmost
spot behind the bar. Tell him Andy & Trang say hello! |-)
2. Variety of fish at Musashino: the current menu has been in
use for a couple of months, and has many things that were
previously not listed even though regularly available e.g.
grilled beef tongue (which you can order only if seated
at a table, not the bar, since it is grilled over the flame
of a little burner); yamakake (a sushi, with ground Japanese
mountain potato, a bit of oba leaf (Japanese mint),
yellowtail, and a quail egg's yolk).
However, there are STILL things that are not listed in the
new menu, that, for one reason or another, you have to ask
for. E.g.:
a. angkimo (monk fish liver: they don't always have this);
available as a sushi piece, or in a bowl w/ a vinaigrette
with the orange horseradish and chopped scallions.
I _think_ it's kinda like fois gras, though I wouldn't
know for sure since I have not had fois gras myself.
b. oysters (only in the cold seasons, not in the summer);
also avaible as a sushi piece or in a bowl;
c. ingaoa, flounder i.e. hirame, but this is the "best"
part of the fish: it's the strips of flesh right next
to the fins (hence is much more limited in quantity,
which may be why it's not in the menu); it's a lot more
chewy and a lot more fatty than regular hirame;
available as a sushi. They almost always have this,
especially earlier on in the evening, before it might
be sold out.
3. How to eat miso soup: Gordon, you figured it right when
you saw that there ain't no spoon on the table!
4. Bratty children at Musashino: I would say that it is an
overwhelmingly adult place, more so than most other
restaurants. I can't recall one instance of a bratty kid
needing a drop kick in that place. I do recall, however,
several instances of young children (six, seven years olds)
sitting at the bar chowing down on sushi happy as clams.
5. Cooked dishes: the only one I have had at Musashino is the
tempura platter. It was good. Smokey (the owner) said that
his tempura chef is probably better than a lot of tempura
chefs back in Japan.
6. Allergy to yuppies: it's most regrettable that some people
are allergic to yuppies. Fortunately, I don't eat yuppies.
|-)
--
Andy Nguyen \ Tivoli Systems, Austin, TX \ 512.436.8229
a_q_n@t_i_v_o_l_i.c_o_m (remove all UNDERSCORES)
Ave, XTela, morituri te salutamus.
Joyful!
"Ana C. Duarte/Beth A. Stevens" <gala...@flash.net> wrote:
= Hi, Gordon. Not that I'm much of an expert, but I live south and have eaten
= at a pretty good place on South First...I cannot for the life of me remember
= the name, but do know it is on the left as you go north, above Wm. Cannon but
= definitely south of the river, in a small shopping center next to a Mexican
= place. If I ever remember the name I'll write back...
=
= Bon appetit!
=
= ---acd
=
= Gordon in Austin wrote:
=
= > Over the holidays, a friend of mine took me to a sushi bar in Houston (my
= > first time) and I enjoyed it thoroughly. He told me that it was a pretty
= > good one; he's been to lots. Is there a good sushi bar in Austin? I'd
= > like to do it again.
= >
= > The souther the better, BTW.
= >
= > Gordon in Austin
That would be Seoul Korean and Japanese. Good food, and Tuesday is
half-price on some of the Sushi.
Joy
/ "I've got gadgets and gizmos aplenty; I've got whozits \
\ and whatsits galore." Ariel, _The Little Mermaid_ /
/ Joyce Fitz Ruff -- Disney Chemical Addict \
\ Motorola, PowerPC Product Management, Austin, TX /
/ r16...@wheee.email.sps.mot.com - remove wheee. to write me. \
\ Unsolicited commercial email Not Welcome. Just Don't Do It. /
Cyberspace Buddha
On 23 Jan 98, Andy Nguyen <a_q_n@t_i_v_o_l_i.c_o_m> wrote:
>
> I do recall, however,
> several instances of young children (six, seven years olds)
> sitting at the bar chowing down on sushi happy as clams.
Maybe it's just the pedant in me, but I just don't see clams being
very happy at a sushi bar. :P
cheers,
cb
--
Cyberspace Buddha /(0\ What's on, your mind?
mailto:c...@io.com \1)/ http://www.io.com/~cb
Not your fathers buddha.