Sushi A-Float in Berkeley - quality nosedive?
Tanith@tyrr
email address, you'll have to untie it.
After my last trip to Sushi A-Float on Shattuck at University in Berkeley,
I was pretty disappointed. I know that the chefs have changed - it's a
bad sign when nobody behind a sushi bar understands you when you order in
Japanese - but has the management changed too?
The sushi was a lot smaller and cut thinner than it used to be. They are
using cheap, rubbery domestic squid sliced in umpteen places to tenderize
it instead of real ika.
In short, the sushi truly sucked there, and that's a first time
experience for me. My previous visits there have been very satisfactory
over the years.
Do the rest of you ba.foodies figure I caught the place on a bad day, or
is this the new state of things over there? I'm not inclined to go back
as it stands now; I think I'll switch my favorite sushi boat grazing spot
to Isobune instead.
Regards,
Tanith
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Pete Fraser
[Sushi A-Float has gone downhill?]
>
>Do the rest of you ba.foodies figure I caught the place on a bad day, or
>is this the new state of things over there? I'm not inclined to go back
>as it stands now; I think I'll switch my favorite sushi boat grazing spot
>to Isobune instead.
>
>Regards,
>
>Tanith
I've never been to Sushi A-Float, but the two times I went to Isobune
it was pretty bad. It can't really compare with Kirala or Banzai.
Or am I missing something? I have appreciated and enjoyed your previous
posts, and was quite surprised you'd eat at a boat place.
--
Pete Fraser
David Schweisguth
: I think I'll switch my favorite sushi boat grazing spot to Isobune instead.
Can someone explain the Isobune appeal to me? I can't have a conversation about
sushi without someone recommending it. We went once (to the Rockridge branch),
and it was so bad I'm compelled to say so here. The rice was *crunchy*.
To balance the vibes in this post, Tachibana just down College Ave. is pretty
good -- some of the fish was very, very good, and all was at least OK. Kabocha,
also nearby, has interestingly prepared fish dinners (cooked, not sushi), and a
selection of sakes. No, neither of those places have boats. This is a good
thing. Oh, and my wife, who works in Berkeley, recommends Party Sushi. It's
more like Isobune in that it's casual, although not (I believe) afloat.
--
Dave Schweisguth Work: dav...@pangeasystems.com
Pangea Systems Home: dschwe...@earthlink.net
JSchacht
(David Schweisguth) writes:
>To balance the vibes in this post, Tachibana just down College Ave. is pretty
>good -- some of the fish was very, very good, and all was at least OK.
>Kabocha,
>also nearby, has interestingly prepared fish dinners (cooked, not sushi), and
>a
>selection of sakes. No, neither of those places have boats. This is a good
>thing. Oh, and my wife, who works in Berkeley, recommends Party Sushi. It's
>more like Isobune in that it's casual, although not (I believe) afloat.
For more good non-floating sushi in Rockridge, don't forget Uzen (further down
toward Broadway, near the Library).
------------
Schacht & Associates
Oakland, California
510-654-0545
jsch...@aol.com
Robert Lauriston
Glenn S. Tenney KCTJ
jsch...@aol.com (JSchacht) wrote:
> For more good non-floating sushi in Rockridge, don't forget Uzen (further down
> toward Broadway, near the Library).
Been a long time since I was there, but it was excellent --- BUT very
noisy (very high ceilings, with no sound absorbtion so that even with a
few people there it was so noisy as to make it difficult to carry on a
conversation).
Glenn
Pete Fraser
>Have you been to Banzai since the chef sold it?
>
Many times. Quality is just as good (the same chef is still
working there). I hope he's not leaving?!
--
Pete Fraser
Tanith@tyrr
Pete Fraser (pfr...@dnai.com) wrote:
: I've never been to Sushi A-Float, but the two times I went to Isobune
: it was pretty bad. It can't really compare with Kirala or Banzai.
The one in San Francisco in Japan Center isn't bad at all, or it didn't
used to be. The one on College in Oakland isn't bad if you can get the
chef's attention and order directly from him. Of course, once you take
the time to do that, you might as well go to a regular sushi bar.
I've been enjoying Miyuki on Solano Avenue in Albany lately. Very decent
spot, and rarely crowded early in the evening, so you can get the chef
almost to yourself if you show up when they open at 5:30.
: Or am I missing something? I have appreciated and enjoyed your previous
: posts, and was quite surprised you'd eat at a boat place.
I'm a gourmet, not a total snob. ;) When I want a fast, simple, light
meal, sushi boat works fine for me.
Something I'm very seriously wondering about: why have I seen no female
sushi chefs in all my years of eating at Japanese restaurants?
Curious,
Tanith
***************************************************************************
"Gourmandise is an impassioned, rational and habitual preference for all
objects that flatter the sense of taste."
- Jean Antheleme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste
****************************************************************************
Bob R. Kenyon
>Something I'm very seriously wondering about: why have I seen no female
>sushi chefs in all my years of eating at Japanese restaurants?
Actually, there is a Japanese restaurant down here in Japantown that
was known for just that, a female sushi chef. However, after two or
three visits to the place, I find the food and service terrible. They
do have many "boat" dishes, however, of every conceivable size and
composition.
Kazoo
6th and Jackson
San Jose
--
Bob R. Kenyon, Beautiful Downtown San Jose, CA | no despamming of address
<http://www.bobrk.com/> | required for reply
Robert Lauriston
to sell the business and move to the Philipines. If he's still there, I
guess the deal fell through.
Glenn S. Tenney KCTJ
> chef's attention and order directly from him. Of course, once you take
> the time to do that, you might as well go to a regular sushi bar.
My experience with conveyor belt (or boat) type places is solely from
Tokyo (there's a good one in Shibuya -- the line extends outdoors and
around the corner...). They're no where near as good as a small sushi-ya,
but they can be good.
There are two "tricks" to get the best sushi possible from a boat place
(it may or may not be good sushi, just the best you can expect from that
place...):
1. As you noted, ask specifically for what you want. But, these custom
made plates are still priced the same as all of the other plates.
2. Watch and when the chef puts what you want onto the conveyor belt watch
it go by and take that plate off (works best if the chef isn't on the
"wrong" side of the direction the plates are flowin).
> I'm a gourmet, not a total snob. ;) When I want a fast, simple, light
> meal, sushi boat works fine for me.
I've gone into a favorite sushi-ya in Burlingame on the way to SFO, sat
down, ordered three hand rolls, eaten them, and been out in less than a
half hour --- and it didn't seem rushed. That's what I call fast food.
> Something I'm very seriously wondering about: why have I seen no female
> sushi chefs in all my years of eating at Japanese restaurants?
I'm told it's a body temperature thing... Don't know if that's true or not..
--
Glenn Tenney KCTJ
The email address has been altered for display since spam
is not allowed here, but you can figure it out...
Akira Ijuin
> Glenn S. Tenney KCTJ <ten...@org.think> wrote:
>>> Something I'm very seriously wondering about: why have I seen no female
>>> sushi chefs in all my years of eating at Japanese restaurants?
>> I'm told it's a body temperature thing... Don't know if that's
>> true or not..
> Can you amplify a little on this explanation?
It's said that women's hands are warmer. And who wants to eat sushi
that was handled by warm hands, or so the logic goes. I'm not sure if
anybody believes this today though.
A more realistic problem is with cosmetics. It's said that raw things
are more vulnerable to the scent. It's probably true, but the problem
goes away if no makeup is used.
I'm told there are female sushi chefs out there, but I haven't seen
one yet.
--
Akira Ijuin, aij...@best.com
John Eisenman
ten...@org.think (Glenn S. Tenney KCTJ) writes:
|> In article <pleasureE...@netcom.com>,
|> plea...@netcomqueer.com wrote:
|> > The one on College in Oakland isn't bad if you can get the
|> > chef's attention and order directly from him. Of course, once
|> you take
|> > the time to do that, you might as well go to a regular sushi
|> bar.
|>
|> My experience with conveyor belt (or boat) type places is solely
|> from
|> Tokyo (there's a good one in Shibuya -- the line extends outdoors
|> and
|> around the corner...). They're no where near as good as a small
|> sushi-ya,
|> but they can be good.
|>
My experience (or lack there of) is that the conveyor belt places around
Tokyo are better (and cheaper) than the boat places around here. Of course,
I was a bit younger and less experienced sushi-wise when I was in Japan,
so perhaps I wouldn't think so today. I remember eating lunch at a second
floor place in Asakusa -- nigiri was either 120 or 200 Yen per plate.
|> There are two "tricks" to get the best sushi possible from a boat place
|> (it may or may not be good sushi, just the best you can expect from that
|> place...):
|>
|> 1. As you noted, ask specifically for what you want. But, these custom
|> made plates are still priced the same as all of the other plates.
|>
|> 2. Watch and when the chef puts what you want onto the conveyor belt watch
|> it go by and take that plate off (works best if the chef isn't on the
|> "wrong" side of the direction the plates are flowin).
|>
|> > I'm a gourmet, not a total snob. ;) When I want a fast, simple, light
|> > meal, sushi boat works fine for me.
|>
|> I've gone into a favorite sushi-ya in Burlingame on the way to SFO, sat
|> down, ordered three hand rolls, eaten them, and been out in less than a
|> half hour --- and it didn't seem rushed. That's what I call fast food.
|>
|> > Something I'm very seriously wondering about: why have I seen no female
|> > sushi chefs in all my years of eating at Japanese restaurants?
|>
|> I'm told it's a body temperature thing... Don't know if that's
|> true or not..
|>
|> --
|> Glenn Tenney KCTJ
|> The email address has been altered for display since spam
|> is not allowed here, but you can figure it out...
--
John Eisenman (ji...@sgi.com)
Silicon Graphics Computer Systems
MS 40U-553
2011 N. Shoreline Blvd.
P.O. Box 7311
Mt. View, CA 94039-7311
Richard Looney
>> My experience (or lack there of) is that the conveyor belt places around
>> Tokyo are better (and cheaper) than the boat places around here. Of course,
>> I was a bit younger and less experienced sushi-wise when I was in Japan,
>> so perhaps I wouldn't think so today. I remember eating lunch at a second
>> floor place in Asakusa -- nigiri was either 120 or 200 Yen per plate.
They'd be cheaper here also if their environemnt wasn't all
gussied up with this "boat" swag. The mechanical sushi bar
is supposed to be the economy, proletarian model.
Bryan Gros
> Karen Kay <ka...@wordwrite.com> wrote:
> > Glenn S. Tenney KCTJ <ten...@org.think> wrote:
> >>> Something I'm very seriously wondering about: why have I seen no female
> >>> sushi chefs in all my years of eating at Japanese restaurants?
>
> >> I'm told it's a body temperature thing... Don't know if that's
> >> true or not..
>
> > Can you amplify a little on this explanation?
>
> It's said that women's hands are warmer. And who wants to eat sushi
> that was handled by warm hands, or so the logic goes. I'm not sure if
> anybody believes this today though.
If this explanation were true, wouldn't that mean that there should
be fewer pastry chefs? My wife likes to make chocolate molds and
decorations and she complains a lot that the chocolate tends to
melt in her hands while she's working on it...
- Bryan
Oakland CA
gros <at> bigfoot.com
Akira Ijuin
> Akira Ijuin <aij...@best.com> wrote:
>> A more realistic problem is with cosmetics. It's said that raw things
>> are more vulnerable to the scent. It's probably true, but the problem
>> goes away if no makeup is used.
> Or unscented makeup.
My understanding is that as a general rule, nakai do not use makeup.
> So this means sushi chefs never use aftershave?
Probably.
>> I'm told there are female sushi chefs out there, but I haven't seen
>> one yet.
> "Out there" in Japan?
Yes.
--
Akira Ijuin, aij...@best.com
Roy Gordon
The main attraction for me is the lunch special, which I thought a
good deal, in addition to the convenient location.
I never thought the food great, but OK. The sushi particularly was never
anything special, but, again, adequate. It didn't seem to matter whether
it came with the bento, I took it off the boats, or the chef prepared it
in front of me. The last time I went though, a couple of months ago,
I was definitely disappointed with the lunch.
Tachibana: I think it definitely a better restaurant, but more
expensive. For dinner I'd take it, but not for lunch, because of the
cost. I'm sorry to hear that Kabocha is now defunct. I enjoyed it the
two times we were there, lonely occupants of this perennially deserted
restaurant.
-- roy
David Schweisguth (dav...@tracy.pangeasystems.com) wrote:
> Tanith@Tyrr wrote:
> : I think I'll switch my favorite sushi boat grazing spot to Isobune instead.
>
> Can someone explain the Isobune appeal to me? I can't have a conversation about
> sushi without someone recommending it. We went once (to the Rockridge branch),
> and it was so bad I'm compelled to say so here. The rice was *crunchy*.
>
> To balance the vibes in this post, Tachibana just down College Ave. is pretty
> good -- some of the fish was very, very good, and all was at least OK. Kabocha,
> also nearby, has interestingly prepared fish dinners (cooked, not sushi), and a
> selection of sakes. No, neither of those places have boats. This is a good
> thing. Oh, and my wife, who works in Berkeley, recommends Party Sushi. It's
> more like Isobune in that it's casual, although not (I believe) afloat.
>
Brenda Daverin
wrote:
> Karen Kay <ka...@wordwrite.com> wrote:
> > Glenn S. Tenney KCTJ <ten...@org.think> wrote:
> >>> Something I'm very seriously wondering about: why have I seen no female
> >>> sushi chefs in all my years of eating at Japanese restaurants?
>
> >> I'm told it's a body temperature thing... Don't know if that's
> >> true or not..
>
> > Can you amplify a little on this explanation?
>
> It's said that women's hands are warmer. And who wants to eat sushi
> that was handled by warm hands, or so the logic goes. I'm not sure if
> anybody believes this today though.
Well, if cool hands are necessary to being a sushi chef, I think I've
found my life's calling. I knew I was given cold hands for a reason... ;>
--
Brenda Daverin
bdav...@best.com
"Usenet is just email with witnesses." -- Rob Hansen
Yuji Kukimoto
I'm sorry to hear that Kabocha is now defunct. I enjoyed it the
two times we were there, lonely occupants of this perennially deserted
restaurant.
Too bad. That was my favorite Japanese restaurant in Berkeley/Oakland
area. They had a large number of superb fish dishes not available in
any other restaurant around here. IMHO, the food was much better than
Tachibana...
--
Yuji Kukimoto
Meg Worley
> are warmer than men's ]
Karen exhaled:
>> Whew.
Geoff challenges:
>Why "whew?" Assuming that people _did_ believe this, what would
>be wrong with people believing that women have warmer hands than
>men?
You're just spoiling for a fight, aren't you, big boy?
I'll tell you what might be wrong with it: If it is
unproven, then people would be believing an old wives'
tale [terminology carefully chosen]. Until you can
cough up proof that women actually do have warmer hands
than men, Karen is allowed to whew all she wants. And
yes I *am* in charge of dispensing such permission, so
*there*.
>Face it, Karen, there are some jobs that are traditionally male
>bastions.
Would anyone, Karen or nonKaren, who disagrees with this
statement please step forward and accept your prize for
ignorance?
>And contrary to what you feminists believe, there's
>not a damn thing wrong with that.
There is if a woman can do it just as well and she's
prevented from taking it only because she's a chick.
You wanna disagree with that?
>Do you broads have to try and
>infiltrate *every* such male bastion, just because, like Mount
>Everest, it's there?
Well, now that you bring it up, if it makes you so irate,
yeah, it sounds like fun. You're so *cute* when you're
all het up! Quick, somebody, bring me a bastion. Make
mine a double!
> "Stanford Researchers Discover Differences In Men, Women"
> (actual headline from the _Palo Alto Times, spring 1972)
No wonder you're so mad, Geoff, if you're getting all
your information from a 1972 *PAT*. Reading the papers
pissed me off, too, in 1972.
Rage away,
meg
--
m...@steam.stanford.edu Comparatively Literate
Meg Worley
>Meg, are you calling Geoff a bastion or a double bastion? I've lost
>track... ;-)
I'll leave it to good people of ba.food to decide who is
the dirty bastion and who is the dirty double bastion.
ObFood: Basta Pasta seems about right...
dke...@best.com
>In article <6s55sp$7...@Steam.Stanford.EDU>,
>Meg Worley <m...@Steam.Stanford.EDU> wrote:
>>
>>Geoff challenges:
>>>Why "whew?" Assuming that people _did_ believe this, what would
>>>be wrong with people believing that women have warmer hands than
>>>men?
>
>women! <GRIN!> Yeah, mostly kidding, but you never seem to hear a woman
>complain that her SO's hands are cold. Men, OTOH, are well known for
>complaining about women warming up their feet on them... Feet, hands --
>hey, they're both extremities, right?
Well, yeah. From both personal experience and my
reading, men have warmer hands than women do.
Maybe that's the supposed reason for the lack of
female sushi chefs. Y'all freeze the fishies.
--
Dave Eisen Sequoia Peripherals: (408) 752-1400
dke...@netcom.com FAX: (408) 752-2707
In our society, you can state your views, but they have to be correct.
--- Ernie Hai, coordinator Singapore Gov't Internet Project.
People
Ahhhh, to hell with trimming this thread properly......
Meg, you go girl!
It is a delight to read what you write.
Geoffy causes me much consternation. How can a vapid yuppie-dickhead use
so much bandwidth, with such pretty prose, and end up saying _absolutely_
nothing of value?
Paladin
---------------------------------------------------
If you're not outraged, you aren't paying attention.
---------------------------------------------------
Geoff Miller
Karen Kay <ka...@wordwrite.com> writes:
[ it's uncertain whether people still believe that women's hands
are warmer than men's ]
> Whew.
Why "whew?" Assuming that people _did_ believe this, what would
be wrong with people believing that women have warmer hands than
men? The given seems to be that it's somehow evil for anyone to
claim that women are different from men in any way apart from their
breasts and genitalia, however innocuous the alleged difference
may be. That strikes me as a rather odd attitude to have. The
phrase "knee-jerk" comes to mind, in fact.
I remember a Volvo ad from the early Seventies which said that
the company employed women exclusively for the job of rubbing
out the primer on its car bodies before they were painted,
because women had a softer touch than men. Do you find that
similarly objectionable? If so, why? Does "different"
necessarily imply "inferior" to you?
> So this means sushi chefs never use aftershave?
Uh-huh; another piece of the puzzle falls into place. Even if
male sushi chefs _did_ use aftershave, it wouldn't be a problem
because, being less strongly scented that cologne, the smell of
aftershave generally doesn't persist for very long. In fact,
I'd think the smell would've worn off well before the lunch
customers started traipsing in. Of course, aftershave is usually
the sort of thing worn more by guys in suits (and not even all of
them, by any means) than by those in more blue-collar pursuits
like cooking.
Face it, Karen, there are some jobs that are traditionally male
bastions. And contrary to what you feminists believe, there's
not a damn thing wrong with that. Do you broads have to try and
infiltrate *every* such male bastion, just because, like Mount
Everest, it's there? Tell ya what, sweetheart: we won't crash
your baby showers if you'll stay out from behind the sushi bar
counter, mmmkay? Go play with your Suzie Homemaker Easy-Bake
Oven, and leave the boys to their Tonka trucks.
"Stanford Researchers Discover Differences In Men, Women"
(actual headline from the _Palo Alto Times, spring 1972)
Geoff
--
"You'd be amazed at what we Ugly Americans can accomplish
with a sufficent amount of plutonium." -- Alan Gore
Valerie
Meg Worley <m...@Steam.Stanford.EDU> wrote:
>
>Geoff challenges:
>>be wrong with people believing that women have warmer hands than
>>men?
Heh. It would mean the person in question had never met both men AND
women! <GRIN!> Yeah, mostly kidding, but you never seem to hear a woman
complain that her SO's hands are cold. Men, OTOH, are well known for
complaining about women warming up their feet on them... Feet, hands --
hey, they're both extremities, right?
>>Do you broads have to try and
>>infiltrate *every* such male bastion, just because, like Mount
>>Everest, it's there?
>
>Well, now that you bring it up, if it makes you so irate,
>yeah, it sounds like fun. You're so *cute* when you're
>all het up! Quick, somebody, bring me a bastion. Make
>mine a double!
Meg, are you calling Geoff a bastion or a double bastion? I've lost
track... ;-)
Val, stepping hastily back out of reach....
Akira Ijuin
> Karen Kay <ka...@wordwrite.com> writes:
> [ it's uncertain whether people still believe that women's hands
> are warmer than men's ]
>> Whew.
> Why "whew?" Assuming that people _did_ believe this, what would be
> wrong with people believing that women have warmer hands than men?
"Because it's incorrect" comes to mind.
--
Akira Ijuin, aij...@best.com
i...@svpal.org
People <peop...@shell3.ba.best.com> wrote:
> On 27 Aug 1998, Meg Worley wrote:
>
> Ahhhh, to hell with trimming this thread properly......
>
> Meg, you go girl!
>
> It is a delight to read what you write.
>
> Geoffy causes me much consternation. How can a vapid yuppie-dickhead use
> so much bandwidth, with such pretty prose, and end up saying _absolutely_
> nothing of value?
>
> Paladin
I think we have Jerry Seinfeld to thank for raising this to an
art form and inspiring so many imitations.
IBM
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Geoff Miller
> I think we have Jerry Seinfeld to thank for raising this to an
> art form and inspiring so many imitations.
For the record, I've never seen "Seinfeld." (Yes, it's true,
believe it or not. There are scatterings of us about.)
Geoff
--
"Oh, you're just trying to throw everyone else off the
trail of the fact that someone is challenging your
dickhead title and she's, gasp, a *broad*!"
--Meg Worley
Aahz Maruch
Geoff Miller <geo...@netcom.com> wrote:
>
>For the record, I've never seen "Seinfeld." (Yes, it's true, believe
>it or not. There are scatterings of us about.)
<obAOL> Me too! </obAOL>
--
--- Aahz (@netcom.com)
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 <*> -=> http://www.rahul.net/aahz
Androgynous poly kinky vanilla queer het
"A conservative is a person who's been mugged. A liberal is a person
who's been arrested." <attribution unknown>
Phyllis Shepard
> Tanith@Tyrr wrote:
> > Something I'm very seriously wondering about: why have I seen no female
> > sushi chefs in all my years of eating at Japanese restaurants?
>
> I've been eating sushi for, um, over 25 years, and never seen one
> either. In Japan, I'm assuming that it's the sexism inherent in
> traditional occupations. But that doesn't explain why you don't see
> 'em here.
>
> Karen
> ka...@wordwrite.com
Well, after reading this entire thread, haha, I will just have to tell you
that *I*
have seen a female sushi chef, and a Japanese one, at that. Years ago,
maybe
about 18 or so, even :) On 24th Street near Church Street, in San
Francisco.
She was traditionally trained, too. So all this angst back and forth has
been
troll and flame ;)
nitenurse on Undernet :)