GENJI SUSHI - CROUCHING TEMPURA, HIDDEN UMAMI

 

Some time ago I wrote a short guide to sushi and gave a recipe for a budget, home made sushi (available here). Now the time has come for a review of one of my favourite sushi bars - Genji Sushi in Kraków.

 

Genji Sushi is a two-level restaurant: there's a light, quite spacious room on the ground floor and several smaller rooms in a dark, slightly musty cellar. Both levels are full of Japanese bric-à-brac and decorations, which create an oriental feel. The restaurant's name derives from a Japanese book from the 11^th century considered the oldest novel in the world. 'Genji Monogatari' or 'The Tale of Genji' is a story about life and love affairs of Prince Genji written by a Japanese noblewoman, Murasaki Shikibu. I think the restaurant's name is an interesting choice - on the one hand, it's quite simple and eye-catching, on the other - it alludes to one of the greatest pieces of literature in Japanese history.

Eating sushi isn't a very cheap pastime but it isn't as extravagant as one may think, especially if you have a Kraków's discount card, Karta na Plus. Usually one sushi set in Genji (from PLN 35 up) will allow to satiate an appetite of a not-too-hungry person. If you're starving however, you should choose a set with lots of fish and tempura (deep-fried batter. Very tasty but also very fattening! :)). You can also order a starter, for example miso soup with soybean paste (PLN 5). Its taste is quite distinctive but if you like tofu, you should like it as well (but, honestly, I don't...). Fortunately, wantang soup with dumplings (PLN 13) turned out to be much tastier and more nourishing.

My favourite dishes are uramaki (or 'inside-out roll') with crunchy tempura shrimps and nigiri ('hand-pressed sushi') with butterfish. Butterfish, as its name suggests, is as tasty and soft as butter (but watch out because butterfish can sometimes cause indigestion). In all the sushi sets, thanks to the perfect balance of light food (such as rice, fresh cucumber, nori seaweed) and more nutritious ones (fish, seafood, tempura), you can taste a strong flavour of umami - one of the five basic tastes, described as meaty, fatty or simply delicious.

We went to Genji a few times and on each occasion the food was equally fresh and tasty. The waitresses are very friendly but I have a mixed feeling about the waiting time. Once we had to wait for our food for over an hour (!), because apparently the restaurant was inundated with guests. But next time we visited Genji, we told the waitress about the delay in the past and she made an extra effort to cover over the bad impression - our food was served in no more than 10 minutes. Genji Sushi is a perfect place for a romantic date in one of the dusky cellar rooms, a dinner with friends or simply a quick lunch with delicious sushi and umami.

Address: ul. Dietla 55, Kraków (Kazimierz)

Strona www: genji.pl

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SUSHI FOR BEGINNERS - HOW TO MAKE IT?

 

'What, raw fish? Yuck!' - this is a common reaction when I tell people that I love sushi. But in fact raw fish (called 'sashimi' in Japanese) is just one of many sushi ingredients, which can vary from seafood, to avocado, to plain cucumber. So what exactly is this sushi thing and how can you eat it? :)

For many years, I thought that sushi preparation is reserved for distinguished sushi chefs who spent years learning their craft in Japan. But my view changed when my friend, Emi, and I took part in a sushi workshop organised by Edo Sushi Bar in Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology in Kraków (most photos in this post are from this workshop). We learned there how to prepare the two most popular types of sushi: 

• makizushi - a sliced roll made of seaweed, rice, and filling
• nigirizushi - a mound of rice with a fish topping. 

Since then home made sushi has become one of my favourite ideas for a lunch or dinner with friends. My version of this dish may never get a Michelin star, but it's much cheaper than going out to a sushi bar, and it's lots of fun. :)

In most supermarkets you can find the basic sushi ingredients and accessories, especially:

• nori - edible seaweed; contrary to appearances, it is quite tasty and it contains high portions of vitamins and minerals
• rice - sushi rice is usually quite expensive, so we often replace it with basmati rice
• rice vinegar - essential for the rice dressing
• wasabi - green Japanese horseradish, it's very hot so it can help you fight a cold ;)
• gari - sweet, pickled ginger, eaten between the bites to cleanse the palate
• soy sauce - to dip your sushi (optional)
• bamboo mat - to roll maki-zushi
• chopsticks - if you don't know how to use chopsticks, I've got good news for you - Japanese etiquette allows to eat sushi with the fingers :)

 

As to the fillings, I usually buy them in vegetable and fish stalls at my local market, where I can find fresh ingredients. My favourite fillings are:

• smoked salmon
• surimi (crab sticks)
• avocado
• fresh cucumber
• kampyō gourd - pickled gourd with slightly sweet taste
• takuan - pickled daikon radish (bright yellow)
• sesame seeds - as a decoration

When I've bought everything, I sit with my friends at a large table and we start cutting the ingredients, arranging the fillings, rolling the seaweed and - the best part - tasting the food. Sushi should be served with green tea or Japanese plum wine, but in our low-budget home made version we usually settle for plum beer from the supermarket.

Home made sushi is a great culinary adventure but if you prefer a professionally prepared Japanese meal, soon you'll be able to read a review of one of my favourite sushi bars in Kraków. Stay tuned! :)

Video how to make your own sushi (by a Japanese chef):

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/video/2011/nov/07/how-to-make-sushi-video

Sushi recipes: http://makemysushi.com/

How to eat sushi: http://en.ilovecoffee.jp/posts/view/89