Deck 2.2: A Sushi Chef in Seattle Flashcards
What, according to Shiro, was the original meaning of “Edomae sushi”?
sushi that was prepared with fresh seafood from Edo (today’s Tokyo) Bay
When Shiro began working at Maneki in the 1960s, 95% of the sushi he prepared for the Japanese-American clientele was which type of sushi?
fusion-type versions of futomaki
Where (city/state) has he worked as a sushi chef for decades?
Seattle, Washington
Where did Shiro serve his apprenticeship?
at the main branch of the Yoshino sushi restaurants
[Yoh-shee-noh]
When did Shiro finally achieve his goal of working in the US?
Where (in what city) did he find work; in what restaurant?
by starting work at the Maneki restaurant in Seattle in 1966
[mah-NEH-kee]
Why did Shiro become increasingly dissatisfied trying to recreate Edomae sushi in Seattle?
because he didn’t see the necessity of using expensive ingredients from Japan when so many interesting/delicious ingredients could be found locally.
How has Shiro transformed Edomae sushi?
by creating a Pacific Northwest-mae sushi that substitutes, as much as possible, local ingredients
Where/when was chef Kashiba born?
in the Japanese city of Kyoto in 1941
How did the Japanese sushi apprenticeship experience work in Shiro’s time? (4 items)
1) Apprentices wre not paid: they earned room and board and some spending money for the one day a week they had off.
2) Apprentices wre not formally taught: they did menial chores (such as sweeping and cleaning fish) and wee expected to pick up their craft by watching the master chef.
3) Apprentices had to deliver sushi [by bicycle].
4) Apprentices had to go to the fish market “at the crack of dawn” several times a week with one of the master chefs.
How has Shiro added to his apprentices’ education (in a way that didn’t exist during his own apprenticeship)?
by going over finances with his apprentices at the end of the evening, so that they learn the finanial skills of running a sushi bar
Why did Shiro, as a teenager, decide to become a sushi chef?
[2 reasons]
because he was:
1) impressed by the “performance” of sushi chefs behind the counter.
2) outgoing and liked the chefs’ ‘friendliness/confidence as they interacted with their customers
What award did Kashiba win in 2019?
“Goodwill Ambassador to Spread Japanese Culture”
What is the name of the sushi chef whose autobioggraphy wer are are reading in Unit 2?
Kashiba Shiro
What is the name of Kashiba’s current restaurant?
Sushi Kashiba
What is the name of the famous fish market visted by all Tokyo sushi chefs?
the Tsukiji Fish Market
How did Shiro, in his early days in the US, begin to develop an entrepreneurial mindset about sushi?
[2 examples]
1) He began to think about how his business could be more profitable if he used good local ingredients (rather than importing them from Japan).
2) He realized that Amerian’s tendency to discard certain ingredients (like ikura) could help his bottom line.
Why is Shiro worried about the future of Pacific Northwest-mae sushi?
because the ingriedents once so abundant are now being overfished
What treasure did Shiro find at the piers that Seattle fishermen were throwing away?
ikura (salmon roe)
Why has Shiro incorporated smelt into his Pacific Northwest-mae sushi?
because he finds it both versatile and delicious
Why has Shiro incorporated smelt into his Pacific Northwest-mae sushi?
because he finds it both versatile and delicious
Why did Shiro take geoduck he found on the beach into his kitchen?
because he wanted to see what, as a chef, he could prepare with it
How does Shio get his customers to try “fishy” Norwegian mackerel?
by placing it in a temaki that also contains shiso (an herb in the mint family) and ginger
Which sushi ingredient does Shiro find more delicious in the Pacific Northwest than in Japan?
uni or sea urchin
Which sushi ingredient does Shiro find more delicious in the Pacific Northwest than in Japan?
uni or sea urchin
What are the 4 main fillings in the popular Shiro’s Wrap?
crab meat, mayonnaise, sriracha (Thai chili sauce) and cucumber
