Endo, the owner and chef of a sushi restaurant, shares his expertise and opinions on various aspects of sushi preparation and etiquette. He emphasizes the importance of using fresh wasabi, handling fish with care, and not applying too much pressure when making sushi. Endo also discusses the proper way to eat sushi, suggesting that it should be consumed at a 45-degree angle, with the fish and rice in balance. He critiques various sushi preparation techniques and emphasizes the need for attention to detail, such as using the right type of knife and handling rice with care. Endo also shares his own experiences as a sushi chef, including his preference for custom-made knives and his approach to omakase, a 20-course sushi experience. Throughout the conversation, Endo provides insight into the nuances of sushi preparation and etiquette, highlighting the importance of tradition, technique, and attention to detail.
Here are the extracted facts in short sentences:
1. Endo is the owner and chef at Endo at the Rotunda in White City.
2. Endo has been a sushi restaurant owner for 26 years.
3. Endo knows the restaurant background in New York, which is Nakazawa.
4. Nakazawa is a very famous restaurant.
5. Endo's sushi restaurant in White City has 100% of customers using fingers to eat sushi.
6. Endo believes that sushi tastes better when customers touch and feel it.
7. Ginger is used as a palate cleanser in sushi restaurants.
8. Endo makes ginger and pickles at home.
9. Endo has a fugu license for Tokyo and Kyoto.
10. A fugu license is required to cook fugu in a restaurant.
11. Fugu is a type of blowfish that can be fatal if not prepared correctly.
12. There are many kinds of fugu, and some types of fugu skin can be eaten while others cannot.
13. Fugu organs should not be eaten.
14. If fugu is eaten with a little blood on it, it can be fatal depending on the amount.
15. Endo uses a separate cutting board, knife, and gloves specifically for fugu.
16. Endo removes the guts of the fugu first because they cannot be eaten.
17. The guts are put in a box and locked away.
18. A special person comes to pick up the guts the next day.
19. Endo uses seven knives in preparation until service.
20. Each chef has different ways of preparing ingredients, but Endo uses a different knife for each ingredient.
21. Endo has a designated knife for tuna, white-meat fish, and clams.
22. Endo changes knives for each type of fish.
23. Tuna has a longer fillet and is thicker than other fish.
24. Spider crab in Cornwall is used in Endo's menu.
25. The shell of the spider crab has a strong aroma and makes a great broth.
26. Endo stirs sushi rice as little as possible to avoid adding vinegar.
27. Endo teaches his pupils to make a rice paddle as flat as possible.
28. Using chopsticks is better than fingers for eating sushi.
29. Endo recommends eating sushi with a 45-degree angle, with the rice and fish together.
30. The ratio of rice vinegar to sugar to sea salt is 8:4:1.
31. Mixing rice vinegar is a sensitive process that requires minimal touching of the rice.
32. Endo recommends having cold hands when making sushi.
33. Wetting hands before touching rice makes it better.
34. Endo's restaurant is omakase, with 20 courses, including small bites and hot food.
35. Endo controls the temperature of each sushi piece.
36. Endo recommends eating sushi within three seconds.
37. Endo's knives are custom-made in Osaka and Kyoto.