If you are starving for sushi in Houston, you will not have any trouble finding a sushi bar or restaurant that serves a wide array of different flavors. Some of the best places for can be found for sushi in the Galleria-Uptown Houston area, where if you could cast out a fishing line in any general direction, you may hit a restaurant and catch some of the best prepared sushi in Texas.
Whether you find an out-of-the way traditional place in a strip-mall that serves fresh fish, or you find occasion to frequent a trendy setting for sushi in the Galleria, you may find yourself a little bit lost if you are not already an expert in the art of eating raw fish. For the under-illumined, some basic definitions might not be a bad idea.
Makizushi, for instance, isn’t something you put gasoline in and drive. It’s a common type of sushi; Galleria restaurants will likely have different flavors. It’s basically sushi wrapped up using a bamboo mat in seaweed. It can be filled with a variety of ingredients, but usually you will find salmon, crab, avocado, tuna. This one is tricky to eat using chopsticks. Fingers are okay.
Makizushi comes in a variety of different kinds of rolls, including hosomaki (contains only one filling), futomaki (two inches in diameter instead of one, and contains two or more fillings), uramaki (turns things inside out with two or more filling –uri on the inside and rice on the outside) and temaki (a cone of nori with the ingredients filling it and overflowing – sort of like and ice cream cone).
Nigirizushi skips the nori wrapping and starts with a mound of rice, upon which is placed a piece of fish. Nigiri is a popular choice for sushi virgins. Wasabi is often set between the rice and seafood or fish. The typical way to eat sushi this way is to use your fingers, and you get no extra points if you use chopsticks (think of someone eating a hamburger with a fork).
Gunkanmaki is a hand-formed cluster of rice wrapped in a broad strip of nori. It’s also filled with sea-food, typically including oysters, ori, sea urchin and others.
If you order sashimi, you will get raw fish – no rice, just slices of flavorful sushi, eaten with chopsticks. People often mix sashimi with soy sauce. A variation on the theme is chirashi, which is sashimi (raw fish slices) in a bowl of rice and vegetables.
These are some of the basics of sushi. Galleria sushi restaurant patrons will find nearly endless variations and flavors to enjoy.
Sage400 Japanese Cuisine and Lounge is one of the premiere sushi Galleria restaurants in Houston, offering three essential elements for excellence in fine dining: inviting ambiance, impeccable service and delectable food. Our menu offers something to satisfy everyone, including food cooked or raw, prepared with the freshest fish for both seasoned sushi connoisseur and novice. Reserve a table today. We are located at 2800 Sage Road A400 in Houston, Tel. 713-961-9566.
