Monday, July 28, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Sushi Bites
In Thailand, the deli sushi very much resembles the same ready-to-go variety in Taiwan: individually wrapped! Rows upon rows of cutesy, cartoon character-stamped fishcake nigiri; tiny two-piece fake crab servings dabbed with Japanese mayonnaise and colorful fish eggs; skinny, almost child-size hand rolls (smaller hands?) with lettuce and cold shrimp tempura tails sticking out of their tops.
You grab the shrink-wrapped pieces you want and shove them into a flip-top plastic container that strangely won't close until they wrap a rubber band around it. Or just hand-carry them all at once on your way to the register. Maybe the packaging is a bit strange, but the food tastes good....
It's a far cry from the style seen in refrigerated aisles in the U.S., where you choose a box of sushi rolls and/or nigiri already overstuffed with bite after bite of the same thing. (Ick! This conjures up images of Pavilions and 7-Eleven sushi in boxes, which don't allow you the fun of sampling.)
These Asian countries have a better idea. Not only is the sushi cheaper, but the concept of individually wrapping one or two pieces at a time allows the fickle fancy more choices and asks for less commitment to one flavor, making the veritable grab-n-go rush all the more fun. Plus the pieces are small and cute....
Of course if you can only do the deli sushi thing (as opposed to a sit-down restaurant), here's a tip: get there early. Refrigeration hardens the rice and makes it less tasty. Sometimes, at your request, the deli chef may even make you a fresher one of anything.
Look for deli sushi in Phuket at the Tesco Lotus supermarket; in Bangkok, at Oishi Sushi in the Japanese sector, otherwise known as Thanon Thaniya. And if you're in Taipei, Taiwan...check out the deli section of the supermarket located in Global Mall.
You grab the shrink-wrapped pieces you want and shove them into a flip-top plastic container that strangely won't close until they wrap a rubber band around it. Or just hand-carry them all at once on your way to the register. Maybe the packaging is a bit strange, but the food tastes good....
It's a far cry from the style seen in refrigerated aisles in the U.S., where you choose a box of sushi rolls and/or nigiri already overstuffed with bite after bite of the same thing. (Ick! This conjures up images of Pavilions and 7-Eleven sushi in boxes, which don't allow you the fun of sampling.)
These Asian countries have a better idea. Not only is the sushi cheaper, but the concept of individually wrapping one or two pieces at a time allows the fickle fancy more choices and asks for less commitment to one flavor, making the veritable grab-n-go rush all the more fun. Plus the pieces are small and cute....
Of course if you can only do the deli sushi thing (as opposed to a sit-down restaurant), here's a tip: get there early. Refrigeration hardens the rice and makes it less tasty. Sometimes, at your request, the deli chef may even make you a fresher one of anything.
Look for deli sushi in Phuket at the Tesco Lotus supermarket; in Bangkok, at Oishi Sushi in the Japanese sector, otherwise known as Thanon Thaniya. And if you're in Taipei, Taiwan...check out the deli section of the supermarket located in Global Mall.
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