I have a fairly long-running tradition now of always eating sushi on the Fourth of July. (The one exception being a couple of years ago when my parents were visiting and we ended up going out for Chinese instead. But I ordered fish, so it almost counts.) The tradition started out, I think, as an attempt to be ironic — ho ho, uniquely Japanese food on Independence Day, aren’t I clever — but now it’s just an excuse to eat raw fish. I mean, who wouldn’t want this?
Er, well, maybe not that, precisely. It looked a lot better before my phone’s camera mauled it, I swear. It was nice to go out for sushi; my finances of late have made it an unaffordable luxury. That fit the holiday, too. What could be more American than spending beyond your means? When you live in a city where it’s usually too foggy in the summer to see fireworks (and too chilly for cookouts), nothing says “July 4th” like sushi.
Or as I like to call it, Freedom Fish.
Isn’t being a rebel a true sign of patriotism. I mean look at that James Dean kid, he was about as American as you can get. Yes, I just compared Jeremy Parish to James Dean. J.P. a true American hero.
Not to mention that America was founded by rebellion. Way to keep up the spirit Parish!
That sushi really looks appetizing… except for the onions… bleck.
What onions? I see lettuce and grated daikon.
… Did I mention that I am not very familiar with Japanese cuisine? Apologies.
Man I love sushi, I only discovered it about a year ago. Any recommendations on the best sushi varieties?
However, I always feel really awkward when I buy it. As an extremely white person living in Michigan, I always feel really embarrassed when I’m ordering it or buying it from a store. I almost expect someone to come up to me and say “yeah, you want some Pocky and anime with that too, lame-ass?”
No, I assure you, I don’t.
My mouth is watering. What’s your SF sushi spot of choice?
We went to Izumiya yesterday, which is in Japantown right next to Sophie’s Crepes and offers a little bit of everything, not just sushi. Personally, my favorite spot is Goemon in the Sunset, but that’s because it’s very close to my apartment and the staff is really friendly. Even if they can never remember my name. “Hi John!” Eh, close enough.
If you want spendier stuff, Ebisu on 9th Ave. at Irving is pretty fancy, and Kabuto in the Richmond always has a dozen people milling around waiting for a table.
It seems the only way I can get food to look even remotely appetizing in a photo is to shoot at borderline macro range with a depth of field about three atoms thick. That salmon sashimi appears immune to nasty food photo syndrome, though. I covet it.
There are some decent sushi bars in Chicago that specialize in extravagant and odd combinations of ingredients, but it’s been years since I’ve eaten at one that sticks to the fundamentals and just nails it on the sheer quality and freshness of everything.
This weekend is my first time not going to Anime Expo in eight years so it was a little odd not only working on the Fourth of July but simply being in town. I suppose, like having sushi on Independence Day, it’s a little weird to celebrate the anniversary of our freedom from colonial rule by reveling in a different culture. But on the other hand, that culture is weird enough to have a holiday for celebrating the mere announcement of their Constitution and then a separate holiday for when it went into effect. So I guess that balances out somehow?
Tokyo may be one of the most expensive cities in the world overall, but man, 150Y-per-plate sushi was awesome. Wish I could get it for those prices back home.
Meanwhile, my bribe from the government totally stimulated the hell out of the Japanese economy. However, I did grill out on my back porch for the Fourth (albeit grilling vegetarian stuff) so I guess it all balances out maybe.
I happen to think Japanese food is a very patriotic thing to eat for the 4th of July, especially sushi.
Name-drop: I know a kid of the owner of Izumiya. Good folk.