Thursday 13 December 2012

Working Lunch - Waitrose Sushi

Right, before we start I'd like to highlight I know nothing about sushi apart from the fact that I like the way it tastes. Most of the time. If you read this  post and decide that I am clearly a complete idiot for not knowing my sushi from my sashimi and you simply cannot continue indulging me when faced with my horrific inadequacies, then you are clearly the sort of person I would probably hate talking to as well. Jog on, no harm done.

OK, disclaimer out of the way, we'll start our sushi discussions with a nice little compact box of Taiko Sushi from Waitrose. This one contained three cucumber and two salmon rolls. Do you call the long thin ones with salmon on the top rolls? Not sure (see disclaimer above). Also in the box was a packet of wasabi, soy and another packet of pickled ginger.

The rice is really where pre-packed sushi is made or broken and the simple vegetable rolls were my favorite here because they let you taste the vinegary, sticky rice with just a hint of crunch. The seaweed was salty and forgiving but held the roll togeather well.

The salmon was good, soft and yealed well at each bite. The flavour was however, simply generically fishy and needed a good glug of soy to keep it from being overwhelming.

The wasabi and ginger were good to see, the wasabi was really quite powerful and even (dare I say) brough a tear to my eye. The ginger was a great and particularly in a small box like this quite an unusual addition. Soggy but still crunchy, it cleansed the palette well and had an amost medicinal taste of ginger.

The soy sauce was OK. But whoever produces these small fish shaped bottles must make a mint because there are in every single pack of sushi I've ever eaten, no matter where from or what brand. I am also proud to say that I have graduated from the soy souce acadamy. No longer do I stroll blindly down the Amoy path of salty stir-fry destruction, neither do I seek the Blue Dragon of unpleasent noodle aftertase. Instead, I Kikkoman my way through life and am a lot happier for it - handy tip, buy in bulk and avoid the small jars with the pouring spout on them; terrible value for money. One point of clarification though; Blue Dragon used to to a bottle of sweet soy which was absolutley fantastic. It used to be a Morrisons exclusive but sadly, I have not been able to find it for some time. Boo.

In conclusion, I would go back to Waitrose for more, this was a small pack and it would be nice to try some of the more exotic varieties. As sushi is a regular lunch option for me these days, it is a shame that Mrs. P. does not harbour the same desire as I do for a good slice of cold salmon. I am therefore relegated to sampling sushi where and when I can. I once pursuaded Mrs. P. to pander to my sushi whim and we attempted to enjoy a lunch at a nearby Yo! Sushi. It did not go well and she vowed never to return. And so, my attempt to eat on the road without giving in to the dreaded Ginsters monster continues...

1 comment:

  1. How have I only just discovered your blog??!! I am a total sushi fan, and agree with the Kikkoman soy sauce preference. I like Morrisons vegetarian sushi, but buy a small packet of smoked salmon to go with it... and a cup of green tea goes down very well too.

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