subject: The Most Liked Sushi, Sashimi and Tempura from Japanese Restaurants in Tampa FL by:Chris Lontok [print this page] Japanese food is one of the most loved international cuisines today. People of all nationalities actually look for it when going out to eat. It is almost unimaginable that a few generations ago only the Japanese appreciated their traditional food and only travelers to the Far East got the opportunity to sample their delicacies. These days, you will surely locate a good Japanese restaurant or a sushi bar in any modern city in the United States and anywhere else in the world. The mainstays and popular favorites in Japanese food are nigiri sushi, makimono sushi, sashimi and tempura. The same is true in Tampa FL.
Among the many dishes in Japanese food, sashimi and sushi made with raw fish and other raw seafood may be daunting to those who are not quite adventurous in taste. It would therefore be best to introduce them to the wonders of Japanese food through tempura which is universally liked. In fact, it is easily the top dish ordered in typical Japanese restaurants, even in Tampa FL.
For the tempura dish, a variety of seafood and vegetables are coated with a very light cold batter and deep fried. The resulting tempura pieces are very airy and crispy, never soggy and oily. They are served freshly made and eaten while piping hot, drizzled with a sauce made of dashi or broth, mirin or rice wine, shoyu or soy sauce and wasabi paste. Among the seafood used for tempura are prawns, shrimps, fish fillet, squid, scallops and crabmeat. Popular tempura vegetables are eggplant, okra, mushrooms, sweet potato, yam, squash, bell pepper, carrot and green beans.
Sashimi can be introduced to anyone who is brave enough to try raw seafood. After all, sashimi is nothing but the freshest and finest raw seafood, sliced skillfully and artfully arranged and presented. Japanese restaurants ensure utmost hygiene in its preparation. Special knives are used for sashimi and chefs are specially trained for its presentation. Sashimi is eaten simply dipped lightly in shoyu or soy sauce with wasabi paste. Among the seafood used for sashimi are salmon, tuna, mackerel, yellowtail, shrimp, squid, sea urchin and scallops. Even those who have tried it for the first time are surprised by the delicate sweetness of raw seafood.
Sushi can also include raw seafood among its toppings or fillings and it is also eaten lightly dipped in shoyu or soy sauce with wasabi paste, but it is not like sashimi. In fact, the main ingredients of sushi are cooked Japanese rice flavored with Japanese vinegar. Sushi has become so popular around the world, though, that there are even sushi restaurants and sushi bars devoted to it even in Tampa FL.
Sushi can be served as nigiri sushi or makimono sushi. Nigiri sushi is made of an oval of cooked Japanese rice flavored with vinegar and a swab of wasabi paste, then topped with one or a combination of raw and cooked ingredients. Strips of nori or dried seaweed can be used to fence in loose toppings like raw fish roe. Makimono sushi has fillings instead of toppings. The cooked Japanese rice flavored with vinegar and swabbed with wasabi paste is laid on a sheet of nori along with the chosen fillings and rolled into a log. This is then sliced thickly into disks. Makimono sushi can also come as temaki which is a cone of nori filled with the vinegared rice and fillings. All types of sushi are popular in sushi restaurants and sushi bars in Tampa FL.
The Japanese Restaurants and sushi bars will always be ready to serve your orders of nigiri sushi, makimono sushi, sashimi and tempura in Tampa FL.
