SFist: The Search For Brown Rice Sushi

mixie

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:33:10 -0800

most whole foods stores have brown rice sushi in the fresh food section. it's really good and moderately priced.

travin

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:41:10 -0800

Continuing the media feedback loop, today yelp comes up with this: http://www.yelp.com/topic/san-francisco-yelps-sushi-smackdown Interesting timing.

superasiaone

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:39:14 -0800

Please, please no brown rice with sushi. My grandfather who owned a sushi restaurant in Japan is turning in his grave. There are plenty of things that you can eat with brown rice. I know because my mom has ALMOST completely switched to eating brown rice. The one thing both her and I will never eat is sushi with brown rice. Maybe a maki with vegetables only would work but never with fish.

zippy_monster

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:58:48 -0800

Bristol Farms also has the brown rice sushi. Sushi has lots of tradition... but there are plenty of ways to honor tradition. Take a look at the "beloved" California Roll. Order sushi with avocado in Japan, see how far that gets you. Me? I'll take my spicy tuna roll with brown rice and one sprig of watercress. I'll have my avocado in a smoothie. Thankyouverymuch. It's authentic Zippy food damnit.

Xenu

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:19:17 -0800

That place in Palo Alto is AWESOME. It's hard to find because it's in an alley, but you shouldn't knock it until you tried it. To anyone who knocks something because it's "not authentic," maybe you should look in a mirror.

aj

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:08:04 -0800

Even so, try ordering brown rice sushi in Japan. They'll laugh you all the way to Vladivostok.

cl10

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:54:25 -0800

Brown rice sushi is new on the menu at sushi bistro...and must be followed by fried green tea ice cream to counteract any of the health benefits.

travin

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:36:44 -0800

Leanne, yah. It really depends on what quslity of brown rice you're using. And what is in most stores is absolutely horrendous. The stores in japantown don't sell a dozen different types for nuthin. If I remember correctly, one specialty brown rice is like $23/lb - prolly more nowadays.

Leanne

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:18:59 -0800

I enjoy brown rice with some dishes, but when I tried both Whole Foods and Trader Joe's brown rice sushi, I promptly spit it out into the trash. Maybe it is better on sushi in actual restaurants. I do however like the California Roll from Safeway, which was rated highest in that Chron article.

travin

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:43:41 -0800

@ anon8mizer Uhhh, putting aside the distinct possibility that, although poorly, you're joking, ya might wanna do some checking on the history of sushi. The practice of making and eating sushi, as we know it, is only around a few hundred years old. And brown rice can be made sticky for sushi quite easily.

masterdave

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:15:43 -0800

whole foods has brown rice. it's not great sushi, but if you're wanting something quick and to-go, then it's not so bad. that sfgate article is sorta lame since I don't think it's really fair to compare sushi based on crab and especially imitation crab. Then again, I'm not sure I'd trust the raw fish from a lot of supermarkets anyway... but Whole Foods at least I can reasonably figure they're using good fish and it's all fresh. Plus the guy at the counter will roll you up fresh stuff if you ask and that's always better than the stuff sitting in the trays.

Brock Keeling

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:32:52 -0800

@ anon8mizer, exoticize much?

wsanders

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:24:39 -0800

Brown rice on sushi would be very nontraditional in Japan. Brown rice has its place, but sushi rice is prized for its pearliness and stickiness ...

anon8mizer

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:22:50 -0800

I for one am really glad that there are not that many more places that make brown rice sushi. Sushi is a traditition, and it's made with white short grain rice. Brown rice under sushi will fall apart, and it is an insult to a way of life and a tradition. So respect sushi for what it is, eat it the way it's been made for thousands of years. You will live a healthier life by understanding the importance of a tradition, and the importance of preserving it, than thinking of ways to bend things the way you like it at the expense of ritual and heritage.

aj

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:01:57 -0800

However, unhulled rice is delicious when mixed with tea leaves as Genmaicha. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genmaicha

Brock Keeling

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:01:06 -0800

HATE brown rice in my sushi. see, now i want to throw my glass against the wall just thinking about it. it gets everywhere! and sashimi, while being the preferable form of raw fish to eat, is just too expensive. but in the end, rice is an evil and fattening carb.

aj

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:00:20 -0800

Yuck. Brown rice is just not worth extending your life over. Real rice or nothing.

Pammeh

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:59:48 -0800

Mmmmm. I dunno. Not that I have a vendetta against brown rice, and I do understand its nutritional benefits, but everything has its place. Growing up with the slightly sweet and gentle flavor of white rice with my meat and veggies, I find brown rice's loud and nutty flavor obnoxious when mixed with my favorite Chinese dishes--same with many other Asian foods. Thai yellow curry over brown rice, for example? BLEUGH. :\ I'll cook brown rice at home with things it actually complements, and stick to white for my sushi needs.

tacky

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:53:55 -0800

Wayo Sushi. Bush and Van Ness. I've been getting the lunch combo there for years.

Shawna

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:38:41 -0800

Safeway has BR Sushi, it's good for a quick (cheap) fix...

Leanne

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:36:44 -0800

Or you could just have sashimi and get your rice intake from drinking sake instead!