First of all, you’ll likely notice that our ratings of our experiences are lower than our average user’s rating. That’s because we don’t start at 5 nigiri and go down from there. Instead, we start at 3 nigiri, when it’s good from an average perspective, and go up or down from there, depending on our experience – see this chart for reference. Although we would truly love to give every experience that is satisfying 5 nigiri, that won’t leave room for the moments that truly deserve all 5 nigiri. And, although some may not be content with our ratings if they’re not 5 nigiri, we do what we can to leave our honest rating for all, regardless of what it is.
Also, these ratings are really for experiences, opposed to the restaurant itself. Although the experience is likely a reflection of the average experience at that restaurant, all experiences will differ. So, just because our experience was only a 3 or 4 nigiri experience, doesn’t mean you won’t get your 5 nigiri experience at the same restaurant. 😉
So, the main ingredient of Sushi is… yep, rice! Sushi is a Japanese dish consisting of small balls or rolls of vinegar-flavored rice, typically served with fish, vegetables, or egg. That being said, many people, understandably, associate Sushi with fish, which is our typical complimentary ingredient when we order our Sushi.
The method we’re following to order our Sushi for this guide is as follows:
- Sashimi (just the meat; typically fish) & Nigiri (feature ingredient over seasoned rice)
- Temaki (single-ingredient “hand roll”) & Hosomaki (single-ingredient roll sliced into pieces)
- Futomaki (multi-ingredient roll sliced into pieces)
WE BASE OUR OVER-ALL EXPERIENCE ON THE FOLLOWING 5 POINTS
| Service |
I believe we can all agree that any quality restaurant experience begins the moment we’re greeted. This may not be why we’re dining at whichever spot we chose but it certainly plays its part in the over-all experience.
| Presentation |
When we see it, that’s the moment when when we get excited. Is it Truly picture worthy??? Who doesn’t love a colorful display? On the other hand, I am not a fan of a lot of inedible or tasteless additions to my plate. Balance is key but the food should be the highlight, of course.
| Portions & Ratio |
Worthy portions and proper rice-to-feature ratio is a must, IMHO. For instance, I believe Nigiri should consist of about 3/4″ in rice with at least 1/4″ in of the complimentary ingredient. Too much rice and you’re chewing too long with a full mouth and not really enjoying the feature flavor; not enough of the complimentary ingredient and you’re still not enjoying the feature flavor. There should be a good balance. Especially here in America, where many of us view the rice as more of a container opposed to the feature ingredient. But, to be fair, Sushi Is all about the rice; everything else is simply there to compliment the rice. Nonetheless, a proper ratio is still ideal in my book 😉
| Consistency |
How each bite presents itself is a big part of the experience. Does it all stay together? Is the rice soft? Was the feature ingredient properly prepared? Does everything meld together gracefully?
| Flavor |
Of course, it all leads up to this moment. Are the flavors dull or watered down? Or… are they Simply Delightful?! Do all of the ingredients compliment each other, coming together to create a symphonic moment you want to cherish in each and every bite? Mmmmmmmm… We certainly hope so!
All ASG ratings start at 3 nigiri (Good!😊) and go up or down from there:
You have our promise that ASG-submitted reviews are posted without bias, whether it’s just one of us, or a small group of us.