Six thousand miles separate Japan  and Cabo San Lucas. The two countries and cultures could not be more different. Yet, here in the coastal desert at the tip of Baja you’ll find a little piece of Japan that even the Japanese would envy… Nick San Japanese restaurant.

Eleven years after it’s opening, Nick San still remains the most popular Japanese restaurant in Los Cabos, and with good reason. Owned by Angel Carbajal and Masayuki Nikura, the restaurant produces one of the most creative menus you’re likely to find anywhere. From Sushi to Tempura, this place has it all when it comes to Japanese cuisine. But it’s the special touches influenced by Angel’s devotion to traditional Mexican cooking that make it unique. When was the last time you saw a Jalapeno Chile at a Japanese restaurant?

Located in Cabo San Lucas, Nick San faces Marina Blvd. from Plaza de la Danza next to Costa Real Cabo Hotel. The dйcor is light and bright yet elegant. The walls are adorned with numerous photos from famed Cabo photographer, Thomas Spangler. The focal point of most Japanese restaurants is the Sushi Bar and the rule carries through at Nick San. Long and lively, Nick San’s Sushi bar reinforces part of the allure of Sushi – the art of its preparation. Razor sharp knives meet butter soft fresh seafood and when the two come together in Angel’s masterful creations, taste buds cheer.

Angel has spent the majority of his life either catching fish or finding new ways to prepare and present it to hungry diners. If you’re looking for Angel during daylight hours, look to the sea. Angel spends his days aboard his boat – aptly named “Spicy Tuna” – chasing down fresh catch for use in the restaurant. The hallmark of great Sushi is freshness and it doesn’t get any fresher than just caught. While an accomplished chef,  Angel didn’t start out as a Sushi master. The journey from Sushi novice to his present status as Sushimeister started with a chance meeting with his partner, Masayuki Nikura. Masayuki ventured down to Cabo in 1986 with his wife Kasue and some friends. Angel was working as chef at Senor Sushi; a then popular seafood restaurant in Cabo that was often so busy that finding an open table was difficult. Such was the situation that night in 1986. Masayuki asked Angel if he could return the following night and use the kitchen to prepare dinner for his wife and friends.  Angel accommodated the unusual request.

The following evening found Masayuki in the kitchen prepping the ingredients for a variety of Sushi he planned on serving his group. Soon, early diners began to show up and before you could say “Mas Sake” he was serving his creations to guests at the bar. After finally serving his wife and friends, Masayuki and Angel had the opportunity to escape and have a drink together. The conversation turned to Masayuki’s Sushi and with little formality, Angel was invited to Los Angeles to learn how to create the Japanese delicacies at Masayuki’s restaurant, Kushiyu.

What began as a casual relationship became a close friendship and new business partnership. Several trips to visit with and learn from Masayuki led to a much longer journey… Japan. Twelve years after their first meeting,  Angel made his way to the island nation where his education in all things Japanese continued. The two visited many fine restaurants where more concepts of Japanese cuisine formed in Angel’s already creative mind. Trips to Japan’s many fish markets exposed him to the great possibilities that spawn from the oceans. Perhaps most influential was a dinner held at the home of Masayuki’s brother, a commercial fisherman whose passion for the sea also extended to the dinner table.

Angel was overwhelmed by the site of a table set for fourteen loaded with myriad seafood dishes, most caught by Masayuki’s brother the previous night. Great food, great Sake and lots of cerveza made for an impressive meal and left a lasting impression on Angel. Armed with new ideas, Angel returned to Cabo where Nick San benefited from his experiences.

Nick San, started as a pet project by two new friends, but has become a true family affair.  Angel’s sister Carmen is the manager of the restaurant handling the daily business. His brothers also joined the show. George is in charge of creating the wide variety of tantalizing sauces, Edy runs the kitchen and Sam handles the suppliers. Angel fishes nearly everyday and in the evening, he develops and prepares the many specials featured at Nick San. There is no mistaking the pride he takes in creating unique dishes for his guests and we have firsthand experience of just how special his specials are.

One hot and humid August night found us sitting with Angel for a few moments before he advised that menus would not be necessary, he would prepare dinner for us personally.  While group after group entered the restaurant, we had the pleasure of watching Angel at work. For starters, Negi Maguro – fresh caught Pacific Yellowfin Tuna seared in a mixture of chives, garlic and miso butter sauce. Stacked high on a stark white plate, it is as beautiful as it is delicious. Next, Sashimi Serranito – half moon bay scallops from San Carlos in Baja served with Serrano Chile oil, soy sauce and drops of lemon. Spicy, sweet and presented with paper thin slices of Chile the dish is perfectly accompanied by Jyunmai Ginjo Sake served ice-cold as opposed to hot. Connoisseur grade Sake is always served cold, lower grade Sake’s are served hot to improve the taste. Although I truly enjoy hot Sake, the flavor and finish of the Jyunmai was outstanding.

Dish after dish appeared including a version of Spring Rolls created by Angel and a wonderful Lobster roll. Tempura lobster with sliced avocado, green mango, cilantro, sprouts, mixed organic greens, Tobico roe and a spicy Japanese mayonnaise sauce all wrapped in Soy paper and served atop Yuzu curry oil. A masterpiece to look at and a true gastronomic marvel, the melding of typical Japanese flavors with the fresh, aromatic qualities of cilantro and the sweetness of the mango was one of our personal favorites. A soft shell crab dish finished off the dinner as we had no room left in our very satisfied bellies.

After dinner, a trip to the bar is always in order and who are we to go against tradition. Nick San’s bartenders are excellent mixoligists who have a flare for dressing up drinks with cosmopolitan style. Try one of many martinis served in truly unique stemmed glasses or ask the bartender to surprise you. Between their outgoing stage-like personalities and the lively libations poured, ending the night at the bar was just what the doctor ordered.

The success of Nick San has not gone unnoticed by the major players in the Cabo resort business. A new Nick San is due to open very soon at none other than the ultra-exclusive One and Only Palmilla. Tentatively scheduled for an October 2005 opening, we have no doubt that more success and rave reviews are on tap for Angel and Masayuki.

For more information, visit Nick San online at http://www.NickSan.comFor more information about Cabo, visit http://www.CabosBest.com

Do you love good Sushi? What is it about raw fish that is so enjoyable to eat? A slab of your favorite Sashimi can truly make your day. You know if I were a shark in the ocean, I think I might be very happy, swimming around eating my favorite sushi. Of course being a Dolphin would be cool too. And just think how much less it would cost to eat rather than cruising into an expensive Japanese Restaurant? Just swim up to your most tasty choice for the day, pick from the menu and take a bite size sample and smile. Sounds good doesn’t it.

It appears the taste for sushi is an acquired taste to many in the Western World but an innate taste in Asian and other countries. Yet we all know that seafood has been one of mankind’s favorite dishes for thousands of years. In fact most of human civilizations live near the water, probably because this is where we have always gotten much of our food.

Thus it stands to reason from an evolutionary standpoint that humans would automatically like sushi? Although some say; why would anyone eat raw fish? Well, because it is great and you need to explain this to friends and treat them to sushi so they understand why people love sushi so much. Think on this.

I didn’t intend to change to another supermarket.

For the last 18 years my family has used the same supermarket.

It’s less than half a mile from our home.  It sells almost every food item that we need.  We buy our petrol there, our newspapers, postage stamps, stationery, wine, CDs.  We even buy our domestic gas and electricity from this store.

But one little thing has really been bothering me recently.

When I go to fill up my motorcycle with petrol, there is a sign that says I must remove my crash helmet before entering the shop to pay for my fuel.  And I can understand that this is to deter any potential robbers who might use a crash helmet to conceal their identity.

This wasn’t too bad in the summer.  And I complied with the request.  Although I noticed that the petrol stations of other supermarkets and oil companies had no similar condition.

But when the colder weather arrived, I started to wear a thermal balaclava under my crash helmet.  And so now this petrol station wants me to remove my crash helmet and my balaclava.  To do so means first removing my gloves.  Then I take off my glasses and store them safely.  Then I am able to remove my crash helmet, undo my jacket, remove my neck tube and finally take off my balaclava.

To put everything back on really means taking my jacket off otherwise I cannot get the various layers to lay flat and comfortably.  And where do I store everything that I’ve just taken off.  On the floor???

I mentioned to the cashier how inconvenient this was for me.  She seemed to be very understanding but explained that this was company policy.

I then suggested that they might like to ask motorcyclist to use the payment hatch to her side.  The one that would allow motorcyclists to pay from outside the shop without even having to enter.  “That’s a good idea,” she told me.  But I could tell that it wasn’t going to go any further.

I also asked her how many fewer robberies they now had as a result of this policy.  “It hasn’t changed,” she said.  “We’ve never had any robberies.”

And so I tried phoning the store manager to ask for his help.  I even explained that both my brother and my mother work at another branch of this company.  And I really don’t want to buy my petrol anywhere else.  I explained the idea of using the external hatch so that motorcyclists don’t even have to enter the shop.  But, despite his assurance that he doesn’t want me to shop elsewhere, nothing has changed.

Now maybe I’m getting a bit old and grumpy.  But this situation irritated me.  And I wondered about how other customers might cope.  What would a nun have to do?  Or a lady wearing a hijab?  Or maybe even a man wearing a turban?  Are we all potential villains?

A couple of weeks went by and, just by chance, we had to buy our shopping from a different supermarket.  We went to Marks & Spencer.  Although it was a little harder to locate all the things we needed in a strange store, we quite enjoyed the adventure.  And then I spotted that Marks & Spencer sells sushi.  And I’ve been a sushi addict for some time but our normal supermarket doesn’t sell it.

So guess what has happened?  We now visit Marks & Spencer on a regular basis.  And I notice that my wife is coming home with food from several other stores too.  Maybe we’ve not switched allegiance to any one particular store.  But we’ve certainly switched away from the one that we spent approximately Ј10,000 with every year.  Over 18 years, that’s a lot of money.

What can we learn from this story?

I suggest that you let your team think about this situation and how it could have been handled differently.  Let them come up with the ideas and suggestions.  That way they will feel more involved and any ideas that could be applied to your business will be their ideas.

The sort of things that I’m thinking of include listening to customers, understanding lifetime value, following up a customer complaint/suggestion, making it easy for customers to buy from you.

Akashi Japanese in South Miami- This hidden gem may be located next to the bustling traffic of US-1 and have a rough exterior, but it is surely worth a trip. Close to the University of Miami and right across from the parking garage of Sunset Place, this Miami restaurant attracts university students, dinner and movie goers, and families. I like to consider Akashi Japanese to be the best Sushi Restaurant in Miami not on South Beach.

Akashi’s Menu: Akashi restaurant serves fresh and excellent quality sushi. If you are a “rolls” person, then we recommend the Dragon Roll, which is a combination of tempura shrimp, crabmeat, masago, scallions, asparagus, and spicy mayo topped with avocado.  This roll considered is a safe choice in addition to the traditional tuna or salmon rolls. If you would like to get a little crazy, try the Rob Roll, which is rolled inside-out with eel, crabmeat, scallions, asparagus, and spicy mayo with avocado. If you are a straight up sashimi lover, then you can’t go wrong with Akashi’s Sashimi Mori, which is simply a variety of sashimi. If you are on a date, one option is to order a boat which is a delightful combination of sushi and sashimi. It can be a little more romantic sharing a boat rather than enjoying individual rolls.

Dinner and a Movie: Akashi is conveniently located next to Sunset Place in South Miami, so you can watch a movie or shop before or after you eat.

Tips:  Parking spots are limited, and you may be tempted to park at the Dry Cleaning Services across from Akashi but don’t!  Occasionally cars are towed, so use the metered parking.

To get more information on Miami Sushi Restaurants or to view Miami Restaurant Menus, visit http://www.restaurantplace.com.

In general, the Japanese people are very healthy and live longer than any other culture in the world.  Why is this?  Many people attribute it to the way they eat.  But if you think that all Japanese people eat is sushi you couldn’t be more wrong.  Japanese home cooking is simple, healthy, and delicious.  While some of the ingredients may seem exotic and intimidating, rest assured that anyone can cook wonderful delicious Japanese meals with ease.

Sushi is the most popular type of Japanese food, enjoyed throughout the world.  You may notice that sushi is quite filling, and you typically eat much less than you would a more Western style meal, such as a hamburger.  What is it about sushi that makes it so filling and satisfying?  The answer could be rice.

Rice is definitely a staple of any Japanese meal.  Whether it is served as a side dish or along with a saucier entrйe, you’re going to need plenty of rice on hand.  While white long grain rice is most popular, you can always opt for more healthy brown rice.  Either way, you may also want to consider purchasing a rice cooker.  Rice cookers can cost anywhere from $30 to hundreds of dollars, depending on the make and quality.  If you plan on eating plenty of rice this is worth the investment.  You’re pretty much guaranteed perfect rice every time.

Have you ever had miso soup at your favorite sushi restaurant?  Miso soup is made from several ingredients, one of which is miso paste, made from fermented soybeans.  Miso comes as either red or yellow, both having distinct and rich flavors.  Not just for soup, you can add miso to just about anything from a veggie stir fry to a marinade for beef.  And miso isn’t just for Japanese cooking either.  Once you experience the delightful flavors of miso you’ll be adding it to all your meals!

If you dislike fish, you probably think Japanese cooking isn’t for you.  While fish is definitely a huge part of the Japanese diet, it doesn’t mean that’s all they eat.  Chicken, beef, and pork are all popular choices, as well as tofu and eggs. Simmering meats in sauces such as teriyaki, in a wok or deep skillet is a favorite.  You can serve these dishes over rice or noodles such as soba.  This is a tasty and healthy alternative to fried foods that many of us eat so often.

If you’re interested in Japanese home cooking there are plenty of great recipes on the Internet that can help guide you through the different types of ingredients and cooking methods.  If you’re looking for a healthy and flavorful change to your diet, consider trying a few Japanese meals.  Before you know it you’ll be enjoying a variety of delicious foods that nurture the body and the soul.

The last is called “Temaki”, it is basically a hand rolled version of Maki, shaped kind of like an ice cream cone.

No matter what kind of sushi you order, they all have some variety of these common ingredients or garnishes:

The word “sushi” doesn’t refer to the raw fish, it actually refers to the rice, called “sticky rice”. Sushi is short grained rice to which sugar and vinegar is added, giving it a distinct sweet/tart flavor.

Wasabi is a green paste made from Japanese horseradish and is very hot! Use it sparingly or you’ll be hitting the sake a bit too hard in an attempt to put out the fire.

To refresh your palette between bites, there is Gari, or thin slices of pickled ginger. This can also be used as a garnish.

The sheets of seaweed used to roll the rice are called Nori.

Soya sauce is sometimes served as a dipping sauce along with wasabi.

Sushi can be a simple as a single ingredient or as complex as the Itamae’s imagination allows. Cucumbers (Kappa) avocadoes, tuna (tekka or maguro) or salmon are all popular ingredients. Different kinds of sushi have been developed to please the American palette.

California rolls, which are made with avocado, crab and cucumber are popular and a good choice for the sushi newbie. Philadelphia rolls, which are made with smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber are a delicious choice if you are not quite ready to go raw just yet.

So be brave, give sushi a try! Start with the more Americanized California or Philadelphia rolls, or have your Itamae suggest a local favorite. Either way you can’t go wrong, sushi is a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional Western meals. Enjoy!

It has been often said that it is better to pick a partner who shares your interests – may it be sports, books, fishing…but carried to the extreme, it causes people to narrow down the type of people they would even consider going out with.

It is perfectly understandable that people who share something tend to stick together, from sports enthusiasts to the Chinese people that in whatever part of the planet build their own little towns to the Afro-Americans on the block. Culture and language binds similar peoples, but isolate others – what happens is a spiral of forging bonds and widening gaps, forcing the same people to look into the same things.

Fortunately, the recent years has seen different cultures and traditions infused, either spurred by proximity, global economy, or technological advance. However, in dating, people prefer to go out with familiarity. This is all good, but there is also a lot to be gained from a cross-cultural affair. For one, although some people still squint when they see odd-matched couples (a petite Chinese girl with a bulky redheaded man or a blonde girl with a lanky Indian guy), it is great to see that however slow our progress is in accepting that deep down we’re all just humans breathing the same air, we are moving in the right direction.

Slowly, cultures, beliefs, ideas and recipes are being shared together, contributing to a merging of traditions and thought, and at the same time enriching individuals with a better, wider understanding of different ethnicities. And, if in the end, it does not work out, look at the bright side. At least you learned a few Yiddish phrases or experienced some excellent Japanese cuisine.

Eating sushi is like penetrating the minds of Japanese, according to Director of Culture Dynamics, Lily Lau. “It’s not what you say, but what you don’t say that matters when dealing with Japanese,” says Lau.

“It’s a bit like eating sushi. It looks beautiful and subtle and the first bite can be a real experience. To fully appreciate sushi, one needs to like and acquire the taste,” explains Lau.

“Like that first bite of sushi, communicating with Japanese can be an experience if you don’t take the time to understand differences in cultures.  People can quickly become frustrated and many wish taken the time to learn Japanese,” says Lau. Naturally, when you can speak Japanese, it’s a lot easier to get the message through.

Communicating with Japanese

Lau adds she has long wanted to discover how well Japanese communicate, with each other   “I wanted to find out if what sometimes appears to be communication failures is actually embedded in Japanese culture, or if it was really a matter of cross-cultural communication difficulties.”

Author of Reading the Mind of Japanese, Robert March, says “Verbal communication is far less important than other (communication) forms to the Japanese.  They live in a culture that fosters elegant, standardized human interaction.”

According to Lau, “Among themselves, the Japanese perceive few communication problems, because of the mono-cultural nature of Japan with standardized values and customs. “

Silence, indirect expression, intuitive understanding, use of euphemisms, non-verbal language, and gestures, are regarded by Japanese as the esthetic acts, because they are done with style to effect communication with the minimum of words or effort. “Therefore, to a foreigner what is heard is only a fraction of what is meant, the tip of the meaning iceberg,” says Lau.

And this invisible language of indirect expression can become a source of irritation and confusion for foreigners. Japanese have many ways of indicating “no”, without actually saying so explicitly. ‘That will be difficult’, and ‘I’ll think about it’, are common circumlocutions.

“When Japanese hear these statements, they have a pretty good idea that the answer is definitely “no”, but non-Japanese usually interpret the word “difficult” literally, as meaning inability or incompetence.

“If a non-Japanese tries to assist the Japanese to solve apparent problems of inability or incompetence, confusion and misunderstanding can happen, for the apparent problems do not in fact exist. The word ‘no’ was simply missed by the non-Japanese,” says Lau.

Difficult is a Japanese euphemism for ‘impossible’. Misunderstandings are also likely when a “think about it” response is taken literally as a promise to consider the matter.

“To decipher this invisible Japanese language, one must learn the art of dealing with Japanese and that demands an understanding of the Japanese mind,” explains Lau.

Mind Reading“An effective tool to help people understand the Japanese mind and see beyond verbal language is Directive Communication™ (DC). DC is a methodology that affects how people act and react in groups and has many elements that allow DC practitioners a greater perception of the Japanese invisible language,” say Lau.

“DC is a foundational science for influencing individual and group dynamics as they relate to productivity and leadership across any discipline within organizations and its application in Japanese owned companies in Malaysia is invaluable. Directive Communication™ is the essence for understanding and developing rapport at the deepest levels of acceptance to create reaction transformation and influence a more enriching and productive work environment,” reiterates Lau.

Hearing the Answers“An important aspect of DC is the questioning technique using Directive Questioning. Why do you think that questions are important, when most people think they must inform to persuade? Questions provide three important parts of the persuasion process. They are discovery, sincerity and focus. They give you the necessary information to find an appropriate solution to a problem,” says Lau.

“Imagine you are trying to get into a Japanese company to be their supplier for your products. You have given a presentation and you are uncertain of the intention of the Japanese. To avoid the ambiguity of “yes” or “difficult” reply from the Japanese, you should probe further using the three steps DC questioning technique,” continues Lau.

The first part of the persuasion process is discovery. “Your discovery questions could be something like, ‘What specifically do you like my products?’ or ‘What would you consider an ideal supply to your company?’ You can also try to ask, ‘How specifically would you confirm our orders?’ or ‘What would be the one most important criterion in making this happen?’ suggests Lau.

“The above questions set out your discovery to the criteria required. You may have broken the surface and penetrate into a deeper level of communication with the Japanese if your questions are asked correctly,” explains Lau.

“If you think you could not meet the criteria or requirement specified, you probably stop here and end your conversation. If you think the Japanese’ requests meet your requirement, you probe further.”

The second part of the process is sincerity. “You must have sincerity to help people, besides the business and money objectives. Such sincerity must be congruent with the correct vocal tones and body language, otherwise you are doing more harm than good,” explains Lau.

“Your sincerity questions could be something like ‘If I could change the design to the way you wanted, would you…?’, ‘If I could commit to the amount of supply you wanted, would you…?’ or ‘If I could do something to help you to achieve your production, would you…?’ Basically it is your ability to express your sincerity in understanding exactly what your perspective wants in order to fulfill his needs. You may have penetrated into the deeper level of communication with the Japanese when your sincerity is felt,” continues Lau.

“The last and most important part is directing focus which is the ingredient in the Question recipe, simply because in a world where your perceptions are often more important than reality, and where your emotions dictate your satisfaction, your mind create and focus on a possible future and make it happen,” says Lau.

“Your focus questions could be something like, ‘What if I accept your pricing, what quantity of order would you give me?’, ‘What if you discover that my company is reliable and trustworthy, would you consider to try us out?’ or ‘What if we shake hands now, would we have a working relationship with you?’, suggests Lau.

Your presentation may possibly land you with a contract. If you do not get it, it would give you greater insights of the minds of the Japanese and the technique to breaking the barriers in communication with them.

“It certainly resolves your frustration and put you one step ahead of other competitors. I recommend you to be persistent and do your best to establish a working relationship with the Japanese. Who knows the deal will be yours in the long run? “ says Lau.

Being a multi-cultural facilitator and trainer, we practice Directive Questioning and it has proven to be effective in dealing with various groups of people, multi-culturally and cross-culturally.

Communication channelsTatemae and honne are two distinct channels of verbal communication. They are invariably used in tandem and play a significant role in all areas of Japanese life.

Although difficult to translate accurately, tatemae roughly means “faзade” or “face”, is primarily used in reference to masking one’s real thought or intentions. It is the formal or official communication. Honne, on the other hand, literally means “honest voice” and refers to one’s real intention.

In many social and political contexts, these contrasting principles are used to conceal the truth or reality of situation that might be inconvenient or embarrassing to acknowledge publicly.

In business, the tatemae / honne factor is used primarily to conceal some kind of failure and secondarily to camouflage intentions that might prove disadvantageous if done openly.

This kind of behavior is, of course, common in most societies, but in Japan it has been raised to a fine art and is an institutionalized aspect of typical Japanese behavior that exists in all relationships.

Foreigners frequently get into trouble when dealing with them and never knew the truth. To overcome the tatemae / honne tactic, one requires personal antennae that are sharply attuned to the nuances of the Japanese behavior.

Hi. My husband had been doing sushi business in wholefood market for 5 years. His sushi was very so delicious, so many customer loved our sushi, but unfortunately another company kicked out us from wholefood market sushi bar.  Well. this is business world. It is hard to survive in business world. A lot of customer really miss our sushi.

My husband got training for making sushi from his friend who runs Japanese restaurant for over 10 years. He created new sushi variety like Rainbow roll(salmon, tune and avocado).

Now we are teaching how to make sushi in our coffee shop. We opened a cozy coffee shop 2 years ago. People who are interesting with Japanese food and culture are gathering in coffee shop once a month, and they enjoy learning how to cook Japanese food. We don’t do sushi business anymore, but we volunteer to share our experience in Greensboro city, NC. If you live near by Greensboro, please join in our Japanese group.

Here is website for Japanese language and culture group

http://japanese.meetup.com/463/

Our members are growing so fast! The first members were just 4 people, but now members are 38 people!I am really enjoying to share our passion and emotion with new people.

Here is video for sushi class.

http://www.coffeerosexpress.com/sushibytoshi.html

Here is recipe for sushi.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

4 nori sheets3 cups Sushi Rice8 teaspoons ocean trout or flying fish roe1-2 cucumbers, cut into thin, lengthwise slices8 jumbo shrimp (king prawns), cooked, shelled, veins and tails removed1-2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced4-8 lettuce leaves, torn or sliced (optional)

RECIPE METHOD

Lay 1 nori sheet on a rolling mat and put 3/4 cup sushi rice on it. Spread rice over nori sheet, leaving 3/4 inch of bare nori at far side and making a small ledge of rice in

front of this bare strip.

Spoon 2 teaspoons roe along center of rice, using back of a spoon to spread. Add lettuce if desired.

Lay 2 shrimp along center, with one-quarter of cucumber strips.

Lay one-quarter of avocado slices along center. Add one-quarter of lettuce.

Roll mat over once, away from you, pressing ingredients in to keep roll firm, leaving the 3/4-inch strip of nori rice-free.

Covering roll (but not rice-free strip of nori), hold rolling mat in position and press all around to make roll firm.

Lift up top of rolling mat and turn roll over a little more so that strip of nori on far side joins other edge of nori to seal roll. Use your fingers to make sure roll is properly closed.

Roll entire roll once more, and use finger pressure to shape roll in a circle, an oval, or a square.

Using a sharp knife, cut each roll in half, then cut each half in half again. Then cut each quarter in half crosswise to make a total of 8 equal-sized pieces. Cut gently to maintain shape.

The recipe is basic for beginner, but if you want to know about sushi more, please email at mayuna@tmail.com

I will send you our secret recipe for sushi. But the number is limited to 39 people, because this recipe is very secret.

Here is website for our coffee shop. You can view our coffee shop picture.

http://www.coffeerosexpress.com

Thank you for reading this article!

I love sushi – so the latest news about the health hazards associated with tuna consumption is discouraging.

When you sit down to a plate of sushi, or more correctly to a plate of sashimi (raw fish), the presentation is usually reliably appetizing – sliced fish with vinegared rice neatly rolled inside leaves of fragrant nori. Of course no serving of sushi would be complete without a side-dish of bright green wasabi, sometimes referred to as ‘Japanese horseradish’.

Oddly enough though, the term sushi doesn’t in fact refer to the fish itself. In Japan the term means ’snack’ and references the rice. Sushi, taken to mean raw fish, is purely a Western adaptation.

The bad news for sushi lovers is that alarm levels are being raised about the mercury in tuna. This is a concern that should also be shared by people who have a fondness for canned tuna.

Problem is tuna consumption is a bit of a crap shoot. There is no way of being sure if the tuna you’re eating has high or low levels of mercury. Most of the fish we consume arrives at the table untested – both by the Feds and by retailers. The other worrisome concern is that there is virtually no way to ascertain where the fish you are eating came from. When it crossed oceans, it was handled by multiple agents en route to your home or restaurant. No documentation is available detailing the point of origin or the time that elapsed between the date when the fish was netted and when it made it onto your plate.

Some waterways are more contaminated than others. Mercury gets into the water most often via the burning of fossil fuels, and once in the water bacteria convert it to toxic methyl mercury. Tiny fish easily absorb the methyl mercury. The mercury becomes steadily more concentrated as it moves up the food chain. When it is absorbed by large predatory fish such as tuna there is no way to remove it from the flesh of the fish.

Pregnant women should be the most cautious about the amount of tuna they consume. The fetus is particularly vulnerable to contamination. Researchers have established a link between mercury exposure in pregnant women and later behavioral disorders in their children. FDA cautions include other types of fish also. Women of childbearing age and small children should say clear of shark, swordfish, king mackeral and tilefish. FDA guidelines recommend no more than 12 ounces of seafood a week for people in this vulnerable group – with no more than 6 ounces of that being tuna.

How will the tuna scare impact the sushi business? Well already European sushi bars and restaurants are giving bluefin tuna the thumbs down and experimenting with alternative species of tuna. Some innovative chefs are even willing to experiment with whale and horse meat.

The greatest concern from the consumers point-of-view is the absence of any index that would reliably inform them of toxic levels in the fish they are consuming. This ‘unknown factor’ makes fish consumption a bit of a gamble. That’s why it is wise to pay close attention to the amount and type of fish being consumed over a given period.