LA restaurants brace for Japanese 'sushi police'

Great, but how many of these restaurants claim to only serve Japanese food? From all the remarks, it appears that most restaurants have a more varied menu, including both Western and fusion dishes.

So, rather than judge that the restaurant itself is "authentic Japanese", they would have to rate various dishes. It could be that a restaurant has only one item they would consider authentic -- hearing about that might be nice, but aren't the current restaurant reviews already covering this?



I noticed that the author continued using this term, even after noting that the Japanese team would only review a restaurant upon request.

I agree with those who have said obtaining a stamp of authenticity would not mean much-- except for a restaurant that aggressively markets itself that way.

Hmmm... maybe the Chinese should send some teams to Japan and tell us which restaurants are serving authentic Sichuan style, Canton style...

If you really want authentic American food, just drop into McDonald's... ha ha

 

that place that serves stir fried Chinese veggies, chop suey and sweet and sour chickent balls is not authentic Japanese???? all these years....

I have seen Canadian sushi places passing sujiko off as ikura, and the quality of the shari in the few sushi establishments I have experienced in London and other places was a bit questionable, maybe not good enough for the purists, but good enough considering where one eats the stuff. If you want real Japanese, authentic, 100% stuff, maybe try Japan. If I want real French Provencal I would go to Provence etc. But am very happy to have something close to the original despite what the Michelin guide/Sushi police say.

 

Its the Sushi Taliban!

 

As an international busimessman traveling basically all over the word, but not the third world country, I have found the interesting phenomina occuring for thepast 10-15 years.
Japanese sushimen are retreating from the world cities, but gathering in the crowd metropolitan Japanese cities!
When I lived in Pasadena, I used to go to the newly franchised Jpanese buffet restaurant called "Edokko". The food were good and price reasonable. Similar restaurants such as "Todai" was popular then. All these successful Ja[panese places were found and ran by Japanese. I even know some of them by self as a friend. However, All these authentic Japanese restaurants have been sold to Chinese or Korean for a big profits! My favorate sJapanese sushimen were gone and replaced by cheaper Chinese, Korean or Viets!
When I traveled European countries, such as Austria, this trend was continuing. I liked to go to a Japanese restaurant in Ungergasse in 3rd district in Vienna near the holtel I used to stay.
About 10 years ago it was sold to a Chinese! The sushiman was gone and replaced by a Chinese man! The owener hires a Japanese girl student in Vienna as a hostess.
You visit London, Paris, or New York, and easily will find the demise of true Japanese restaurants. Sad thing is the remaining Japanese restaurant such as "Benihaha" is NOT authentic place. Low quality sushi, fusion food, or teppan etc.
Where have the Japanese sushimen gone?
I now have some clue.
You go to the cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya or even Kyoto.
So many Japanese restaurants every corner!
Please, please Jpanese sushimen, open your eyes and take a deep breath, and go abroad!
Open a good Japanese restaurant, anf you will make it!
What? you don't have money to go the US or Europe and to open up a new one?
That is because your polititicians are so stupid!
They will spend lots of money to send the Sushi Police to check the Japanese restaurants! I bet they will only find a handful restaurants that welcome them. Most Japanese restaurants run by Chinese or others will show them cold shoulders.
The government must use the money for the Sushi Police to support the young ambitious Japanes to go abroad and open ta real authentic Japanese restaurants!

 

Please, japanese sushi gestapo should understand that anything that's in the states became western. If people want the real sushi go to japan and eat in the countryside resturants! Not in the japanese city, might be a western owner and make terribly good sushi.

I tend to stay away from sushi joints in the states anyway.

Oh no run for your life! Hide your wasabi and first born.It's the sushi gestapo!

 

I know Sushi is a big part of Japan culture and even history.
But come on, every culture is entitled there interpretation of a food right? I mean if you wanted to be fair, let's have American food police go over to Japan and do the same. Mos Burger, there is no such thing as a curry burger in America. Or how bout a Taco police, even though TacoRice in Shibuya is good-great, it's not authentic. And have you been to the crepe stands in Tokyo, I've never had crepes like that in France. However I must say I've been to some of these so called Sushi restaurants and well... they may need sushi police. Or at least a sign outside that says "Not Authentic Sushi".

 

Just a little side note here. Most Japanese restaurants are not owned by Japanese. Usually they are owned by Koreans, especially in California.

 

AS I understand it, the "sushi police" will only visit the establishments that request to be certified. It's completely voluntary. Moreover, it's not as though if they don't pass certification that they cannot continue operation. They certainly can, except they cannot claim to have been certified by the this body.

 

***********************************
The American "pizza police," borrowing the Japanese agriculture ministry's brilliant ideas,
came to Japan to inspect the authenticity of Japan's pizzerias
and arrested the Japanese perpetrators with breakneck speed
after being served pizzas topped with squid and seaweed.
************************************

 

...I learned that in Silicon Valley, CA., there is a kappo-style Japanese restaurant where two Kyoto-trained chefs have licenses to preparefugu (blowfish) which contains a deadly neurotoxin that can cause instant death in diners if it's not cut properly.

Perhaps the sushi police would find the place inauthentic because it's not on the menu. In fact fugu is illegal in the United States.

While the newly opened restaurant serves a largely Japanese clientele, the owner wants his food to be embraced by the wider northern California public.

 

appreciate a thing. Otherwise it is always ruined by the mob.

 

Th[is] restaurant is a risk because, in addition to fluctuating food costs that come from importing pricey, seasonal ingredients from Japan, much of the food is unfamiliar to the typical American diner, even those who enjoy Japanese food. Some of it is going to freak people out. But for diners willing to open their minds and their mouths, [it] offers one of the most exciting restaurant experiences in the Bay Area.

http://www.metroactive.com/metro/03.21.07/dining-0712.html

 

So, if he's so proud to be Korean, why the heck does he run a Japanese place? I love the Koreans and Chinese who hate the Japanese but when it comes to making money, have no issues with playing the role of a Japanese person.

And as someone already said, vacation for these guys. Dinner, drinks and all on the government. Call me jealous.

 

I don't understand why the Japanese Gov't is so offended by something Japanese becoming Westernized. Isn't a majority of life in Japan just Western, or foreign, things that have been Japanized? Have they ever been to 7-11, Denny's, a ramen restaurant, a "curry-rice" shop, a baseball game, a "Western-style" wedding...? All of these things are far from the originals in the West or their respective countries. The Japanese are the kings of Japanizing anything and everything. It's funny that are so suprised by food becoming Westernized...

 

I have read many of the postings, mostly negative about the presence of a "Sushi Police" from Japan.

Personally, I like the idea; as long as restaurants are a willing participant. Here's why.

When I went to Italy, the Italian food I enjoyed with the same names as many I've eaten in America tastes worlds apart. I was shocked to taste Mozarella cheese, for example in Milan, as I didn't recognize it compared to what I was used to buying in stores in LA.

My point is if there were a number of Japanese Restaurants who voluntarily agreed to this inspection, and passed, and they used it in their promotion, "Passed by the Japan Ministry of Agriculture", I would know this restaurant adheres to certain standards that would make me feel more comfortable knowing spending my money eating there would be similar to eating out in Tokyo.

This would not stop me from going to other Japanese Restaurants by any means; whether they are Japanese owned, Korean owned, Chinese owned, etc. It would give me more choices.