Japanese chef opens rare sushi restaurant in Pyongyang

Raw fish dishes sushi and sashimi have been available in Pyongyang for many years, but usually the fish is frozen before it comes to the table, so the customer can chose either to crunch it frozen, or wait until it defrosts and loses its texture. Neither option meets the usual standards.

Whomever wrote this article knows little or nothing about sushi or sushi prep. Just about all the tuna that is served in Japanese sushi shops was frozen at one point or another after being caught, in fact the Maguro-sen, or tuna fishing fleet, have huge freezers that just about flash freeze a tuna after catching it, to retain it's flavor ad texture.

I doubt very much that anyone in a sushi shop has "crunched" frozen sushi in Japan, and rarely complains about the texture either!

I doubt very much that anyone in a sushi shop has "crunched" frozen sushi in Japan

Yubaru, a couple of times I have had the displeasure of crunching into half thawed tuna sashimi at a well-known kaiten-zushi chain here. Didnt complain on account of everything being dirt cheap (and not bad tasting) anyway! Cant imagine it happening in any high-end joint, though.

I sit-corrected here...thank you. Never had that displeasure, and then we don't typically eat at any kaiten-sushi either.

I would venture a guess that any sushi shop in NK would be "high-end" as the "peasants" there probably don't make enough money to eat it.

Yubaro. Here in the Kanto plain we have lots of tuna and most other fish available unfrozen. Put on ice of course but not frozen.

I have never had crunchy sushi here. Sometimes too cold, but let it sit a bit and it is ok. Too cold and the flavor is lost.

I wonder how busy and how much this man in NK will have to pay to stay in business.

If anyone serves you crunchy frozen sushi in Japan, that is akin to a sin by a sushi chef. The cook should be talked to as he or she surely is not Laing attention (at best). I think a compliant is due in that case.

What happened to watertight sanctions?

Ita good opportunity for him. Too expensive to open and take time to get popular in japan. Open only Japanese SUSHI RESTAURANT in North Korea. No meed marketing or pay rent. Cheap peasant for dish wash. Make business sense. Why would one want to miss this virgin market.

He should prepare ballon fish to great leader

I am sure he wont make California Roll in Pyongyang!

Yubaru,

In Hokkaido a sashimi delicacy is ruibe (frozen sashimi):

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/jul/12/ruibe-frozen-raw-fish-hokkaido-japan-foodie-traveller

It's very good. I like particularly the ika ruibe, with ika goro wrapped in squid, sliced thinly and eaten frozen.

Sorry, but I can't resist this, "Whomever wrote this article?"

Some comments are so hard to comprehend but I enjoy reading the attempts.

Frozen in Hokkaido. Sounds interesting, but I prefer my sushi a bit cooler than room temperature. Richer flavor.

Lol I clearly wasn't "Laing attention" as I wanted to berate the chef for not Paying Attention.

Glad to see people's Google skills are up to par in researching information that would contradict my initial post here! Congratulations to you keyboard commando's.

There are exceptions to every rule! If you haven't learned that by now, especially here in Japan, you should leave.

But good job, you get an A plus for taking the time to find out something. You learned something today! Be happy!

Sushi. Warn sushi are maze suzushi and inarizushi. Not all sushi are cold or tuna.

Let's hope Mr. Fujimoto, down the line, won't be accused of being a spy for the Japanese Government.

It is colder Japan. If he brought large rice cooker, he can cooke rice, peel, less shrimp, diced mushroom, diced carrot and little bit horse radish cook together then he can make nigirizushi, Of cause has to be mixed with vinegar before start cooking, wrapped with nori, slice into. 1 cm, makizushi. He will be popular in there.