Japanese food has gained a huge following outside Japan. In fact, one can surely find a Japanese restaurant that serves tempura with a sushi bar that serves nigiri sushi, makimono sushi and sashimi and in every big city around the world and, of course, in the United States, including Tampa FL.
Tempura is usually the choice of those who are new to Japanese food and are not yet quite daring enough to try sushi and sashimi. Tempura is a dish of seafood or vegetables dipped in batter and deep fried until crisp. The seafood used could be prawns, shrimps, fish fillet, squid, scallops and crabmeat. Vegetables used could be eggplant, okra, mushrooms, sweet potato, yam, squash, bell pepper, carrot and green beans. The dipping sauce for tempura is made of dashi or broth, mirin or rice wine and shoyu or soy sauce. Sometimes, a dash of wasabi paste is added. This is always a hit in Tampa FL.
Sashimi, on the other hand, is the boldest choice among Japanese food usually served in a Japanese restaurant. Sashimi is a dish of raw seafood that is at its freshest. Seafood used could be salmon, tuna, mackerel, yellowtail, shrimp, squid, sea urchin and scallops. Sashimi is dipped in soy sauce mixed with wasabi paste. Sashimi also has a huge fan base in Tampa FL even if there are some people who are still not brave enough to try it.
Sushi is a good introduction to sashimi because it is made of vinegared rice with toppings, which may include fresh raw seafood, dipped in soy sauce mixed with wasabi paste. Sushi is one of the most popular among Japanese food such that one can often find specialized sushi restaurants or sushi bars even in Tampa FL.
There are several different types of sushi. Nigiri sushi is hand-formed. A mound of vinegared rice is shaped manually into an oblong, topped with a dash of wasabi paste and then draped with a slice of fresh raw salmon, tuna or any of the seafood also used for sashimi. Cooked toppings may also be used such as octopus, eel, squid and scrambled egg. Sometimes, a thin strip of nori or seaweed is used to bind the topping to the rice. Another type of nigiri sushi has loose, soft or finely chopped toppings such as fresh raw fish roe, oysters, sea urchin or corn with mayonnaise. In order to keep the toppings contained, the strip of nori is wrapped around the perimeter of the vinegared rice oval. Nigiri sushi may be served as a set with a variety of toppings. It may also be ordered in pairs with the same topping in Tampa FL.
Makimono sushi has fillings instead of toppings rolled in vinegared rice with an outer layer of nori or seaweed. Rolling is done using a bamboo mat. The result is a filled cylinder that is then sliced into six or eight thick disks. The most common fillings used for makimono sushi are tuna, crab meat, avocado, cucumber, carrot slivers and mayonnaise. A dab of wasabi paste may also be included. Another type of makimono sushi is temaki. Instead of being rolled into a cylinder, the temaki is contained in a wide sheet of nori shaped into a cone which is about four inches long. It is eaten with the hands and should be quickly consumed before it disintegrates. This can also be ordered in Tampa FL.
Indeed, Japanese Restaurants are very rarely empty of diners who just cannot seem to have enough of tempura or nigiri sushi, makimono sushi and sashimi from the sushi bar, among many other delicacies. The taste of wasabi, once acquired, will also be something that one will crave for. If you are one of the very few who still has not experienced the wonders of Japanese food, you can try Tomo Japanese Restaurant in Tampa FL.