But such large portions
By adamg - 4/2/12 - 6:37 am
It's not the fresh fish that wins jglee over at Super Fusion Sushi in Cambridge - since most of it is obviously frozen - but the good value for the money, she reports:
I seriously believe Super Fusion Sushi wins the prize for the largest nigiris in Boston. The rice ball was about twice as a large as a normal rice ball, and likewise the fish on top was similarly huge (just look at that toro!). Because we had not expected each nigiri to be so big, we majorly over-ordered and had a really hard time finishing the dinner.
Comments
It's the law
I'm pretty sure MA restaurant food safety regulations require fish served raw to be previously frozen, actually. Though obviously it's a better eating experience if the restaurant lets it actually thaw out before serving it.
I would wager that all sushi
I would wager that all sushi fish is frozen before serving. I think this place is really good, though I have only been to the JP one. It's so empty on weekends and I can't see any reason for that to be so. I have eaten there about 20 times since they opened.
From the MA Dept of Public Health website
"...Because freezing kills parasites, most finfish needs to be frozen prior to being served raw. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that fish be frozen at -4° F for 7 days or at -35°F for 15 hours in order to insure parasite
destruction. The only raw fish, which does not need to be frozen, are those species in which parasites are not a natural hazard. The establishment can freeze the fish on the premises but must
document that proper freezing temperature and times were achieved. The time and temperature records must be kept for 90 days. Alternatively, establishments can purchase fish which has already
been frozen if they first obtain a letter from the supplier stating that the fish was frozen according to the required time and temperature specifications."
http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/environmental/foodsafety/sushi-guide.pdf
I couldn't find the list of exceptions referenced in the document.
US law, not MA
Since 2001, the FDA has required that all fish which is intended to be served raw must be flash frozen to kill potential parasites (with the exception of tuna).
The Japanese have had similar laws since the 1980s (they call it 'blast freezing'), so don't worry sushi snobs - you aren't being inordinately deprived.