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Create an Online Ordering System

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free online ordering system for restaurants

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Free Online Ordering System for Restaurants

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Free online ordering system for restaurants. Modern & easy ordering system to start taking online orders from your website, Facebook page & mobile app! Simple to set up, even easier to use. Unlimited FREE online orders. Zero commissions. Everything you need to get more sales and offer a better customer experience!

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Consider reading the "Serving Safe Sushi" part of this article.

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Diners have very strong opinions about what separates "good sushi" from "bad sushi," and most are willing to pay a premium for an expertly-crafted roll that can satisfy their cravings for the unique dish. Opening a sushi restaurant has its own unique challenges that other concepts don't, but that shouldn't deter prospective restaurateurs who are looking for a particularly rewarding venture. Having a business plan together will maximize your chances of starting a successful sushi restaurant.

Serving Safe Sushi

Serving sushi comes with additional safety concerns that serving other types of food does not. Though not all sushi contains raw fish, many popular rolls do, and that's what makes many squeamish folks swear off sushi altogether. Indeed, some of the horror stories you may have heard about people contracting illnesses including parasitic and bacterial infections from eating uncooked fish are true. Luckily, there are a number of precautionary measures that can be taken to virtually eliminate the risk of making your patrons sick by serving them uncooked fish.

Food distributors label fish that has been handled to minimize the presence of foodborne pathogens as "sushi-grade", which you may be surprised to discover has no legal definition. The FDA does offer guidelines for handling fish that will be served raw, including freezing the fish to -4 degrees F for 7 days or -31 degrees F for 15 hours to ensure that parasites have been destroyed.

The most reliable way to source safe, fresh seafood is to get to know your supplier. If it's an option in your area, source your fish from a supplier that deals only in seafood, rather than from a catchall food distributor. In addition to ensuring that you're getting the freshest, safest food available, building a relationship with your supplier will help you understand what precautions are taken to keep their seafood safe, and you're also likely to be in the know on good deals and limited-supply catches.

Getting Your Licenses and Permits

Like any business venture, starting a sushi restaurant begins with a good deal of paperwork. Making your sushi restaurant a legal entity starts with a general business license. Those can be obtained at city hall, which is also a good starting place to learn how to open a sushi restaurant in your area and about the other local licenses you may be required to procure. Since you'll presumably employ other individuals in your sushi restaurant, you'll also need to fill out the paperwork to apply for an Employer Number through the IRS. If you plan to have five or more employees, you'll also need to carry Workers' Compensation insurance through your state's bureau.

In addition to those general business licenses, you'll be responsible for obtaining a number of food-specific permits and licenses as well. You'll need to register with the Department of Health and will likely be required to obtain a food handler's license before opening a sushi restaurant. If you plan on serving beer, you'll have to obtain a license from the local beer board, but to serve liquor you'll need the separate approval of your state's ABC board.

Picking a Location for Your Restaurant

Choosing an ideal location will have a dramatic impact on your restaurant's likelihood for success. The market for sushi is no longer limited to the urban settings that it was several years ago. Now you can find fresh sushi prepared in suburban grocery stores and on the menus of casual eateries that don't specialize in Asian cuisine. Sushi still thrives in urban centers, though, especially those with an active nightlife and a concentration of working professionals. Putting your business within walking distance of office workers on their lunch breaks can bring booming business during that daypart, and a thriving bar and club scene can bring patrons in for dinner and a midnight snack.

Hiring a Chef and Deciding on a Menu

It takes years to become a professional sushi chef. Traditionally, a chef-in-training will spend as many as five years just preparing rice and performing simple prep tasks before they're deemed ready to begin prepping fish. It's essential to hire a professional chef who knows the nuances of preparing sushi and who can train additional staff to do the work when he or she isn't there. Taking care to vet and hire a qualified chef is critical to ensuring you're serving a product that will keep customers coming back, and their professional knowledge will also be a valuable source of info on how to open a sushi bar.

The type of food that we generically call "sushi" encompasses several distinct dishes. Makizushi, literally "rolled sushi", is the type we traditionally think of in the western world, consisting of rolls of various ingredients wrapped in seaweed and rice and cut into bite-size pieces. A popular riff on the makizushi is the uramaki, meaning "inside-out" roll, so named because the rice is on the outside of the roll. Nigiri-zushi is a simple piece of raw fish on top of a ball of rice and vegetables. Sashimi is simply a fresh slice of high-quality, uncooked fish.

A diverse sushi menu that includes several entries in each of the major sushi categories will give your customers reason to keep coming back to your restaurant to try something new. Rarely can a restaurant find success serving sushi alone. In order to satisfy all prospective customers, you should consider serving other traditional Asian fare including noodles, stir-fry, and the traditional Japanese favorites hibachi and teriyaki.

Sushi Cases and Other Essential Equipment

The quintessential sushi bar equipment is the sushi case that puts your fresh creations front-and-center, with wide windows and bright lighting that entice customers to try something new. Choosing a sushi case begins with deciding on the right width. That's as easy as measuring the counter space you have to dedicate to the unit. Keep in mind that about a dozen or so inches of the total width will be taken up by the refrigeration system, with the remaining dedicated to cold storage for your sushi and sashimi.

Sushi cases need clearance on the end where their refrigeration equipment is located so they can intake enough air to effectively cool their contents. Cases usually require 6 inches of clearance on the compressor side, meaning they need to be installed with at least that much space between them and surrounding equipment or walls. Ensure that your intended setup will accommodate that requirement and choose a case with its compressor on the correct side.

Cutting boards are important tools to have, not just for the convenience of your chefs but also to maintain food safety procedures during all stages of prep. Consider investing in color-coded boards and other food safety products to ensure that you have dedicated utensils for each type of product you prep. This will cut down on the chances of cross-contamination, especially between raw and cooked meats.

Sushi chefs depend on highly-specialized cutlery to perform the precision tasks it takes to make world class sushi. These are generally traditional Japanese knives, including the deba and sashimi knives that are each made specifically for preparing fish, as well as the nakiri and usuba for prepping vegetables and other ingredients.

Since the experience of eating sushi is nearly as much about the presentation of the dish as the taste, it pays to put some thought into the serving items you use to present your fresh creations. Pieces available in this category include traditional ceramic, durable metal, and economical melamine and other plastics.

Sushi bars and Asian restaurants in general often choose melamine dinnerware for several reasons. First, melamine is offered in many patterns traditionally associated with Asian eateries, especially salad and soup bowls. Melamine is also a sensible choice where chopsticks are used since those utensils don't take as hard a toll on the surface of melamine as metal utensils do. Because melamine is generally less costly, more durable, and just as easy to clean than ceramic dinnerware, it can prove to be a cost-effective investment.

Essential Sushi Odds and Ends

Tempura and other fried dishes can be cooked quickly and efficiently in a commercial deep fryer

Cooking traditional Asian fare like stir fry is most efficiently done in a wok range, obviously using woks.

Searing and grilling meats for entrees should be done on a commercial grill.

Cooking steaks and finishing off a number of dishes is made easier with a broiler.

Cooking rice in the large batches you need in a sushi restaurant calls for a commercial rice cooker, available in capacities from 10 to 100 cups.

Resources

Matsumoto, Marc. PBS.com. The Sushi Grade Myth. Acessed March 2016.

FDA.gov. FDA Guidance on Serving Raw Fish. Acessed March 2016.

NRN.com. Seafood Purchasing Best Practices. Accessed March 2016.

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So You Want To Start A Sushi Business...

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Diners have very strong opinions about what separates "good sushi" from "bad sushi," and most are willing to pay a premium for an expertly-crafted roll that can satisfy their cravings for the unique dish. Opening a sushi restaurant has its own unique challenges that other concepts don't, but that shouldn't deter prospective restaurateurs who are looking for a particularly rewarding venture.

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This should help!

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Sushi lovers can all agree that there's nothing else quite like it in the world. It's not just my opinion, but a popular one - the number of sushi restaurants in the Unites States has been growing steadily since the 1980s, with more than 3,000 sushi establishments now set up in America. I'd say that particular food group has quite the fan club. Still, before you sit down to enjoy your next sushi meal, it's important to know that not everything on the menu is a great choice. There are a few items you should never eat at a sushi restaurant, no matter what your server says.

Mackerel pike

Mackerel pike, also known as sanma, is a freshwater fish found in northern waters, and can be found in sushi restaurants as sashimi ( raw fish sliced thin and served with shredded white radish or rice) or sunomono, which is also raw but served with a vinegar dressing. You also may find it seared, pressed, or fermented. No matter how it's served, registered dietitian Jackie Arnett Elnahar says you should always stay away from freshwater fish when ordering sushi, as they are more likely to have parasites. Though parasites are a risk you take any time you eat raw fish, that risk is much higher when the fish is coming from freshwater habitats.

Bluefin tuna

Bluefin tuna might not be harmful to you, but ordering it may do harm to the environment. Ryan Bigelow, program engagement manager for the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program, says bluefin tuna populations are depleted and still being overfished. Some environmental groups are petitioning the U.S. government to list them as endangered and attribute their decline largely to demand in sushi markets. Bluefin tuna, also known as maguro, is seen in many dishes at sushi restaurants, such as the all-popular rolls, but also often served alone. Since sushi is often named by the part of the fish, you'll also want to keep an eye out for the names akami (lean meat from the sides of the fish) and toro (the fatty part of the fish's belly). The toro is often broken up even farther into two parts called the otoro and the chutoro. Since there are three main types of tuna sold at sushi restaurants, you'll want to ask your server or chef what type of tuna they are using when you order. The other types often used are yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna. "In international waters, the measures to help the bluefin populations recover and reduce the catch of threatened, endangered, and depleted species are ineffective," says Bigelow. You can do your part by making sure the bluefin isn't part of your dinner. "Look for albacore tuna belly (shiro maguro) instead," he advises.

Registered dietitian Jackie Arnett Elnahar says the mercury content of all tuna should take it off your menu if you're pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or breast feeding. (Some research shows light canned tuna in water is safe for these women, though there is not widespread scientific consensus. Playing it safe is probably a good idea.)

Crab

Author and chef Warren Bobrow warns sushi fans to stay away from crab, which is found in a variety of rolls and is often served alone or on a bed of rice. "There is a sickness in fresh crab that can make you very, very ill," he said. "Fortunately, most sushi bars serve surimi crab or pollack fish that has been dyed." The sickness Bobrow is referring to is shellfish poisoning, which can happen whether the meat is cooked or not. While it's true that sushi restaurants often serve imitation crab meat, the fish used to make imitation crab varies by provider, so it's difficult to evaluate comprehensively.

Salmon

Chef Hank Scrampton says sushi lovers should avoid salmon, a freshwater fish, because of its potential for parasites. "Freshwater fish are the most likely fish to carry parasites, which can be pretty gross, but most of the time they're killed by the freezing process," he said. "It's funny, a lot of people would say that they would never want to eat frozen fish, but nearly all of the sushi you get has been frozen, and that's a good thing. Kills off a lot of the bad stuff and keeps the fish tasting fresh."

If you just can't avoid salmon at your favorite sushi restaurant, ask your server if they can show you the logs for how long the fish was frozen and at what temperature. According to FDA regulations, fish must be frozen at -4 degrees Fahrenheit (colder than a typical home refrigerator) for at least a week to avoid parasites. Short of asking for the logs, you can just ask the server how long they usually freeze it and see what they say. It may feel like you're being a pain, but reputable sushi restaurants should be able to provide this information, and your health is worth the trouble.

Iceberg salads

Of all the food you might encounter at a sushi restaurant, you would probably assume the iceberg salad they sometimes serve on the side would be the safest bet, right? Wrong, according to chef Hank Scrampton. "If we're talking about takeout style sushi, I always tell people to be careful with those little iceberg salads they stick in the bag. I've seen them reused from people who dined in-house and didn't finish the salads," he said. "No joke, some places even have large plastic buckets where they just dump unused salads and dip back into them throughout the day and night."

Snapper

If you're a fan of ordering the snapper at your usual sushi dive, you're about to be disappointed. It's probably not actually snapper that you're eating. Rockefeller University's Dr. Mark Stoeckle, who helped out with DNA species testing for the Barcode of Life project, told Eater the best way to avoid fake red snapper is not to order it. In a 2013 study, true snapper was served less than 6 percent of the time it was ordered at restaurants. Save yourself the worry - and the money - and pick something else off the menu.

Eel

If you've ever had a dragon roll, you know the lure of eel in sushi restaurants is hard to resist. However, Ryan Bigelow, program engagement manager for the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program, says it should definitely be avoided. "Overall, eel ranks among the worst seafood choices from an environmental perspective," he said. "Due to its extreme popularity in sushi bars and the rise of sushi consumption around the world, high demand coupled with loss of habitat has driven wild eel populations to endangered statuses. Farms collect eels from the wild, further impacting stressed stocks." He recommends you check the menu for sablefish instead, which is an environmentally safe, but still tasty, swap.

White tuna

According to chef Hank Scrampton, white tuna is another fish you should watch out for: "White tuna is frequently swapped with a fish called escolar which is inferior." And escolar isn't just an inferior fish - it's a risky one to eat. Eating escolar can lead to serious digestive issues, including sudden and explosive diarrhea - which I think pretty much everyone would like to avoid. It's estimated that close to 59 percent of white tuna dishes served at restaurants are not actually white tuna.

Now that you know what to avoid, go out and enjoy a sushi dinner that's safe - both for you and for the environment. There's still plenty left on the menu to enjoy, I promise.

Anything deep-fried, like tempura

Hey, I love tempura as much as the next person in line at the local sushi restaurant, but sometimes I know I need to watch my habit. While this dish of battered and deep-fried seafood and vegetables is crunchy, greasy, and downright delicious, it's also loaded with saturated fat and needless calories. As with anything deep-fried, you may not be able to resist indulging a little, but don't go overboard. If, unlike me, you have some iron-clad willpower, skip the tempura altogether. Also beware of any dishes that call out "crunchy" as a descriptor as you're bound to receive some sneaky deep-fried element in it.

Instead, try ordering veggie-forward dishes. Since I love the maki rolls, I try to choose ones that contain protein as the primary protein source and a variety of other vegetables like mushrooms and carrots.

Anything with teriyaki sauce or Japanese mayo

While it may require a bit more vigilance to catch, try to avoid dishes that contain ingredients not traditionally part of Japanese cuisine. As far as that goes, the biggest culprits are often the accompanying sauces. Mayo, cream cheese, and sugary sauces like teriyaki are guilty! They add tons of extra calories and fat to meals that are otherwise fresh, flavorful, and nourishing. Steer clear.

Opt instead for sinus-clearing wasabi, a green Japanese horseradish that lends the perfect kick to your meal. Some studies have shown that it might have health benefits in addition to being a tasty condiment. Of course, you'd have to be at a pretty classy sushi joint in the U.S. to find real wasabi, as it's very rare. But even the common wasabi-like mixture is better than the other fatty sauces. Also, try enjoying bits of pickled ginger to clean your palate in between dishes and increase general immunity to illnesses.

Seaweed salad

If you maintain a gluten-free diet, beware that seaweed salads are made with soy sauce, which in addition to being high in sodium, isn't necessarily gluten-free. Sometimes artificial food coloring is also added to get yield a vibrant green color.

Since seaweed does have extensive nutritional benefits, you should order it with caution. Simply ask your waiter or waitress about what else is in the salad before ordering.

White rice

The amount of white rice consumed at a sushi restaurant is kind of mind-boggling and not particularly healthy. Even only eating a few maki rolls means having to take down loads of rice. As carbs increase your insulin and blood sugar levels, you should avoid eating large amounts of white rice.

Instead, try swapping out white rice for whole-grain brown rice in your rolls. Full of fiber and more filling than its counterpart, the brown version makes you fuller, naturally preventing you from bingeing.

Roe and quail egg

Shutterstock

Roe and quail eggs is not a very healthy choice when eating out at a sushi restaurant. This dish is chock full of saturated fat and extra cholesterol, like regular chicken eggs. And since the eggs are consumed raw, there is also the added risk of salmonella.

Opt for typically healthier rolls such as avocado rolls, cucumber rolls, or California rolls. Or choose seafood rolls that are lower in mercury, like the ones that include salmon, crab, eel, or carp.

Soy sauce

Soy sauce is loaded with sodium, which can contribute to spikes in your blood pressure. While low-sodium versions contain about 25 percent less sodium, they're still pretty salty! Regular soy sauce contains about 900 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon serving. That's a lot!

If you must have this popular condiment with your sushi dishes, try to go easy.

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Things you should never order from a sushi restaurant

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Sushi lovers can all agree that there's nothing else quite like it in the world. It's not just my opinion, but a popular one - the number of sushi restaurants in the Unites States has been growing steadily since the 1980s, with more than 3,000 sushi establishments now set up in America.

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Check this link bruh!

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Ah, sushi. That popular Asian culinary art form of modest origins. That lovely, subtle cuisine that sates without bringing on the dreaded carb-coma. Some call it the new healthy fast food. Some call it high art. I just want to call it dinner.

Recently back from a hometown trip to Honolulu where my family enjoyed several expertly prepared sushi meals, a question popped to mind: Could I make good sushi at home? I've cooked plenty of Italian, created many Chinese dishes and experimented with Indian food. Why not try sushi?

Of two minds, I figured making sushi would be either quite simple or completely beyond my grasp. First, I wondered, how hard could it be? Cook some rice, grab some nori, slice some fish, julienne some veggies and avocados, roll it all together, and voila! I'll have that lovely and delectable taste of home, right?

But I also knew that sushi chefs spend their entire lives perfecting the craft, so could I really expect my freshman efforts to result in anything remotely resembling the delectable Asian fare I've come to know and love? Would my kitchen merely wind up smelling like fish and burned rice? There was only one way to find out.

To start, I quick-scanned several books on sushi-making. This provided background on tools, ingredients, sushi history and presentation. I googled and watched a few do-it-yourself sushi-making videos, and then chatted up the chefs at my favorite sushi restaurant who graciously weighed in with expert guidance on everything from fish-slicing techniques to obscure seafood suppliers.

Finally, with a lot of information in my head but no experience in hand, I knew I needed to get my mitts dirty trying, so I signed up for "Sushi 101," chef Danielle Edmonds' beginner class at Sur La Table's Boulder store. I came away from the class - a two-hour tour de force of sushi skills - with realistic hopes of making my own.

With several sushi sessions now under my belt, I realize my initial expectations and concerns were backward. Making sushi that tastes good isn't the problem. My kitchen doesn't smell like fish or burned rice.

The problem: it just hasn't been pretty. And in the world of sushi, presentation matters. What I've made hasn't been sleek. It hasn't been elegant. Instead, it's been rather messy. Uneven rolls, loosely packed rice, ingredients falling out. It's the assembly and rolling technique that eludes me.

What the best chefs in the business know, and what I have learned, is that technique takes the longest to master. And like the masters, I intend to try and try again until practice makes perfect.
Monnie Nilsson: 303-954-1049 or mnilsson@denverpost.com Five steps to making your own sushi 1. LEARN WHAT YOU LIKE Try several sushi restaurants. Be adventurous: Talk to the sushi chefs. See what they recommend, and watch them. They're a pretty gregarious and friendly bunch. You'll pick up some basic techniques by watching closely. You will also learn what types of fish or seafood you like best, and determine which way you prefer it served. There are several sushi presentation styles. The most common include:
* Sushi rolls Maki-zushi (rolled sushi), Futomaki-zushi (thick-rolled sushi with several fillings), Hosomaki-zushi (thin-rolled sushi using a single filling): Nori on the outside of the rice and ingredients, as in California rolls and dragon rolls.

* Inside-out rolls Rice on the outside, sushi ingredients inside, decorated on the outside with fish roe, sesame seeds or tempura flakes.

* Nagiri Hand-formed sushi with a slice of fish or seafood served on top of a small hand-formed quantity of rice.

* Hand rolls (Temaki) Hand rolls or cone sushi with ingredients loosely wrapped in nori.

* Sashimi Raw fish or seafood served alone, without rice.

* Scattered (Chirashi-zushi) Sliced raw fish served over a bed of rice, often with vegetables.

* Wrapped sushi Ingredients wrapped in something other than nori, i.e. tofu pouches.

* Molded sushi Sushi made using molds to shape the sushi.
2. ASSEMBLE EQUIPMENT Making sushi is much easier if you have the right tools. Here's what you need:
* Rice cooker A cooker makes rice consistently each time and allows you to cook the rice without constantly watching or stirring, providing time to prep the other ingredients. It's hard to make good sushi rice in a sauce pan.

* Sushi-grade knives It is very important to have a good, sharp knife for cutting your fish, vegetables and sushi rolls. Common knives used to make sushi include:

- A chef's knife with a heavy, curved blade

- A fish knife that has a very sharp, long slim blade for slicing fish and cutting sushi rolls. The longer blade allows you to slice fish without running out of blade length, preventing a sawing motion which can smash or otherwise damage your fish and sushi rolls.

- A vegetable knife for fine and quick peeling, cutting and chopping

* Rice rolling mat and plastic wrap to keep rice from sticking to it, and prevent it from being washed frequently to prevent frequent replacements.

* Large bowl for mixing and cutting sushi rice, preferably wood.

* Rice paddle or wooden spoon for "cutting" sushi rice

* Small bowls and plates for lining up ingredients and for final presentation

* Cutting board

* Colander or bowl for washing rice and vegetables

* Dish cloths to wipe hands and utensils
3. LINE UP INGREDIENTS With sushi, like any cooking, the best ingredients provide the best results. For great-tasting sushi, the most scrutiny should be given to your rice and fish. Sushi-grade fish is fairly pricey, but use the proper grade for safety and taste. Get to know your local fish suppliers. FISH AND SEAFOOD According to Whole Foods Boulder fishmonger Ryan Foote, these are the qualities to look for when buying sushi-grade fish:
* Bright-colored fish (dull or really dark or brown fish means fish is beginning to oxidize.

* Fish that doesn't smell A strong smell indicates the fish is old.

* Fish that's smooth and firm to the touch, not slimy.

* Fillets instead of steaks. Fillets are a better shape for slicing sushi.

Note that if you love eel, octopus or squid, or want specific types of fish other than yellowfin tuna and salmon (sake), you may have a hard time finding them in Colorado. Living in a landlocked state and the growing awareness and adoption of seafood-sustainability efforts reduce the availability of some of the more exotic fish and seafood options.
SUSHI RICE
Use only short-grained sushi rice. It's starchy and absorbent, which makes it sticky. Jasmine, Basmati or other long-grained varieties aren't suitably abosrbent, and are too dry and hard.

Look for "sushi rice" on the label of rice packaging, ask your supermarket which brands are best for sushi rice, or visit a local Asian market for the good selection. Well-known brands include: Kokuho Rose, Nashiki, Koshihikari.
OTHER SUSHI INGREDIENTS Many of these items can be found in standard grocery stores. Most can be found in Asian food stores.
* Nori seaweed wrap.

* Wasabi Japanese horseradish commonly comes in either powder or paste form. Fresh wasabi root is hard to find.

* Mirin sweet rice wine.

* Japanese rice wine essential to the taste of sushi rice. It also has anti-bacterial properties and serves as a preservative.

* Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise.

* Pickled ginger to cleanse the palate, usually served in the corner of a sushi tray.

* Soy sauce dark soy sauce is used both as an ingredient and as dipping sauce.

* Crab meat real or imitation.

* Toasted sesame seeds Inside-out rolls are often rolled in these.

* Kombu a kelp seaweed used to flavor sushi rice during cooking.

* Vegetables carrots, cucumber, avocado, shitake mushrooms, daikon radishes.
4. PREP AND ASSEMBLING SUSHI RICE
Sushi rice must be washed with cold water prior to cooking to remove any bran compounds or powder. As you agitate the rice, the water will turn cloudy. Rinse until water is clear. If you fail to do this, your rice may be too sticky and smelly.
Sushi rice recipe This makes enough rice to make sushi rolls for a family of four - all hearty eaters. Rice
3 cups sushi rice (before cooking)

3 ¼ cups water

Add to the rice maker and set the time to begin cooking.

When rice is done cooking, prepare the sushi rice vinegar mix. This is what gives sushi rice its distinctive taste.
Rice vinegar mixture
1/3 cup rice vinegar

3 tbsp sugar

Place rice vinegar and sugar into a small sauce pan. Over low heat mix until the sugar dissolves. Let the mixture cool.

While your rice is still hot, move it to a large wooden bowl.

Take vinegar mixture and sprinkle it lightly in small amounts over the rice, making horizontal and then vertical cutting motions across the rice. This gives each rice grain a chance to be coated by the vinegar mixture. Don't pour the liquid on the rice or it'll clump into big balls of rice, which you don't want. If you like, use a small hand-held fan or piece of newspaper to fan the rice as it cools. When all of the vinegar mixture is cut into the rice, the rice should be sticky and shiny, and slightly cooled - not hot or cold (If your rice is too hot when assembling your sushi, it will become rubbery on the nori, according to Danielle Edmonds. Once your rice has cooled off a bit, it's ready for making sushi. It's best to use your sushi rice right away. (Refrigerating sushi rice makes it hard.)
VEGETABLES AND OTHER INGREDIENTS
Thinly slice or julienne carrots, cucumbers, avocado, crab meat, etc. This can be done with a slicer or by hand. Slice sushi ingredients as thinly as you can.

Set ingredients in small bowls, arranging them for easy access in a line or circle. You will be taking small bits from each bowl as you assemble your sushi.
FISH
In Colorado, you'll most likely be using tuna or salmon fillets. If you prefer, you can also ask your fish provider to further slice the fish for you.There are five basic ways to cut sushi fish.

* A rectangular cut is most common and is usable on all fish. Hold the fish on the bias and start with the heel of the knife.

* An angled cut is often used for nagiri.

* A paper-thin cut can suit some firm, white fish.

* A cube cut can work for soft thick fish.

* A thread-cut is often used for squid and thin white fish filets.
5. WRAP AND ROLL
Place 8 ounces of water and 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar in a bowl so you can dip your hands when assembling your sushi. This will keep the rice from sticking to your hands, one of the biggest issues for rookie sushi makers.

Cover your bamboo mat with plastic wrap to prevent rice from sticking to it.

Position a half sheet of nori shiny side down on your saran covered bamboo mat. (If you are making an inside out roll, it doesn't matter which side of your nori faces down because it will be inside the roll.)

Dip hands in the vinegar water mixture to prevent sticking.

Grab a small handful of sushi rice. Cover bottom three-quarters of nori sheet with thin layer of rice, leaving the top quarter of the nori sheet empty. (It is this empty section that will seal the roll together.)

Make a groove along the length of the rice.

Depending on your recipe, lay a thin layer of vegetables, crab meat or fish in the groove on top of rice on the bottom third of the nori sheet. (According to chef Edmonds, Japanese tradition calls for an odd - not even - numbers of ingredients, usually three or five items).

Add a small swipe of wasabi on top of other ingredients if you prefer.

Begin rolling your sushi roll by putting the tips of the four fingers of each hand on top of sushi ingredients to hold them in place while keeping both thumbs on the back of the bamboo rolling mat closest to you, as pictured above.

Push the mat forward until the mat is completely around the sushi roll and until the top and bottom edges of the nori meet.

Pull your four fingers out from the mat and roll.

Continue to roll the sushi mat in a circle around the ingredients. Avoid pressing too hard. The mat can be used to shape your sushi into a nice long, round roll, but be gentle or you'll have a heavy rice log.

Set your first sushi roll on a plate. Make as many additional rolls as you like. Let them set for a few minutes prior to cutting. This will help the rice and ingredients stick and gel in shape.

To cut your sushi roll, place one sushi roll on your cutting board. Using a very sharp knife, gently cut each sushi roll in half, cutting down and through. Place the two halves above and below eachother, and cut each section into three pieces, leaving six bite-sized sushi morsels. Place the sushi on a plate.

Repeat until all of your sushi rolls are cut into bite-sized pieces.
5. EAT
Yes, there is a "suggested" way to eat sushi, but when eating at home, the rules aren't nearly as rigid as when eating in a restaurant.

Chopsticks and fingers are both acceptable. Bite-sized sushi should be eaten in one bite. Never pass sushi from your chopsticks to someone else's chopsticks. This is considered bad luck.

Most sushi restaurants hold that sushi shouldn't be heavily doused with wasabi or dunked in soy sauce as both drown the subtle flavors of the fish, rice and other ingredients. A dab of wasabi will complement the flavor of your sushi. Too much will overpower it.

If you prefer to dip your sushi in soy sauce, do so sparingly. Too much soy will cause the rice to fall apart. Dip a corner of your sushi in the sauce. Place the sushi fish side down, when applicable, on your tongue to maximize the taste.
SUSHI CLASSES
* Sur La Table, 1850 29th St., Boulder, 303-952-7084, (and other Sur La Table locations) surlatable.com/category/Web-Cooking-Root/Cooking-Classes

* Sushi Den and Izakaya Den, 1487 S. Pearl St., 303-777-0826, sushiden.net/2011/10/30/sushi-event/

* The Seasoned Chef, 999 Jasmine St., 303-377-3222, theseasonedchef.com. Rollin' Sushi Workshop, with Andrew Lubatty, $80, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Aug. 20.
PLACES TO BUY SUSHI-GRADE FISH
Whole Foods, Marzyk Fine Foods, Tony's Meats
ASIAN MARKETS
* H Mart, 2751 S. Parker Road, Aurora

* 88 Asian Market, 421 S. Federal Blvd.

* Pacific Mercantile Company, 1925 Lawrence St, 303-295-0293, pacificmercantile.com

* Pacific Ocean Market Place, 6600 W. 120th Ave ., Broomfield, 303-410-8168

* Asian Seafood Market, 2833 28th St., Boulder, 303-541-9377

* Bangkok Asian Market, 1119 W. Drake Road, Fort Collins, 970-797-2896

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Sushi for beginners: Five steps to making sushi at home

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Ah, sushi. That popular Asian culinary art form of modest origins. That lovely, subtle cuisine that sates without bringing on the dreaded carb-coma. Some call it the new healthy fast food. Some call it high art. I just want to call it dinner.