New York Sushi Restaurants: Traditional Japanese vs. Chinese Style

From my earliest days of sushi comsumption, which goes back to the late 1980's, New York City sushi restaurants have always been polarized between traditional Japanese sushi purists and the value sushi contingent.  Although I love everything about having a traditional sushi meal, my cheap roots have me standing firmly in the corner of the value sushi corner.

In New York City, as with many places I've been to, value sushi usually means Chinese-made sushi and Chinese-owned sushi restaurants.  Why has there been such a huge influx of Chinese sushi restaurants?  The reason behind this influx is the general business environment of the the Chinese restaurant business.  Chinese restaurants can be found in all corners of the United States and their number makes it a highly competitive business.  Even Asian food markets have made inroads in formerly sleepy suburbs, which have indirectly cut into the profits of Chinese restaurant operators.  Thus, Chinese-American owners and new Chinese immigrants have decided to diversify and have opened, Japanese, Thai, and even Mexican restaurants right here in Manhattan. 

It is quite easy to see why the operation of Chinese restaurants is an expensive proposition.  Customers have been conditioned through the years to expect huge portions of greasy food from these operators. More food equals fewer profits.  As for Japanese food, small portions equals big profits. 

Qualitatively, the entrance of Chinese operators into the Japanese restaurant market have created a dual, polarized choice among sushi consumers.  For the Cheap Guy (that is me), I have found that cheapness dictates that I go more often to Chinese-run sushi establishments.

Let's see what I get for my money for going to a Chinese-run sushi restaurant:

1. A soup and/or salad with an entree.
2. Potentially a free appetizer, edamame or seaweed salad.
3. Large maki rolls. (i.e. cut-up and hand rolls)
4. Large sushi and sashimi pieces
5. Large tempura
6. American style rolls, such as California Rolls and Spicy Tuna, etc.
7. Value prices, usually $2 to $3 less per roll, $5 to $10 less per entree.

Now, let's see what we get for going to a Traditional Japanese sushi eatery:

1. Impeccable quality in rice, preparation and presentation.
2. A greater variety in fish, including imported Japanese varieties not on the menu.
3. Greater interaction between the customer and sushi chef. Generally good service.

Now for the downsides of dining in a Chinese-run Japanese restaurant:

1. Potentially hurried and rushed service because of a need to turn over tables quickly due to their lower margins than their Japanese-run counterparts.
2. Less than fresh fish.  Sourcing and storage practices may be questionable depending on a restaurant's experience and staff.

Here are the downsides of dining in a Japanese-run sushi restaurant:

1. Confusion in ordering. Diners may need to know terms like "omakase", "isakaya", etc. 
2. American diners may need to know that Japanese restaurants don't offer American-style maki rolls.
3. Higher prices across the board. (But keep in mind that quality-mindedness reigns supreme at most Japanese-run restaurants.

So there you have it, a generalized summary of the two largest segments of New York sushi restaurants.  I firmly believe that sushi eaters in New York fall into one of the two camps.  To me, there is nothing wrong with either, but wouldn't it be a sushi lover's paradise if we could mix the upsides of both? and have value Japanese style sushi? I would love to live in that world!

Juan Valdez in New York and Thoughts on Colombian Coffee

Every day, I have the pleasure of waking up and watching WPIX, one of the two local news stations here in New York City. I always enjoy watching the antics of their anchors and today was no exception. I couldn't help but notice a guy who was standing in front of the WPIX building all dressed in white. When I took a closer look I thought, "hey, that's Juan Valdez!"  And indeed it was!  I looked the the right and thought, "hey, that's Tamsen Fadal!" And I was right. But I digress, as Juan Valdez was his usual stoic self and mostly silent self.

He was all there in his white hat, white coat, with a burlap bag slung over his shoulders.  His best accessory was his donkey. So many people couldn't resist petting his donkey that they got in the way of my shot. 

Anyhow, this had me thinking about Juan Valdez and Colombian coffee.  Colombian coffee to me is Arabica, smooth and mild in taste.  Bold Colombian blends are just Arabica beans roasted darker.  In general, I really like Colombian coffee and think Juan Valdez is just the man to sell the concept, even though it is not a brand per se. 

In New York City's Times Square, there is one Juan Valdez coffee shop, which is set up very much like Starbucks.  I've been there more than a couple of times and have been disappointed every time. (Why I go there so often is for another blog entry!)  The furniture is old, as is the poor upkeep of the store.  Although everything is branded with the Juan Valdez logo, one can't help but feel that this poor example of a store is helping to tarnish his image.  In fact, I remember the first time I went, I wanted to order a blended drink that was on their menu board, but the barista said he didn't have any! Wow, imagine Starbucks saying that to a customer!

No store can be completely bad, so I must say that Juan Valdez's coffee shop is located in a great location, a block south of Times Square and is a couple of dimes cheaper than Starbucks. It offers ample seating although on well-worn furniture.  I wish that one day, those who run Juan Valdez coffee realize the value of their brand and improve their store, especially the one in Times Square!