“Normal” Sushi vs. “Authentic” Sushi

A reader of The Story of Sushi wrote in to ask whether I could recommend a place to eat sushi in Chicago. After reading my book, this person had started to wonder whether their local sushi joint was up to snuff.

I receive these sorts of comments a lot. After reading the book people realize what they’re missing when they settle for their usual, run-of-the-mill sushi experience.

Unfortunately, the tragedy of sushi in America today is that despite there being sushi restaurants everywhere—in the book I report at least 150 in Chicago alone—it’s still often very hard to find a truly authentic and fulfilling sushi experience. Many sushi chefs don’t expect Americans to be able to appreciate the real deal, so it can very difficult to convince them to treat you as they would a customer from Japan.

That’s exactly why I offer the Sushi Concierge service. Since I speak Japanese, and take the time to build a rapport with the chefs I work with over our shared love of sushi tradition, I’m able to act as a middleman between them and the American diners I bring in, fast-tracking my customers so they get the real deal right away, and providing context and cultural background so the real deal makes sense to the American palate.

There’s a problem with all this, though. People who’ve attended one of my Sushi Concierge dinners frequently complain that I have ruined sushi for them—by which they mean the average sushi they used to be so happy to eat. Once you’ve had an authentic sushi dinner, it’s hard to go back!

But that’s part of my teaching, too. I encourage people to eat sushi less often, but when they do eat sushi, eat better, more authentic sushi. It’s worth it.

I wish I could clone myself, and usher people through Sushi Concierge dinners in Chicago and every other American city, too.

For now, if you don’t live in New York or Washington D.C., I encourage you to pick up a copy of The Story of Sushi, arm yourself with the knowledge inside, and then start shopping around for a chef you like. It can take time and patience.

As for Chicago, I generally don’t make recommendations for specific sushi restaurants—here’s why.