Sushi Confidential: I'm Back
Sushi Confidential,
Part of me is home.
I’m officially a freelance sushi chef. Still writing professionally. I love what I do and it’s a privilege. I just love making sushi.
Anyone who’s worked in service vs corporate will tell you the differences. The people, professional distance, camaraderie. One of the new guys who doesn’t know me, asked me questions and watched me work. Funny, to me my economies of movement were trash and wow was I slow. Little rusty but to be expected.
All the shit in The Bear does exist sure but don’t be a chach about it. You do say “corner” and “behind”. I never liked “heard”. People don’t call each other “chef” every 5 seconds. The one that I will always adhere to is “knife”. When you’re walking with a knife, you let everyone know. In my case…
“Knife! Knife! Some of you know and some of you don’t know that this is MY knife and MY knife WANTS to cut you! I am the only one stopping this knife from cutting all of you down!”
Let me tell you about someone I’ve met along the way. His name is Josh Wamsley, the founder of Mazunte. Some might call it the Cinci OG taco joint. Josh is a 1 of 1.
Japanese and Mexican cuisine are wildly different, and the kitchens are equally night and day. Knives in Japan are damn near sacred, and whenever I wanted to have a beer after my shift, Juan would open it for me with his knife. I promise you, the Mazunte kitchen is the worst place on earth to nurse a hangover. Blasting Mexican music, hot as hell, and if it’s onion day, you will wish it wasn’t onion day. Fun place not hungover.
The biggest difference is that Japanese people don’t come to the US to make sushi. It’s like futbolers coming to the US, why would they? Josh isn’t Mexican. I asked Josh how he felt about owning a restaurant that sells another culture’s food. He responded, “if anyone makes better tacos than me, bring it on.”
If you hear me talk about sushi, you know my nihonjin teachers. Fuck the idea that you’re not the right color to make food and serve another person.
One of the best compliments I’ve ever given, I gave to Josh:
“You make every conversation you have seem it’s the most important conversation you’ve ever had.”
E
#ARTiculate