Sushi.
There is little in between room on it; one either likes it a lot, or
wouldn't touch it in a famine. For those of you in the former
category, and looking for a good tip, please read on.
We have so many Asian cuisines to choose from now in
American restaurants. Whether you favor Chinese, Thai,
Vietnamese, Korean or Japanese, there's a spot on Cape Cod to indulge
yourself. If I had to identify one of the major distinctions in
Japanese food from other Asian cuisine, I would say the artistry.
Japanese is a very visual food, stunningly beautiful in even its most
simple dish. Good dining, and good eating, involves all of the
senses, even those who don't like sushi would begrudgingly acknowledge
its artistry. As for freshness, well, a good sushi bar's fish was
swimming earlier in the day, or maybe last night. It's extrememly
low in fat and high in protein. And, it just tastes really good.
I have visited Ying's in Hyannis about a dozen times now. As you
enter you'll encounter a small waterfall display to your left, dining
tables to your right, and a sushi bar with 8-9 stools ahead of
you. The staff has always greeted me warmly and served me very
attentively. The room, and the sushi bar, have a nice feel to
them, comfortable, and the decor is appropriate for an Asian restaurant
serving Japanese, Thai and Korean food. I have sampled the Thai
and Korean food, but will save them for another review. My
favorite is the sushi, so let's chat about that.
Rice, nori (dried seaweed paper) and raw fish, in its most basic
form. But, it's a lot more intricate and involved than
that. The rice, for instance, is steamed, and as in the cooling
has some rice wine vinegar and sugar added. Simple, but vital to
the final form. The fish is cut just so, and in particular ways,
taking into account its grain (yes, fish has a grain, just as meat
does) and the type of sushi being made.
Type of sushi? Yes, and it might be maki sushi (with the nori,
made into rolls and sliced), or nagiri sushi (a small portion of rice,
a dab of wasabi and a slice of raw fish on top), or a hand roll
(sort of like an ice cream cone made with the nori, filled with rice
and raw fish). Sometimes a small piece of Japanese pickle, or
cucumber, might find its way into a maki sushi, or a hand roll, or
maybe a spicy sauce to accompany the fish or a savory sauce to
accompany the unagi (eel, but cooked).
Now to Ying's. The sushi chef works right at the counter, in
front of you at the sushi bar. He's happy to be engaged in
conversation with you as he makes the sushi, and even happier to be
asked, simply, to surprise and dazzle you with a sampler. The
nagiri sushi comes two pieces to the order, and the offerings include
salmon, squid, mackerel, shrimp (cooked), octopus, yellowtail tuna
(hamachi, not local, flown in from Japan), fatty tuna (toro, one of my
favorites) and tobiko, flying fish roe that may even be green if mixed
with a little wasabi. I've sampled each of these, and didn't find
one I didn't like.
The maki sushi, made with nori into a roll, is sliced into six pieces,
sometimes on a bias, and artfully presented on a sushi
plate. The maki might include the same fish and sea creatures, or
it might have avocado, Japanese pickle or cucmber for those who can't
bring themselves to eat raw fish. The rolls might also be made
inside out, rolled in the reverse so the rice is on the outside, with
the nori and fish on the inside. My personal favorite is the
spicy tuna maki sushi, a simply sublime delectable that I have most
Saturdays for lunch. Ying's versions of each are wonderful,
fresh, flavorful, and almost too pretty to eat.
The menu also offers the California maki (crab, avocado and cucumber)
and a Philadelphia maki (salmon, avocado and cream cheese), but I guess
I'm too much of a purest, and find it hard to believe any such
offerings could be found in Japan. I may be wrong, but I don't
think so.
Let's talk about sushi etiquette for a moment, too. You'll be
offered chop sticks and a small, shallow bowl along with the plate of
sushi. The bar condiments include soy sauce, and the sushi is
served with sliced, pickled ginger and a small dab of wasabi
paste. The small bowl is for the soy sauce, and I like to mix a
little of the wasabi paste in with it for a kick. Wasabi is
extremely hot, and will bring you to tears quickly and clear your
sinuses rather painfully if you are not careful. I happen to like
hot and spicy, so it suits me fine. This is just a word of
caution for the uninitiated. The pickled ginger is a palate
refresher, meant to be eatin in small bites in between bites of sushi.
The nagiri sushi is a two or three bit piece, and should be lightly
dipped in the soy. The maki sushi, and inside out maki sushi, are
cut into 6 pieces per serving, and might or might not be single
bites. These, also, are dipped in the soy before eating.
The chop sticks, by the way, should simply be put down flat on the
place mat, or leaned on the dipping bowl, when you are finished.
It would be improper etiquette to lay them across the sushi plate the
way one might lay a knife and fork across a dinner plate.
Ying's is my favorite place for sushi on Cape Cod. The fish is
always fresh, the presentations are always artful, service is warm and
efficient, and the sushi bar is quite comfortable. For lunch, a
spicy tuna maki sushi, a salmon nagiri sushi, a bowl of miso
soup, and a cup of tea is as good as it gets for me, and Ying's has
never disappointed. For dinner, perhaps you might choose from the
maki combo of 24 pieces, or sushi and sashimi (raw, sliced fish) combo
of 18 pieces. Either way, you can't go wrong. The sushi ranges in
price from $3.50 to $5.95 per order, so for under $12 for lunch, Ying's
is an excellent value. Cape Dining Out recommends it heartily to
you, and gives it a 3.5 Cod rating, nearly perfect.
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