The Lebanese palate may be softening. Not long
ago, if you wanted something raw, kiba nai, raw
lamb meat, was the meal of choice. Now the subtler
Japanese dish of sushi – raw fish – is all the rage. Its chic,
healthy and very exotic. But if you’re thinking of heading
out tonight to one of the multitude of sushi bars that have
opened recently, think again. Reservations often have to be
made days in advance.
“There are a lot of people who want to discover sushi,” says
Fawzi Ghantous, manager of the stylish new restaurant So.
Sushi comes in three varieties: sashimi, slices of plain raw fish;
sushi, slices of raw fish atop small rice patties; and maki, which
can be prepared in a variety of ways but is generally small
pieces of fish or vegetables rolled in rice and held together with
dried seaweed. Maki is by far the most popular dish in
Lebanon. A particular favorite is the California maki, an Americanized
sushi creation made out of processed crabmeat, avocado
and cucumber, rolled up in a rice and mayonnaise mix,
and then sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Part of sushi’s allure is the way that it is eaten. It is always presented with a serving of wasabi (spicy Japanese
horseradish), a bottle of soy sauce and marinated ginger. The
use of chopsticks is encouraged. First, pour some soy sauce
into the small dish provided. With chopsticks, take a bit of
wasabi and stir it into the soy sauce. Place a sliver of ginger
onto the sushi, dip it into the soy sauce and eat.
Saki, Japanese rice wine, is the usual accompaniment for
sushi. It is best sipped hot and is always served in small
ceramic bottles. Saki usually comes in two sizes. The single
is usually priced at about LL10,000 while the double is
about LL16,000. Beer lovers might want to sample the
Japanese brands Sapporo or Kirin, which can be found at
most restaurants for about LL6,900 per bottle.
Like almost everything that is chic, sushi does not come
cheap. Prices vary according to the weight and type of fish
used. Maki is less than half the price of sushi. A serving made
from tuna, crab or salmon is priced at around LL1,500. The
price more than doubles if it is made with eel or salmon roe.
At So, patrons sitting at the ‘sushi bar’ can treat themselves
to an array of dishes that pass before them on a revolving con-
veyor belt. Each dish is priced at LL4,500. Still, the countless
types of sushi listed on menus can prove tricky for novices.
But pre-set platters are always popular. At So, a 16-piece platter
costs LL32,000 while Le Sushi Bar offers a 24-piece platter
for LL35,000. Nippon Maru offers a 26-piece platter for
LL40,000 and an ultra-exotic 46-piece platter, made with imported Japanese fish, for LL95,000. Tokyo restaurant’s ‘Tokyo Set’ includes
eight pieces of sushi and cucumber maki for
LL38,000 and comes with miso soup and
pickled cabbage salad. Benihana has set
business lunches at LL37,500.
