California Eatin': A quick word about sushi from another coast

During the month of April, I took a much-needed vacation to visit some good friends in Southern California.

Much fun was had--Disneyland, the beach, and most of all, Sushi.
My good friend, over at , J*, had heard about my blog and said, "Let's try Sushi here in Cali!"

And so we did:



We visited the much-talked about Matsu.

I give the experience an overall good rating. The food was fresh, the decor neon (what is it with Neon lights and Sushi bars? Topic for another post, I suppose), and the beer tasty in my stomach.

We got a pretty decent sampler platter:


and what I *thought* was a tigers-eye roll. Apparently, Sushi is different from region to region. I expected: Salmon, jalapeno, and cream cheese all wrapped in nuri and rice, but instead, I got:


When popped into the mouth, the white ring was super chewy, and the salmon was over-done/cooked, with a little bit of avocado. Not the most pleasant thing I've ever eaten, but perhaps the most adventurous.

When I got back to Texas, I looked it up. Apparently, the "white ring" was squid. Who knew? It seemed so incongruous--what would possess someone to mess with the beloved jalapeno-cream cheese-rice blessed and holy union? How did it go from squid ring in Cali to delicious rice roll in Houston?

A good friend and Sushi lover, P*, stated it like this: "Sushi is like the blues. The same song can sound completely different in two different cities."

I learned that day that there really is about a million different ways to make and prepare sushi. Thinking on it now, of course there would be regional differences, just like any other food. I was reminded in a very...interesting way.

It was a fun trip and I can't wait to go back. Looks like I may have a "sushi in Cali #2" as I think I will be back in September for a wedding. Woo!

Happy Eating, Chopstickheads!