Being huge fans of sushi, ML & I tried out the Sushi & Sake 101 class at Sushi Samba (on 7th avenue) the other day. It was a cool introductory lesson on sake and sushi. The class started out with a brief history of sake and how it is made along with a tasting of 6 different types of sake (progressively getting more complex) by the sommelier. An interesting fact about sake is that due to its high water content (over 80%), its not as likely to give you a hangover the next morning regardless of the amount you drink (although ML would disagree).

After that, the executive chef came on to talk about how sushi is made and the different types of rolls that are made. What struck me to be quite astounding was that to be a good sushi chef, a chef spends years just practicing knife techniques, filleting fish and making the perfect sushi rice. In fact, the easiest way to tell how good a sushi chef is, is by the quality of rice used (not too wet or dry or hard, just the perfect amount of moisture and stickiness). The chef was even nice enough to recommend a few good places near and in NY to get sushi grade fish:

* Mitsuwa in Edgewater, NJ
* Katagiri on 59th St between 2nd and 3rd

We even got a chance to make our own rolls at the end and throughout the class, waiters served us appetizers and a couple of samplers. It was a laid-back and informative evening with some delicious food and sake. A neat and unique offering by Sushi Samba that more restaurants should definitely look into.