He’s doing a zoom talk with Now Serving just saw and thought of this topic
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Oh cool. Thanks!
Yeah I would agree I was too absolute in my statement that ALL fish is aged to some extent, ikizukiri and shellfish are exceptions for sure
Hikarimono is aged, as I said, to some extent in that it is generally cured first. I would consider the curing process a form of aging, even if it can be done in just a few hours. The times I have done it myself I let the fish rest another day after curing as I feel it is improved.
I think the smaller the fresher is a good rule of thumb. But even small fish are better after after at least a day, by and large. This includes cooked fish too. If you cook a small, white-fleshed fish they day you catch it, you’ll likely find it wants to curl up badly and the texture is rubbery.
Obviously ikizukiri is only done with particular fish and it’s a niche thing, personally I think it’s more for show than it is something designed to maximize deliciousness. I know taste is in the mouth of the be-taster, but for me I wonder if (not unlike other notorious Asian delicacies) it isn’t more about the show and the experience. Because I can’t imagine any fish being best to eat right after killing it. Honestly I can’t.
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FWIW, the term sushi grade is understood to mean safe to be consumed raw and has nothing to do with the actual quality of the fish (marbling, tone, etc.) - but there are no explicit regulations that define the term. having said that, the FDA has regulations concerning how fish is to be handled prior to serving but that’s it. these guidelines include the freezing of fish in order to guarantee the killing or parasites - for most fish species - but interestingly, not necessary if there’s sufficient empirical evidence that the risk to eating that species of particular provenance has proven to be safe over time. otherwise, fish are bled, gutted & flash frozen with eight hours of leaving the water in order to comply with the FDA’s “Parasite Destruction Guarantee”.
fish such as salmon are safer if they’re farm raised; control of the feed will prevent parasites, but the quality of the flesh is typically deemed inferior to that of salmon raised in the wild.
the process of dry-aging as i understand it has the goal of reducing the level of moisture in the fish, which results in concentrating the flavor.
and of course, anything that’s spent time in fresh water (including wild caught salmon) is always at risk for parasites and should never be eaten raw straight from the water.
interestingly, there are some things that are done to help maximize the quality of fish. for example, whole fish are stored in ice in the same orientation that they maintain in the water, ventral side down to keep one side of the fish from being crushed and to control how the innards settle. and when filleted, the fillets should touch others as little as possible. these are things that should be observed by your fishmonger, BTW.
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Sorry to be redundant, but my reply in The Sale Thread seemed just as applicable here:
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Yep, happy to have the info!
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A Seafood Journey: Part 1 - Little Tokyo
Nijiya in Japanese Village Plaza was kind of a bust.
But I did indulge my love of tchotchkes & cats at Shinyodo. The one in back is from a gift shop in Cozumel and is actually a teabag tidy, yep, a tidy.
I was a little dejected, so hubs said we should regroup and ”eat that food at that place we like”. He meant Okonomiyaki at Chinchikurin. After a beer and some grub he actually suggested soldiering on. Okay. We walked to Little Tokyo Marketplace on Alameda St.
Mecca!
Believe it or not there was more.
My Mini Haul…
I wanted to go basic first time, plus didn’t want to try patient hubs’ patience. I grabbed my selections, a few prepared accoutrements and bypassed the produce section. Fortunately we have a few herby survivors of the summer heat (clipped a little shiso & chives). The nori is Sea’s Gift nori snack sheets from my cupboard. 
They actually stayed crispy.
This being an L.A. market there was a little Mexican flavor. These will go well in my chicken mole chili.
Mini Spread…
I have a stupid amount of rice I forget but think this was the last of my bag of Mori Rice.
Got Hamachi Kama too!
Big, fleshy, crispy, fatty, Juicy! 
I planned to do them on the Weber but it was an unexpectedly hot day. 
The countertop convection oven did just fine.
Side Salad w/Super Greens, Persian Cucumber, Avocado, Pine Nuts & White Miso Dressing
Conclusion: The large case has variety, is clean, well stocked & maintained. Some of it requires a sharp eye & experience. The Salmon was fresh. The Yellowtail was very good. The Bluefin Otoro was disgusting, literally. 
It was inedibly chewy, a little fishy and dye pooled underneath it. What’s up with that?! Maybe I didn’t cut it the right way but honestly nothing could redeem this. I threw it out. I originally thought the “Bullifin” label was just a misprint. Now I’m not sure, lol. Suspect!
There was Sake…
Nanbu Bijin Shinpaku Junmai Daiginjo “Southern Beauty”
And Beer…
Happy City Fishing!
To be continued…
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Fun! Looks great
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What a spread!
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New species alert🚨
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Beautiful hamachi collars
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: (
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Yes, really nice!
I have never tried to grill my own - yours look great.
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lately we’ve been going to Yama Seafood. Branches in San Gabriel and Palms-ish? You buy-they slice.
I prefer this over Fish King, and while the Joint is obviously better, this is way cheaper and more convenient (Joint will not slice for you).
https://www.yelp.com/biz/yama-sushi-sake-attitude-los-angeles-2
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In West LA Nijiya has a nice selection that seems to have gotten larger recently. I saw some nice toro, tuna, Hamachi, salmon as well as fish cut for grilling today. Most everything is blocked out or sometimes sliced as well. Marukai of of Venice and Centinela usually has a good selection as well
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In South Bay Tokyo central and mitsuwa both have really good sushi. H-mart does too and they will slice live fish for you too for hwe du bap
Funny you mention - I stopped by Nijiya right after. Their prepared food section might be my favorite in all of Los Angeles. They even occasionally have Cream Pan offerings 
Bang bang with Tenkatori upstairs.
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It’s the smallest of the Japanese markets but their quality and selection is the best, I always go to Nijiya first. Tenkatori!I don’t love the sauces, but the chicken itself and the frying are on point, good size pieces, juicy & so good!
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I was walking by the other day, noticed it was quite crowded, and was curious. Perhaps I shall try…
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