Not sure of appropriate location but didn’t want to start a new thread - has anyone tried the dry aged salmon from The Joint in Sherman Oaks? ~ $38/lb
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Would love to hear a report on this. Is this cured at all?
seems like the answer is no:
There’s no salt involved in his dry-aging process.
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To me, having cured many many salmon, this seems ill advised, but like I said would love to hear report!
I’m assuming this is Josh Niland inspired. I’d be down to try cooked 120. I mean it did start off as an oraking so it’s a quality fatty salmon to begin with
Here’s a thread on dry aged fish from a couple years ago Old Fish Makes the Best Sushi - #23 by Sgee if you’re interested.
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Their wet smoked salmon at the joint is insanely good. Salty, sweet smoky goodness, it is pricy though. I bought it twice during the covid lock down period and paired it with some good rustic bread.
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Thanks, yes I am aware, it just seems like a long time especially for salmon, its probably not caught by Japanese fisherman and destined to become sushi. Hadn’t heard of this specific place. Will check out sometime myself and report back.
This is the salmon provenance pre aging if your interested
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very interesting, especially this note:
Only 10 TYEE per month are available to fine dining restaurants across the world.
To tweezerchef’s point, I suppose it’s notable that this NZ operation only has website options for English/Japanese.
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Im guessing the high fat content of the salmon makes it makes it more suitable for extended ageing
I think you’re starting to see non-Japanese fishermen / farm operations adopt Japanese practices ie Ikejime.
I’ve ordered Ora King several times now and it’s a high grade fish and operation. Also seem to be the in-vogue salmon source at higher end restaurants these days. Haven’t been to the Joint myself but seems legit from what I’ve seen on his instagram.
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Some Ora King reps were also on Cooking Issues late last year. Dave Arnold didn’t give them a ton of opportunity to talk (which isn’t uncommon) but I liked that they at least briefly discussed Ora King’s practices including the efficiency of the feeding process, use (or lack thereof) of isoeugenol, etc.
There were kind of more questions raised than hard answers but I liked that the conversation about the product and practices seemed to largely be no BS.
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Had Matsumoto delivered today. I was curious about their Hokkaido don, but settled for the premium chirashi given the price gap and variety.
I’ll start with the best parts. The hairy crab is incredible, and the kani miso brings welcome richness. The uni is also great, and less sweet than the Santa Barbara variety. I believe both are from Hokkaido, and having been there last year I can say the flavor and quality are up to spec.
The kinmedai, hotate and mackerel are muted in comparison. The sujiko is enjoyable, although a little brinier than I prefer. The ginger was a nice surprise - thicker and more pickled than usual. The toro was impressively fatty and marinated well. It would make for really excellent nigiri.
Unfortunately I have to dedicate a section to the shari. It’s overpowered with vinegar, and this is the first time I’ve said that about rice. Great rice can be flavorful without being noticeable, and Matsumoto’s is distracting if I’m being generous. This really brought the entire experience down. It’s possible their nigiri is more enjoyable given the smaller portions of rice. Also, there was no wasabi to be found in the bowl or bag.
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Got Matsumoto premium chirashi for lunch today. The fish was very good, esp. the uni and nodoguro. The rice was definitely a bit vinegary, but I found it to be pleasant. What I didn’t care for was the tamago…seemed almost like a throwaway item (but I still ate it). Nothing wrong with it, just didn’t seem at the same level as the fish.
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Apparently a lot of sushi bars buy it pre-made. I’ve had some awful tamago in from various Los Angeles sushi bars, including from places that weren’t inexpensive. I’m convinced most places don’t make their own. I’ve liked the tamago at Kiriko and Shunji. The tamago at Ginza Sushi Onodero was way too sweet for my taste, although I assume at a sushi bar of that level it was actually made in situ.
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Game Changer alert:
Sushi Tsujita has added the Appetizer Box at $35. We tried it today. Everything was so tasty. With the eel, tempura uni, abalone, sesame tofu, being standouts. The mini wagyu gyu-don, and the Kyoto-style grilled cod, were also excellent. Basically, the whole thing was amazing value. I can eat this alone for lunch everyday.
If you order it together with the Nigiri Set, or the Bara Chirashi Premium (which we did), it’s about the same price as the Kaiseki Jubako at n/naka. Although you’ll be missing dessert, and I hate to say it… it is item-by-item tastier than the Jubako (sorry Nikki). Maybe except for the sashimi which is really outstanding at n/naka, the cooked items there don’t travel as well, despite their extra care in packaging, especially the tempura (lobster). For Tsujita, everything tasted perfect, including the sushi rice.
And the biggest factor yet is that Tsujita delivers to the west side by UberEats. That, together with the overall superior food quality, is the deal breaker for me. I hope others will up their game for the competition soon.
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Here is my latest delivery from Sushi King in Santa Monica. This chirashi rang up for $29 and was a great value. Really enjoyed the tuna, mackerel and scallop. Sushi King has one of my favorite octopus anywhere - just the right amount of firmess and flavor. Those qualities extend to the surf clam, which I haven’t had in a long time.
While nothing here is overly premium, the cuts were awesome across the board. The pink sakura denbu on the rice was a nice touch, and a first for me. It’s light, sweet and livens up the presentation. The tamago leans to the savory side, which is not to my taste but that’s ok. I will also give them bonus points for the compostable container.
Hoping my next report is Sushi Tsujita’s appetizer box 
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